Silence was not an option for Nadezhda Karpova.
"I can't just look at this inhumanity and remain silent," said the Russian national football player in an interview with the BBC.
Her home country's war against Ukraine leaves her no choice.
The 27-year-old from the Spanish second division club Espanyol Barcelona wants to shake up her compatriots: "These people who justify the war are hostage to propaganda.
I feel sorry for them and I think we must do everything we can to get rid of them.”
As the first Russian national player, the attacker therefore raises her voice against the war - for example on Instagram, where 143,000 people follow her.
President Vladimir Putin cannot blind this young woman with his supposedly “unique mission” in the neighboring country.
"Putin took everything from us," said Karpova, "he took our future from us."
As is well known, the global sanctions against Russia do not stop at sport.
The Russian soccer players had qualified for the upcoming European Championships in England (July 6th to 31st) but are now excluded from the big stage.
She feels "a special responsibility to raise my voice," said Karpowa, who moved to Spain for football after taking part in the 2017 European Championships and no longer has to hide her homosexuality there.
What would happen if she voiced such criticism at home?
"I dont know."
She does have an idea.
A trip home to family and friends is out of the question for her this summer.
Nadezhda Karpova, known as Nadja, has a tattoo of the English word "Hope" on her neck.
She hopes for peace, she hopes for support from other athletes, "so that others who are against the war no longer feel in the minority."
For her, neutrality in the face of horror is unthinkable: "You can't just pretend that nothing happened.
The time of silence should be over.”