A Russian club announces the departure of a Swedish basketball star that angered his country due to the "invasion of Ukraine"
Russian club CSKA Moscow announced that Swedish player Jonas Jeribko, who played ten years in the NBA, will leave his ranks less than three months after his controversial decision to come to the Russian capital despite the invasion of Ukraine.
"The move to CSKA was difficult for Jonas for many reasons," the club said on its official website.
The Swedish Basketball Association had excluded Jeribko from the Swedish national team, a day after he joined CSKA.
It was a move "contrary to" his values and his attitude towards Russia and the situation in Ukraine, according to the union.
CSKA Moscow was excluded from the Euroleague, after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Jeribko played his last match with the national team last February against Croatia in the World Cup qualifiers.
The Swedish Football Association indicated that it would not change its opinion despite the player's departure from Russia.
And Jeripko, 35, is the only Swedish player to have participated in the NBA, with the Detroit Pistons, Boston Celtics, Utah Jazz and Golden State Warriors between 2009 and 2019.
Before signing with CSKA Moscow, he was without a club, after his contract with Russian Khimki expired at the end of 2021.
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