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      in Boxing

      Vasiliy Lomachenko’s boxing return against Jamaine Ortiz CONFIRMED for October 29 in first fight since Ukraine war

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      VASILIY LOMACHENKO will make his boxing return on October 29 against Jamaine Ortiz. The former unified lightweight champion will enter the ring for his first fight since joining the front line defending Ukraine from Russia’s invasion.
      Vasiliy Lomachenko will make his boxing return on October 29 against Jamaine OrtizCredit: AP
      Lomachenko, 34, said:  “I love my sport, and I am so glad to be back.
      “My goal is to win the undisputed lightweight title, but I will not take Jamaine Ortiz lightly.
      “Madison Square Garden and Hulu Theater at MSG have been special places in my career, and I look forward to making more great memories on October 29.
      “I want to dedicate this fight to all my Ukrainian people. I wear the flag proudly every time I step in the ring.”
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      Lomachenko in February signed up to a territorial defence battalion amid Russia’s invasion on his homeland.
      He was offered the chance to challenge for the undisputed crown against George Kambosos Jr this year.
      But Lomachenko turned it down due to the ongoing war, with Devin Haney later defeating Kambosos.
      Promoter Bob Arum said: “Vasiliy Lomachenko is a credit to his country and the sport of boxing.
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      “When his country needed him, Vasiliy did not hesitate.
      “We are thrilled that he is safe and fighting once again at Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden, his home away from home.
      “Jamaine Ortiz is a young, hungry, undefeated fighter who understands that a victory over a living legend like Loma would be life-changing.”
      Lomachenko’s last fight came in December when he beat Richard Commey over 12 rounds.
      He is in line to challenge the winner between Haney and Kambosos’ rematch in June.
      Vasiliy Lomachenko beat Richard Commey in his last fightCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      Vasiliy Lomachenko signed up to a territorial defence battalion More

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      in Soccer

      Former Norwich star Mathias Normann axed from Norway squad indefinitely for playing in Russia

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      NORWAY have AXED Mathias Normann from their squad indefinitely because he is playing for a Russian football team. Normann was on loan at Norwich City last season from Russian club FC Rostov, and following the conclusion of his loan he will return to Russia at club level, but thus far it is unclear who this will be for.
      Mathias Normann celebrates a victory for Norwich last seasonCredit: PA
      And as a consequence of this, Norway have told Normann he will not be selected for their upcoming internationals against Slovenia and Serbia.
      Stale Solbakken, Norway’s head coach and Lise Klaveness, Norway’s Football Federation president, both agree the player cannot play due to the country’s unified stance on the invasion of Ukraine.
      Klaveness said: “Basically, it is not the association’s role to say anything about national team players’ choice of club, but we are now in an extraordinary situation.”
      “All of Norwegian and European football agree to put joint pressure on Russia as a belligerent party, which has also used positions of power in sport very actively.
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      “All Russian teams are banned from international sports competitions. Stale and I agree that Normann cannot represent Norway when he will now play for a new Russian club.”
      UEFA and FIFA came down hard with sanctions on Russian football, banning the national team and clubs from competing in competitions under UEFA or FIFA’s banner.
      The ban caused a mass exodus of players from the country.
      Normann played 23 times for Norwich in the Premier League last season but was unable to help The Canaries steer clear of relegation back to the Championship.
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      He was also previously contracted to Brighton but failed to make a senior appearance before The Seagulls sold him in 2019.
      Normann has 12 senior caps for Norway.
      But until he moves away from Russia club football he is unlikely to add any more caps to his name. More

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      Arsenal star Oleksandr Zinchenko hails powerful message as football returns to war-torn Ukraine

