Last week, the football coach was in charge of a Moldovan club in the UEFA Europa League, but he left on Saturday to join the Ukrainian territorial army, only days after Vladimir Putin’s invasion of the country began.
With the Russians waging a brutal attack on land, air, and sea, Vernydub says he knew he had to return home and enlist as soon as the bombardment began.
He told the BBC, “I don’t want to lie to you.” ‘I witnessed a lot of powerful men leaving the nation as I was returning home.’ That’s when I realized I couldn’t do the same thing. I promised myself that I’d enroll as soon as I got home.
For the latest updates on the Russia-Ukraine war, visit our live blog: Russia-Ukraine live
‘The people close to me tried to stop me. My wife, my children, my grandchildren. I stood strong and I thank my wife for supporting me. She knows my character. If I make a decision, I won’t change it. I made my decision so everything is OK. I am not afraid.’
SC Braga knocked Sheriff out of European competition on penalties last week, but Vernydub rose to fame earlier this season in the UEFA Champions League, when the debutants secured a spellbinding 2-1 win over Carlo Ancelotti’s Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium. Transnistria, the breakaway republic in Moldova where Sheriff are based, itself comes under heavy influence from Russia.
Now he 56-year-old says that he is under the command of military leaders, and is ready to use his weapons to defend Ukraine when necessary.
‘I am not allowed to disclose what my role is in the army,’ he explained. ‘Now we are being instructed. In every minute we are ready to go where they tell us to. I have not used my weapon yet but I am ready, always. Any time.
‘I don’t have any doubt in my mind that Ukraine will win this war. I can’t think of anything else. I’m sure of that. I saw this tragedy united us as a nation. I think peace will happen only when we win. I think Russia’s demands are impossible to reach. We won’t stand down. There is a need for dialogue, but we won’t satisfy their ultimatums. We see negotiations taking place and I hope they will have enough brains to stop this war. First of all, I hope children and women won’t die anymore. This is the most important thing.
‘I have total respect for [Ukrainian president] Volodymyr Zelensky,’ he added. No matter what they say about him. I voted for him. People were calling him a clown, but he showed he is a real leader.
‘He is honest. He made errors too, but it’s normal for everyone to make mistakes. I can imagine how hard it is to lead a country. I have no doubt he is a good man. We have a president who will act in a correct way. I believe in him.’
Vernydub’s circumstances, and those of all his compatriots, would have been impossible to imagine when his team we were winning in the Bernebeu.
‘When we beat Real Madrid, I couldn’t imagine this,’ he said. ‘I started having my doubts at the beginning of February. The players kept asking me why I am so sad all the time. Did anything happen to me? I kept saying nothing’s wrong, but soon something will be. They kept saying it won’t, but I felt something.
‘Some of the Sheriff boys have called me and I have received voice messages. Some coaches sent me words of encouragement too. Thinking about football motivates me. Football is my life. I hope this war won’t last for long. We will win and I will go back to my beloved work.’
Estimates now say that over one million refugees have left Ukraine since Putin’s barbaric attacks began just over a week ago, while hundreds of civilians have been killed and thousands more injured.
FOR UPDATE ALERTS
JOIN 360MEDIA WHATSAPP GROUP
JOIN 360MEDIA TELEGRAM CHANNEL
JOIN 360MEDIA FACEBOOK GROUP
FOLLOW 360MEDIA ON TWITTER
Be the first to comment