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EPL Everton (right) players wearing Ukrainian flags and Manchester City players wearing 'No War' T-shirts


Today (27th), the fourth day since Russia invaded Ukraine, sports stars from all over the world strongly condemned Russia and sent out anti-war messages calling for peace in Ukraine.



The international federations of each sport have responded to the request of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) by canceling events scheduled to be held in Russia one after another.



Concerns over their safety are growing as sports players desperately escape from Ukraine as they struggle to cross the border after the Russian invasion.



The four leagues that form the basis of European football, including the English Premier League, Spanish professional football La Liga, Bundesliga, and French Football League 1, are committed to supporting Ukraine and solidarity with Ukraine. publicly stated their intentions.



EPL Manchester City players wore Ukrainian flags and T-shirts with the phrase 'No war' in today's match, and the Everton players on the other side also wore Ukrainian flags.



A banner reading 'Putin, stop the war' was displayed on the billboard, and a banner reading 'Stand with Ukraine' in the audience drew attention.



In the match between Manchester United and Watford, placards with the word 'peace' in various languages ​​including Russian and Ukrainian caught the eye.



During the Bundesliga match between Bayern Munich and Eintracht Frankfurt, players were silent for a minute, and on the electronic board of Deutsche Bank Stadium, Frankfurt's home ground, the phrase 'Stop, Putin' was displayed at Russian President Vladimir Putin.



Various banners urging 'anti-war' and 'peace for all' appeared at soccer fields in Spain and France as well.



Yaroslava Makhuchik, the 'rising star' of the Ukrainian track and field women's high jump, has asked the international community to support her country.



He wrote on her social media account, "I wake up with explosions and gunshots in almost every part of Ukraine. We are a strong people. We will endure this situation, give us strength."



She then criticized Russia, saying, "Russia bombs cities and shoots civilians. This is the reality. We don't want war, but we have to protect our homes," she said.



Poland and Sweden have announced that they will not play the 2022 FIFA World Cup playoffs with Russia in a protest against the invasion of Ukraine.



FIFA has not yet set a clear stance on Russia's PO appearances.



The European Football Federation (UEFA) changed the venue of the Champions League final from St. Petersburg, Russia to Paris, France on the 25th.



The International Volleyball Federation, the International Gymnastics Federation, and the International Judo Federation have responded to the request of the IOC and canceled the event scheduled to be held in Russia this year.



While the FIG and the IJF emphasized peace and canceled all competitions scheduled to be held in Russia and fought hard against them, the FIVB was swayed by public opinion and frowned upon with an indecisive attitude.



FIVB said that sports and politics are separate and tried to push ahead with the World Men's Championship, originally scheduled to be held in Russia in August, but in the face of fierce criticism, took a step back by canceling only the Volleyball Nations League to be held in Russia from June to July.



The cancellation of the World Championships will be reviewed after monitoring the situation.



In addition, the World Automobile Federation, which hosts F1, the world's top motorsport competition, announced on the 25th that it would not hold the Russian Grand Prix of this season's F1 World Championship in a statement.



(Photo = EPA, Yonhap News)