The atmosphere was icy at the PSG Campus. During the internal friendly match organized by Paris Saint-Germain on Saturday, Matvey Safonov and Illia Zabarnyi clearly kept their distance before kickoff.
According to L’Équipe, the Russian goalkeeper and the Ukrainian defender did not shake hands before the match. Videos later shared on social media confirmed the scene, with both players completely ignoring each other and even avoiding eye contact when standing face to face on the pitch.
Tension Between Safonov and Zabarnyi
The sequence inevitably carried heavy symbolism given the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine. Zabarnyi, who joined PSG this summer from Bournemouth, had already made his position very clear regarding his relationship with Safonov.
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“I have to interact with him professionally during training and fulfill my obligations to the club,” the Ukrainian international explained when he signed for PSG, before adding that he had “no relationship with Russians.”
— Mourad 🇲🇷🇧🇷🇵🇹 (@MouradDiop92) May 23, 2026
Despite the visible tension, the two players have already played thirteen matches together for PSG this season, including one Champions League game and twelve Ligue 1 appearances.
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