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      OLEKSANDR ZINCHENKO will be watching as football resumes in Ukraine today – proud, defiant, but also a little worried.Arsenal star Zinchenko believes staging matches in his homeland for the first time since the Russian invasion in February will send an important message.
      Oleksandr Zinchenko says restarting football in Ukraine will show the country’s defiance.Credit: Getty
      But he acknowledges the danger that his compatriots will face simply by stepping on to the pitch.
      Ukraine international Zinchenko said: “It’s difficult for me to imagine how it’s going to be. 
      “If there are air-raid sirens, they are going to have to stop, so it’s going to be difficult. 
      “People are still suffering. We need to fight every single day. 
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      “I will be watching as many games as possible on TV.
      “It’s so important to show to the rest of the world that the Ukrainian people don’t give up, that in any situation they carry on.”
      No fans will be allowed and at least half of the 16 top-flight clubs in Ukraine will be unable to play at home, in some cases sharing stadiums in “safer” cities.
      But wherever they play, regulations require there to be an air-raid shelter for players, staff and match officials to escape to in the event of an attack.
      Most read in Football
      And that is a very real danger: today is Ukraine’s National Flag Day and Russia is believed to be planning military action on such a symbolic occasion.
      Shakhtar Donetsk players are accustomed to being away from Donetsk. The club has been exiled from the eastern city since pro-Russian separatists in the Donbass region proclaimed independence in 2014.
      But the current situation is on a new, horrifying level as the club prepares to contest the opening match of the new season against Metalist 1925 in the Olimpiyskiy Stadium in Kyiv. at 11am UK time.
      Shakhtar striker Lassina Traore, a Burkina Faso international and cousin of Aston Villa forward Bertrand, is one of only two overseas players not to have left the club since the war began.
      Sometimes we were under shelling. Certainly, it was terrifyingYuriy VernydubHead coach of Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih
      Traore said:  “Of course, I worry like everyone else, no one knows what is going to happen in the future. 
      “Now it is a little bit calm compared to the beginning, but the war is still going on.”
      No-one knows that better than Yuriy Vernydub, head coach of Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih.
      This time last year Vernydub was about to lead Moldovan side Sheriff Tiraspol into the Champions League group stage for the first time.
      His side would go on to pull off one of the competition’s great shocks by beating Real Madrid at the Bernabeu.
      But when Russia invaded Ukraine in February, Vernydub left his team preparing for a Europa League match in Portugal to return home and join the army.
      Vernydub was sent to an artillery unit on the frontline in the south of Ukraine.
      He said: “It was tough work from dusk till dawn.
      “Sometimes we were under shelling. Certainly, it was terrifying, especially the first several times, but as time went on it became commonplace.
      “Currently I combine serving in the army and coaching. 
      “But If I receive an order to go back, I will immediately do it.”
      Yuriy Vernydub went from coaching in the CL to fighting on the frontline.
      Overseas football has shown solidarity with Ukraine, with foreign-based players like Zinchenko receiving strong support from crowds.
      And the resumption of the game in the country itself will make a powerful statement at home and abroad.
      Dynamo Kyiv vice captain Viktor Tsygankov said: “As football players, we have to accept the risk of playing when any minute a missile can be launched by Russian forces and land anywhere. 
      “At the same time, I know that thousands of Ukrainian soldiers at the front line are football fans. They protect our lives at the expense of their health, their lives, therefore we have to support them from our side.
      “I’ll be happy if football becomes the thing that helps the Ukrainian people to forget even for a couple of hours about the terrible things that are happening in our country. 
      Read More on The Sun
      “People in other countries are also struggling because of the consequences of this war. 
      “We must remind them that we are fighting not only for our freedom, which nobody can take from us, but probably for their future, too.” More

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      in Boxing

      Ukrainian boxing champ Oleksandr Usyk slams ‘weak’ Vladimir Putin after defeating Anthony Joshua

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      CHAMP Oleksandr Usyk took aim at “weak” Vladimir Putin after defeating Anthony Joshua.The Ukrainian boxer said of the Russian president: “Everything he shows is just to show that he’s strong, but he’s not.
      Oleksandr Usyk took aim at ‘weak’ Vladimir Putin after defeating Anthony Joshua.Credit: Getty
      He said ‘everything he shows is just to show that he’s strong, but he’s not’Credit: Alamy
      “Otherwise he wouldn’t show how strong, how big he is. In reality, he is very weak.”
      Usyk, 35, wore the blue and yellow of his homeland throughout his time in Saudi Arabia for the bout and added: “I boxed for the whole country and half of the world.
      “Now the whole world knows Ukraine is defending itself from the second biggest army in the world. And we stand strong and we give Russia a lot back.”
      It comes as Volodymyr Zelensky hailed Usyk’s brilliant victory over Joshua.
      READ MORE ON UKRAINE
      The Ukrainian president, 44, gushed with pride over his compatriot’s amazing triumph against a game AJ.
      Hoping to inspire the people of war-torn Ukraine, Zelensky tweeted: “Difficult, but so important and necessary VICTORY @usykaa!
      “Defending the title of the world champion is a symbol of the fact that all Cossacks will not give up theirs, will fight for it and will definitely win!”
      On what’s next, Usyk added: “I’m sure that Tyson Fury is not retired yet.
      Most read in The Sun
      “I’m sure, I’m convinced he wants to fight me.
      “I want to fight him and if I’m not fighting Tyson Fury, I’m not fighting at all.” More

