"Chornomorets condemns the match in memory of Ilya Tsymbalar announced in Moscow

"Chornomorets has condemned the match in memory of Ilya Tsymbalar announced in Moscow.

"Football club Chornomorets was surprised and outraged to learn about the match in memory of Ilya Tsymbalar in Russia. He was a graduate of our club, a man who made a name for himself in Odesa. It was to his native Odesa that Ilya returned to improve his coaching skills and share his experience with young people. Unfortunately, the football master did not have time to do much.

10 years ago, Ilya left us. In Odesa, Ilya Tsymbalar is buried in one of the city's cemeteries. In 2016, we played a match in memory of Ilya Tsymbalar at our stadium. The game was attended by many stars with whom Ilya played alongside during his stellar career.

However, many of his "friends" ignored the event, insidiously hiding behind the "turbulent situation in Odesa", and the "famous" players of the aggressor country, representatives of the Spartak club, did not attend the match. These players did not care about the memory of their teammate and friend.

And now it's 2023. The war is raging, every day Moscow fires missiles at Ukraine, Kyiv and Lviv, Kharkiv and Ilya Tsymbalar's native Odesa are under fire. It is the height of cynicism to destroy Odesa and at the same time invite football stars of the past, retired touring players, to a match in memory of a prominent Ukrainian, a famous Odesa resident.

By the way, what do Fernando Morientes, Florent Malouda, and Santiago Canizares have to do with the career of our Odesa resident? Of course, nothing. The organisers of this commercial event understand that neither Viktor Hryshko, Ivan Getsko, Serhii Husiev nor the other winners of the first Ukrainian Cup will go to Russia.

This is not a match in memory of Ilya Volodymyrovych. The legendary midfielder's name is going to be used to demonstrate to the football community his allegedly active football life during his well-deserved isolation.

Football club Chornomorets categorically condemns such actions of the organisers," reads a post on Chornomorets' official Facebook page.