Former Arsenal and Wolves defender halts coaching career to fight for Ukraine

Former Arsenal and Wolves defender Oleh Luzhnyi halts his coaching career to fight for his native Ukraine in the war with Russia.

Luzhnyi 53, spent four years at the Gunners, winning the Premier League and FA Cup and also had a brief spell at Wolves, but has now told Sky Sports that the situation in his country is “horrific” and that he will put plans to coach in the UK on hold in order to stay and fight.

Just two months ago, Luzhnyi spoke on how keen he was to return to England and coach, something he’s being doing now for eight years, over two spells, as assistant manager with Dynamo Kyiv.

Former Arsenal defender Oleh Luzhnyi reveals the “horrific” situation in Ukraine and tells Sky Sports why he will put his coaching career on hold to protect his country 🇺🇦

— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) February 27, 2022

While his Ukrainian compatriots, Zinchenko and Mykolenko were seen on TV being embraced on the pitch at Goodison Park, Luzhnyi spent much of Saturday travelling between his home and one of the city’s many makeshift air-raid shelters.

“The situation is horrific,” he told Sky Sports via a Whatsapp message. “I want to come to coach in the UK but before anything I will stand firmly and fight for my people, for my country and for democracy.

“We all hope this will be over soon as innocent lives are being lost and families are being torn apart. A country being invaded and destroyed is all for what? We need to stand together as one and bring to an end this criminal warfare.”

As recently as a week ago, Lviv was supposedly the safe place for domestic refugees fleeing the more vulnerable capital, Kyiv.

Many came by train and set up a temporary home with relatives or found apartments to rent.

The American embassy was established in the city and it was regarded as a safe space even with the imminent threat of a Russian invasion.

However over the last couple of days the air raid sirens have become more prominent and the US embassy has now moved its operations to Poland.

Since the start of the war with Russia, Luzhnyi has tried to keep in contact with his childhood friend, Simon Stakhiv, who lives in London.

Communications are tough to come by due to the mobile coverage become intermittent, though Luzhnyi wants to keep the people of Ukraine in the minds of football supporters in this country.

Luzhnyi and Stakhiv met in Lviv in the 1980s when Luzhnyi’s career was launched thanks to a move from SKA Karpaty Lviv to Dynamo Kyiv.

Stakhiv moved to London for work in 1997 and, when Luzhnyi linked up two years later, renewing their friendship.

“Oleh has told me that everybody is in shock and stressed by what is happening,” Stakhiv adds.

“It is a scary thing to have to go to the bomb shelters and sleep overnight there. We are lucky here in England, today we had blue skies and peace but it’s a different story when you are living with sirens and war.

“From six o’clock in the evening until eight o’clock in the morning nobody is allowed outside apart from the army.”

Luzhnyi is preparing for the prospect of becoming personally involved in the war, learning how to use weapons with males expected to stay in the country.

“Everyone from the age of 18 to 60 can be called to fight, everyone is prepared to fight,” Stakhiv explains.

“People love Oleh everywhere he goes. There are youngsters who weren’t even born when he was playing who will stop him on the street to say ‘hello’ or have a picture with him. They respect him so much and he will be a source of strength to the people in the city throughout this when they see him.”

Stakhiv spoke about the plight of his childhood friend and hopes the day will come when they can talk at length about something as straightforward as football once more.

“Of course, he still supports Arsenal. We talk every week about them and he would take great strength in knowing that Arsenal fans still remember him.

“He still has ambitions to come to England. He is a legend, he captained our country, and I would love him to come back here when all this is over.”

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