Rakitsky named the reason for his return to Ukraine from Russia

Shakhtar Donetsk defender Yaroslav Rakitsky explained why he decided to leave Russia, where he played for Zenit, and return to Ukraine.

"Football is my job and my life. I played football in Russia. But when the full-scale war started on February 24, 2022, I decided on the same day to terminate my contract and return to Ukraine. This action is my answer. No one could have imagined such a scale of aggression: that Russians would kill Ukrainians by the thousands, destroy our cities. If I had known it would be like this, I would have never gone to play in Russia! Moreover, I believe that many people did not perceive it as heavily until February 2022: look, the FIFA World Cup was held in Russia, the UEFA Champions League final was supposed to take place there, many Ukrainians continued to live and work in Russia, countries traded with each other. But on February 24, everything fell into place — in one day, everyone realized that we, the civilized world, have nothing in common with the Russian Federation. That's why I am here, in Ukraine, with my country, with my people. And this is my answer to all the questions," the player's words were quoted by the club's official website.

In the current season, the 33-year-old Rakitsky has played 20 matches in all competitions for Shakhtar, scoring two goals and providing three assists. His contract with the club is valid until the summer of 2023.

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