Ukrainian star tears up contract with Russian side Zenit after being dropped

Ukrainian ace Yaroslav Rakitskyi has left Russian outfit Zenit St Petersburg after Vladimir Putin ordered his troops to invade the defender's homeland.

Rakitskyi, 32, was an integral part of Zenit's team - winning three consecutive league titles, two Russian Super Cups and the Russian Cup during his three-year spell.

But he was dropped from Zenit's starting XI for their 3-2 home win against Rubin Kazan on Monday after declaring his support for Ukraine on Instagram.

Rakitskyi asked for peace in his homeland and the ongoing conflict to be stopped, which started a week ago. Few are allowed to question Putin's regime in Russia.

"The club and our supporters wish to thank Yaroslav Rakitskyi for his time here and recognise the professionalism and passion he displayed while with us," read a Zenit statement.

"We sincerely wish the best to Yaroslav, his friends and his family."

Rakitskyi's move from Ukrainian side Shakhtar Donetsk to Zenit in January 2019 was hugely controversial at the time due to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

Although Russia's widescale invasion of Ukraine has only just started, Rakitskyi's country has been fighting pro-Russian rebels in the Donbas (or Donbass) region since April 2014.

Donetsk is one of the region's biggest metropolitan areas and Shakhtar haven't been able to play their home games at the Donbass Arena since the conflict started.

Rakitskyi was a legend at Shakhtar, winning eight league titles, six Ukrainian Cups and six Ukrainian Super Cups during a 10-year professional spell at the club.

But he was labelled a "traitor" for joining Zenit three years ago. He's also not represented Ukraine since the transfer, subsequently retiring from international duty in 2019.

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