Premier League side Manchester City expressed their stand on the current conflict between Russia and Ukraine as they handed Oleksandr Zinchenko the captain armband in the game against Peterborough.
Manchester City were hosted by Peterborough for the 5th round of the FA Cup. Moreover, in the team sheet, they replaced Zinchenko as their captain by Fernandinho. Interestingly, Fernandinho also joined Manchester City after leaving a Ukrainian club Shakhtar Donetsk in 2013.
UPDATE: @fernandinho has handed over the captain's armband to Zinchenko for tonight's #FACup match 💙
— Manchester City (@ManCity) March 1, 2022
Classy Gesture By Manchester City As They Hand Captain Armband To Oleksandr Zinchenko in FA Cup Game
It was an important game for Manchester City as the team earlier missed out on EFL Cup, which they won last year. Moreover, the team had some key players likes of Zinchenko, Phil Foden, Jack Grealish, Riyad Mahrez, and others.
Among all the experienced players, it was Zinchenko who led the team on the pitch for Manchester City. Fans also showed their support and came with Ukrainian flags in the stadium with messages on them.
Furthermore, this was the first time that Zinchenko was leading Manchester City as a captain. However, he has captained the Ukrainian national team on several occasions. Under his captaincy, the Ukrainian team was on a dream run in the Euro 2020.
🇺🇦Oleksandr Zinchenko has been handed the captain's armband for @ManCity this evening in support of Ukraine.
💙Brilliant gesture. pic.twitter.com/4WLHd0bvPy
— SPORF (@Sporf) March 1, 2022
Earlier in the game against Everton, Zinchenko received massive applause from the fans. However, he was not involved in the game, but all the fans and staff showed their respect towards the let-back.
Manchester City In FA Cup 5th Round
City scored 2 goals in 90 minutes and confirmed their slot for the next round. Jack Grealish finally scored for the club after a long wait. On the other hand, it was Riyad Mahrez who scored the first goal. Both the goals were assisted by Phil Foden.
Zinchenko also played a crucial role in defense for the victory and played full 90 minutes. He completed 82% of his passes and made more than 100 touches in the game. Zonchenko also completed 2 tackles from attempted 7 and made 1 clearance in the game. City won 2-0 against Peterborough and are now qualified for the next round.
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