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      in Soccer

      Euro 2022 final’s Ukrainian referee Kateryna Monzul spent five days living in bunker in Kharkiv after Russia’s invasion

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      TODAY’S Euro 2022 final referee is Ukrainian – and spent five days living in an underground bunker after the Russian invasion. Kateryna Monzul will step out at a sold-out Wembley this afternoon to oversee England vs Germany.
      Kateryna Monzul will referee the Euro 2022 final at Wembley todayCredit: Reuters
      But just months ago, she was in hiding with her family in her hometown of Kharkiv as Russian forces raided the country.
      Monzul headed to her parents’ home and took shelter before fleeing Ukraine with her two sisters and their three children, eventually settling in Italy.
      They drove through Moldova, Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic before arriving in Germany and then Italy, continuing her refereeing.
      Reflecting on the journey from Ukraine to Italy and then to the Euros in England, Monzul said: “When the war started, nobody could believe it.
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      “My family went to my parents’ home. We were [living] underground – a special place in the house.
      “It was stressful and difficult.
      “When we left Ukraine, we didn’t have any ideas what the next step was for us.”
      Monzul is a trailblazer for her country and for refereeing.
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      The 41-year-old was the first female ref to take charge of an England senior men’s match and a Ukraine Premier League match,
      An international official since 2004, she has also reffed in the Europa League, Europa Conference League, Nations League and three Women’s World Cups.
      Monzul will become the first official from Ukraine to referee a Women’s Euro final – and revealed the pride at calling home to tell her family about the landmark appointment which will see Sarina Wiegman’s side attempting to write history.
      She said she realised “how important it was for them as well as for myself” when she “hear their happy and positive reaction”.
      ‘HEART BEATING FAST’
      Monzul added: “This is a really emotional moment for me, and I’m enjoying it.
      “My heart is already beating fast. It’s the moment when a dream you have comes true.
      “But I must say that it’s also a moment where I feel responsibility because I’ll be refereeing an important football game.” More

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      in Boxing

      Inside Oleksandr Usyk’s life in Russian-occupied Crimea as he infuriated Putin by declaring loyalty to Ukraine

