The post by the Ukrainian soccer player Alexander Zinchenko from Manchester City on Instagram was quickly deleted.
But not fast enough to escape the British media.
Zinchenko wrote to a picture of Russian President Vladimir Putin: "I hope you will die the most painful death, you bastard!"
Evi Simeoni
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Alexander Davydov
sports editor.
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It was just one of numerous statements made by Ukrainian athletes on the morning after the start of the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine.
For example, Olga Kharlan, Olympic champion in saber fencing, wrote: “Ukraine is my home, Ukraine is my homeland!
I want peace and bright skies over my family and all Ukrainian people!
We are strong and we will master everything together!”
The consequences of the Russian military operations for international sporting events only became apparent on Thursday.
Outrage at the war of aggression mingled with the first consequences.
The German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB) recommended that its member organizations no longer take part in competitions in Russia and the war zones.
According to anonymous sources, the European football union UEFA will probably postpone the final of the Champions League, which was scheduled for May 28 in Saint Petersburg.
Deutsche Telekom has removed the basketball broadcast of the Euroleague game between Bayern Munich and CSKA Moscow from its MagentaSport website.
The other games with Russian participation will also not be broadcast until further notice.
Due to martial law, all sporting events in Ukraine are suspended.
The game operation of the first football league is initially interrupted for 30 days, as stated on the website of the local association.
Actually, the Premier League was supposed to start again after the winter break this Friday with the game of relegation candidates FC Minaj against fourth-placed Sorja Luhansk.
Luhansk and also serial champion Shakhtar Donetsk, who come from the areas of eastern Ukraine, moved from there years ago.
Shakhtar now resides in Kiev.
According to Italian media, the team and its coach Roberto de Zerbi are stuck in a hotel there.
"The Italian embassy told us to leave, but as a sportsman I couldn't turn my back on the club and football," the coach is quoted as saying.
"The explosions woke us up last night." De Zerbi doesn't think he's in danger, at least not at the moment.
Ukraine national team coach Alexander Petrakov wrote in a statement published on the federation's website: "I'm 64 years old, I've lived in Kyiv all my life, I'm here now, I'm not going anywhere and I'm ready to help my country with everything I can and know," he explained in a letter addressed to the Ukrainian population: "In such moments, sport takes a back seat: the main thing is life, peace, tranquility of the people. But I believe that after our quick victory we will continue to prepare for the crucial matches of the national team of Ukraine in the playoffs of the World Cup.”