This summer, Paris Saint-Germain completed the €66 million transfer of 22-year-old Ukrainian international defender Illia Zabarnyi from AFC Bournemouth. An interesting aspect of this high-profile move was the potential dynamic between Zabarnyi and Russian international goalkeeper Matvey Safonov, who joined the Parisian club last year in a reported €20 million deal from Krasnodar.
Safonov was initially brought in to provide competition for Gianluigi Donnarumma and is expected to continue his role in the French capital as Lucas Chevalier`s understudy. In a recent interview with Football 360, later highlighted by L`Equipe, Zabarnyi publicly addressed, for the first time, his professional relationship with Safonov, placing it within the broader context of Russia`s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which commenced in 2022.
“A full-scale war has been raging in my country for four years,” Zabarnyi stated. “The Russians are aggressors who are vainly trying to destroy the freedom and independence of Ukraine.”
The former Bournemouth player further clarified that he maintains no personal relationships with Russians. Regarding his interactions with Safonov, the 22-year-old emphasized that he “is forced to interact with him on a professional level during training” and is committed to fulfilling “his obligations to the club.” Zabarnyi, a full international for Ukraine, also reiterated his strong support for “the complete isolation of Russian football from the global community.”