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      THIS year, Oleksandr Usyk prepared for the biggest fight of his life… but it wasn’t in the ring.Despite a scheduled money-spinning Anthony Joshua rematch, which finally takes place on August 20 in Saudi Arabia, the Ukrainian put his career on hold for a battle closer to home.
      Oleksandr Usyk is seen holding a machine gun after joining the war effort in Ukraine
      The fighter was born in in the Crimean city of Simferopol but is now based in Kyiv with his family.
      And Usyk put on his army fatigues and joined the Ukrainian Territorial Defence Forces in Kyiv back in February.
      In doing so, he was defending his country and seeking revenge for the Russians annexing his hometown of Simferopol in 2014.
      He wears the Ukrainian flags’ colours with pride in the ring.
      Wearing his heart on his gloves
      When Usyk outclassed Joshua at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last year, written on his gloves ‘Simferopol’ and ‘Ukraine’.
      As he celebrated a famous victory on points, he gleefully wore the yellow and blue flag on his shoulders.
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.nk-headline-heading{color:rgba(71,30,121,1);}.css-1uyse24:before{content:”;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;left:0;overflow:hidden;position:absolute;z-index:1;}.css-xpuujo{border-width:0 1px 1px 1px;border-style:solid;border-color:rgba(149,199,208,1);padding:12px;max-height:104px;min-height:98px;}.css-tqcu81{padding:0;border-width:0 1px 1px 1px;border-style:solid;border-color:rgba(149,199,208,1);padding:12px;max-height:104px;min-height:98px;}.css-124tga5{overflow:hidden;-webkit-line-clamp:3;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;display:-webkit-box;word-wrap:break-word;line-height:1;}.css-5jzxpx{overflow:hidden;-webkit-line-clamp:3;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;display:-webkit-box;word-wrap:break-word;line-height:1;}.css-bq4915{margin:0;padding:0;color:rgba(34,97,108,1);text-transform:uppercase;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;font-family:The Sun;font-size:18px;line-height:1.333;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:0%;font-stretch:normal;display:inline;}.css-bq4915:hover:not(:disabled){-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}JOSH BOSH .css-8h3gc3{margin:0;padding:0;color:rgba(34,37,38,1);-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;font-family:The Sun;font-size:18px;line-height:1.333;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:0%;font-stretch:normal;display:inline;}.css-8h3gc3:hover:not(:disabled){-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}Joshua told to RUGBY TACKLE Usyk and make him a ‘sitting duck’ in Saudi rematch
      “The belts are going home,” Usyk said in an Instagram video shortly after the fight.
      While Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky took to Facebook to write: “Ukraine has reclaimed what belongs to it!”
      Usyk returned to Kyiv a hero, and declared his intentions to bring the belts home to Crimea to show them off to his coach.
      But this drew some criticism – with some Ukrainians questioning a belief he has shared that Russians and Ukrainians are “one people”.
      .css-qu9fel{border-top:1px solid #dcdddd;}.css-b9nmbi{margin-bottom:16px;border-top:1px solid #dcdddd;}.css-1qsre5o{display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;height:100%;-webkit-align-items:flex-start;-webkit-box-align:flex-start;-ms-flex-align:flex-start;align-items:flex-start;-webkit-align-content:flex-start;-ms-flex-line-pack:flex-start;align-content:flex-start;-webkit-box-flex-wrap:nowrap;-webkit-flex-wrap:nowrap;-ms-flex-wrap:nowrap;flex-wrap:nowrap;-webkit-flex-direction:column;-ms-flex-direction:column;flex-direction:column;-webkit-box-pack:justify;-webkit-justify-content:space-between;justify-content:space-between;}.css-q8gelu{margin-bottom:24px;}.css-7ysxcx{padding:0;text-transform:uppercase;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}.css-7ysxcx:hover:not(:disabled){-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}.css-jkwlot{display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;height:100%;-webkit-align-items:center;-webkit-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-items:center;-webkit-flex-direction:row;-ms-flex-direction:row;flex-direction:row;-webkit-box-pack:justify;-webkit-justify-content:space-between;justify-content:space-between;padding:0;text-transform:uppercase;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}.css-jkwlot:hover:not(:disabled){-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}.css-1x7hydu{font-family:The Sun;font-size:24px;line-height:1.1666666666666667;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:0%;font-stretch:semi-condensed;padding:1px 0px;}.css-1x7hydu::before{content:”;display:block;height:0;width:0;margin-bottom:calc(-0.24520833333333342em + -0.5px);}.css-1x7hydu::after{content:”;display:block;height:0;width:0;margin-top:-0.2333333333333334em;}.css-1lobn43{display:inline;font:inherit;margin:0;color:rgba(0,0,0,1);}.css-1lobn43 svg{fill:rgba(0,0,0,1);}Most read in Boxing.css-1gojmfd{margin-bottom:16px;}.css-zdjvqv{display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;height:100%;-webkit-align-items:flex-start;-webkit-box-align:flex-start;-ms-flex-align:flex-start;align-items:flex-start;-webkit-align-content:flex-start;-ms-flex-line-pack:flex-start;align-content:flex-start;-webkit-box-flex-wrap:nowrap;-webkit-flex-wrap:nowrap;-ms-flex-wrap:nowrap;flex-wrap:nowrap;-webkit-flex-direction:column;-ms-flex-direction:column;flex-direction:column;-webkit-box-pack:space-around;-ms-flex-pack:space-around;-webkit-justify-content:space-around;justify-content:space-around;margin-top:calc(-12px/2);margin-bottom:calc(-12px/2);}.css-zdjvqv:before,.css-zdjvqv:after{content:”;display:block;}.css-1meuhfk{display:-webkit-inline-box;display:-webkit-inline-flex;display:-ms-inline-flexbox;display:inline-flex;margin-top:calc(12px/2);margin-bottom:calc(12px/2);}
