Ukrainian footballer harassed in France by fans calling for respect for Russians

The decision of Ukraine's defender Ilya Zabarny to refuse to transfer from English side Bournemouth to Paris Saint-Germain has caused a strong reaction among French fans. It became known that the reason for this decision was the presence of Russian goalkeeper Matvey Safonov in the Paris team.

On social media, many fans called his position discrimination and an unprofessional approach, literally bullying the 22-year-old Ukrainian.

"If this is true, then who are you to play a superstar?" wrote one commenter. Others called for "respect for Safonov" and called the refusal "racism and discrimination."

Some fans emphasized that Zabarny has "nothing to do at PSG" if he refuses to play because of his teammate's nationality.

There were also harsher statements: "Let him stay in his corner, playing at a low level," said one user, asking to bring Uzbek Husanov to the club.

Among the comments, there were also statements that sports should stay out of politics. "It's just a job, and Safonov is doing it. Zabarny should be a professional," added another fan.

Earlier it became known that Real Madrid was seriously targeting Zabarnyi, who is ready to pay more than 50 million euros for our compatriot.

Ilya has played 20 matches for Bournemouth this season in all competitions. He is one of nine players in the league who have played 100% of the game minutes in a season.

On November 2 last year, the stadium in England honored Zabarny for his sensational performance in the historic match. Our compatriot spent all 90 minutes on the field and after the final whistle received a well-deserved reaction from the fans.

Zabarny joined Bournemouth from Dynamo Kyiv for €27 million last January, signing a five-year contract.

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