The football world in Ukraine is facing another scandal as Aleksey Sidorov, a player for Metalist 1925 from Kharkiv, has reportedly fled the country without informing his club. The news was confirmed on the team’s official website.
According to the club, Sidorov had been on loan to Kolos FC, but his temporary contract ended on June 30 — just as Metalist departed for an overseas training camp. Following that, Sidorov began training with the club’s youth squad.
“Shortly thereafter, the player stopped attending practice,” the club’s statement reads. “Recently, we received information that he left the territory of Ukraine without the club’s knowledge.”
The club added that it has no information about how Sidorov managed to cross the border. His actions were described as illegal, and an internal investigation has been launched.
This is not the first case of a Ukrainian athlete fleeing the country amid ongoing conflict. In April last year, Serhiy Kuznetsov, a member of Ukraine’s army hand-to-hand combat team, disappeared during the European Championship in Russia. He later announced he had volunteered to join Russian military operations. Prior to his athletic career, Kuznetsov served in Ukraine’s airborne assault forces.