      Just months after outclassing Anthony Joshua, Usyk put a rematch on hold to fight for his countryCredit: Getty
      He also travelled to the front lines in eastern Ukraine to teach Ukrainian army soldiers how to box.
      It was, perhaps, a mystery where his loyalties lay – until just a few months ago.
      Ready for battle
      Clutching a machine gun, Usyk posed alongside his comrades, including Andrii Nebytov, the head of the Kyiv Police and revealed he had joined the army.
      The married father-of-three then took to social media to stand up to Putin.
      “Good morning to everybody. My name is Oleksandr Usyk. I’d like to speak to the people of Russia. 
      “If we consider ourselves as brothers, Orthodox ones, do not send your children to our country, do not fight with us. 
      “Also I’m addressing this to the President, Vladimir Putin. You can stop this war. 
      After his famous win, Usyk proudly waved the Ukraine flag in the ringCredit: AP
      Usyk celebrates winning Olympic gold for Ukraine at the 2012 OlympicsCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      “Please just sit down and negotiate it with us without claims. 
      “Our kids, wives, grannies are hiding in the basements. We are here in our own country, we cannot do it any other way.
      “We are defending. Stop this war, stop it. No War.”
      He was joined by boxing heroes the Klitschko brothers and Vasiliy Lomachenko in the battle.
      Reportedly, an infuriated Putin put a bounty on their heads.
      That meant the planned rematch with Joshua was delayed. But AJ supported Usyk’s decision, and championed the boxers sticking up for their country.
      “I have learned that sport and politics go hand-in-hand,” Joshua said.
      “They have powerful voices and it is good that they are speaking up.
      “They are not pushing for war, they are calling for peace. Good luck to them.”
      But that didn’t sit well with Chairman of the Crimean Parliament Vladimir Konstantinov, who stripped him of his honours with Crimea.
      Usyk has repeatedly called for an end to warCredit: Reuters
      Russian president Vladimir Putin has been slammed by UsykCredit: Alamy
      As reported by RIA, he said: “These are [people] who arranged and welcomed the water and energy blockade of Crimea, who question the fairness and legitimacy of our return to Russia, who stained themselves with Russophobia.
      “Such people are not worthy of a good memory.”
      Not only did returning home come at a price with his Crimea roots – it also affected his appearance.
      Usyk’s wife Yekaterina shared: “Oleksandr lost 10 kilograms in a week of the war. He was so horrified, in such shock, he was so torn apart…
      “He saw what I was doing. I said, ‘Sasha, please, people are asking, we must speak, somehow support.’
      “But it’s very difficult for him. But he still goes on the air, he says something. His position is clear. He has always been for Ukraine, he has always glorified it and will glorify it, as long as his health and strength last.”
      Back to training
      In March, Usyk was given permission to leave Kyiv and start training again for his rematch with Joshua.
      The pair will go head-to-head in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia with the WBA, WBO and IBF championship belts on the line.
      But, despite everything he’s seen and knows, he won’t use the war in Ukraine as motivation for the blockbuster bout.
      “My friends and people close to me, they have died in the war. When so many people are suffering I don’t have any idea how it can influence anything positively,” Usyk said in a press conference last month.
      “I was there for one month and I saw with my own eyes what happened there… the rockets flying and fighter jets flying. It’s horrible.”
      He also chillingly spoke about death.
      “Every day I was there, I was praying and asking: ‘Please, God, don’t let anybody try to kill me.
      “Please don’t let anybody shoot me. And please don’t make me shoot any other person.”
      As he’s been away, Russian soldiers have ransacked his Vorzel home after using it as their living quarters.
      In March, Usyk returned to his training camp with his country’s blessingCredit: Alamy
      On August 20, Usyk will face off against Anthony Joshua in their rematchCredit: AFP
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      Whatever happens in the ring in the Middle East, nothing will compare to the atrocities of the war.
      And you can bet when that match is over, he will return to his homeland ready for a whole new battle. Defending his country. More

