Shakhtar Donetsk CEO Calls For Iran To Be Replaced By Ukraine In The World Cup

Following reports that Tehran has given Russia drones to aid in their invasion, Shakhtar Donetsk CEO Sergei Palkin has asked for Iran to be kicked out of the World Cup and replaced by Ukraine.

Last week, the Russian military deployed ‘kamikaze’ drones built in Iran over the Ukrainian capital city of Kyiv, meanwhile, President Volodymyr Zelensky revealed that seven of these drones had been shot down.

The United States reported that Iran had deployed military personnel in the Crimean region occupied by Russia.

It was reported that police officers shot down an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) over Kyiv that local authorities identified as an Iranian-made Shahed-136.

Iran has argued that it is “neutral” in the crisis, but Ukraine has already lowered diplomatic ties with Tehran, and the head of one of its top football teams has now called for additional sanctions.

On November 21, the Iranians face England to kick off their World Cup campaign in Qatar. They will also play the United States and Wales in Group B.

CEO Sergei Palkin released a statement on Shakhtar Donetsk’s Twitter handle, saying: “While the Iranian leadership will have fun watching their national team play at the World Cup, Ukrainians will be killed by Iranian drones and Iranian missiles.

“Almost 250 such drones have already attacked peaceful cities of Ukraine. Each of them was produced and delivered by the Iranian authorities.

“Iranian instructors and the military directly trained and managed the launches of drones that destroyed homes, museums, universities, offices, sports grounds and playgrounds, and, most importantly, killed Ukrainians, including children – children who also dreamed of seeing their national team at the World Cup.

“Shakhtar Football Club calls on FIFA and the entire international community to immediately ban Iran’s national team from playing at the World Cup for the country’s direct participation in terrorist attacks on Ukrainians.

“This will be a fair decision that should draw the attention of the whole world to a regime that kills its best people and helps kill Ukrainians.

“The vacant place should be taken by the national team of Ukraine, which proved that it is worthy of participation in the Mundial.

“With unequal conditions with other national teams during the playoffs, they played with their heart.

“This decision is historically and sportingly justified. I urge everyone to join the pressure on the football bureaucracy.

“It is enough to repeat the mistakes of the 2018 World Cup in Russia, hiding behind the empty thesis about sports being apolitical.

“Facilitating the participation of terrorists in the World Cup is politics. It’s time to put an end to such a policy.”