After PSG’s victory against Rennes, Luis Enrique had to face a question that immediately annoyed him: why was Illia Zabarnyi, reported to be ill, not present while Matvey Safonov was starting? Some saw it as a “diplomatic illness,” a sidelining to avoid any controversy between a Ukrainian player and a Russian player.
The Parisian coach firmly dismissed this theory, clearly tired of such insinuations. “It’s incredible… Every time you ask a question, it’s problematic. Not at all, he is just sick. He has been sick for two days,” he stated, lamenting that people prefer to “look for controversies” rather than talk about football.
PSG avoids a global controversy
In France, the matter ends there. But in Ukraine, Zabarnyi’s absence has still been closely scrutinized. A local journalist explained to RMC Sport that if the two players had been lined up together, “it would have caused a scandal in Ukraine, especially in the current context and with the new Russian strikes. Russian propaganda would have exploited the situation.”
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Amid suspicions, geopolitical context, and interpretations, Luis Enrique wanted to clarify: no maneuvering, no calculations. Zabarnyi was sick, end of story.
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