    • 238 Shares179 Views

      in Soccer

      Fulham become first Prem club to take advantage of Fifa’s Ukraine war rule after transfer of Shakhtar’s Manor Solomon

      by

      FULHAM have become the first Premier League club to take advantage of FIFA’s ruling allowing players in Ukraine to suspend their contracts amid the war.The Cottagers have landed Israeli forward Manor Solomon from Shakthar Donetsk on a one-year deal.
      Fulham have completed the signing of Manor Solomon from Shakhtar DonetskCredit: Rex
      Fulham have taken advantage of Fifa’s rules by signing Manor SolomonCredit: Rex
      In June, Fifa decided to extend its ruling which allows foreign players and coaches based in Ukraine to suspend their contracts.
      The current deal means that Solomon is currently expected to return to Donetsk in June 2023 – though Fulham could then strike a new agreement with the club to extend his stay.
      As part of the ruling, Fulham must wait until August 1 to register Solomon, though he has been training with his new team-mates and joined them on the pre-season trip to Portugal.
      Solomon said: “I’m really happy and delighted to be here at Fulham and I can’t wait to feel the special atmosphere at Craven Cottage.
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      “There are some great players here and I am determined to help Fulham achieve its goals for the year.
      “I also want to send a big hug to my friends and supporters in Ukraine. You are in my thoughts.”
      Foreign players in Ukraine were initially allowed to suspend their deals from March – when Russia’s invasion began – but most Leagues banned the arrival of players outside of the transfer window.
      Southampton and Leicester held talks to bring in Solomon’s team-mate Tete last season but were blocked by the Premier League’s decision.
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      The Brazilian ended up with French side Lyon after Ligue 1 allowed its clubs to take advantage of the ruling.
      Solomon is Fulham’s third signing of the summer after Joao Palhinha and Andreas Pereira, with Swiss right-back Kevin Mbabu set to join from Wolfsburg after completing his medical over the weekend. More

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      Dynamo Kyiv out to ‘put smile back on face of Ukraine’ in first game since Russian invasion in Champions League play-off

      by

      DYNAMO KYIV coach Mircea Lucescu pledged to “put a smile back on the face of Ukraine”.The veteran Romanian, 76, leads his side into Champions League qualifying action against Fenerbahce in a match played in the Polish city of Lodz because of the continuing Russian invasion.
      Dynamo Kyiv will play their first competitive game since the Russian invasion on WednesdayCredit: Getty
      Dynamo Kyiv Mircea Lucescu hopes his side can put a smile back on the face of UkraineCredit: Getty
      Wednesday night’s game will be the first competitive match any Ukrainian side has played since DECEMBER following the outbreak of war which forced the curtailment of the domestic season which went into hibernation for its annual winter break.
      Lucescu became a figurehead for Ukrainian resistance during the early days of the invasion by pledging not to leave the country and seek sanctuary elsewhere.
      Kyiv bosses sent the squad to Bucharest for safety in April and they have played a series of “peace” friendlies since.
      Lucescu, though, has declined offers from suitors, including tonight’s opponents – who instead appointed Portuguese Jorge Jesus, in charge for the first time this evening – to show his commitment to the club and country.

      But with bombs still falling, even on the outskirts of the country’s capital, Uefa declared Ukraine an unsafe location and ordered all “home” matches involving clubs to be played on neutral territory.
      While a number of displaced Ukrainians have sought sanctuary in Poland, the switch will also enable far more Turkish fans to be present.
      Lucescu, who was a controversial and unpopular choice to take over at Kyiv in 2020 after his long association with bitter rivals Shakhtar Donetsk, has now become a unifying cult figure.
      He said: “Football is a part of everyone’s life. It was important in the pandemic and now it gives hope, enthusiasm and motivation to life.
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      “There is a terrible war going on, in Europe, and this is to remind everyone it is not over.
      “We may not have played any competitive matches and the sooner our league restarts the better but we have won 18 out of 21 friendlies.” More