Ex captain of Ukraine's national football team served with charges
Anatolii Tymoshchuk (photo: Getty Images)
Anatolii Tymoshchuk, the former captain of Ukraine’s national football team, has been officially notified of suspicion of aiding and abetting the aggressor state, as the press service of the Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine reports.
What is known about the charges against Tymoshchuk
Since 2017, Tymoshchuk has been working as an assistant coach for the Russian club Zenit St. Petersburg.
Among the reasons for the suspicion is the club’s participation in a charity match in September 2024, which was organized to raise funds to support Russian military units.
After the game, signed jerseys from the participants were auctioned off, and the proceeds were transferred to the 106th Reconnaissance Battalion of the Russian army, also known as Svetloyar.
Among the auctioned items was a jersey signed by Tymoshchuk. It was sold for 700,000 Russian rubles. According to the Prosecutor’s Office, the athlete knowingly supported the fundraising campaign for the army of the aggressor country.
Who is Anatolii Tymoshchuk
Tymoshchuk is a native of Lutsk. He holds the record for the most appearances for Ukraine’s national team (144 matches) and previously played for clubs such as Shakhtar Donetsk, Bayern Munich, and Zenit.
His silence about the war and continued affiliation with the Russian club sparked widespread public outrage. For many in the Ukrainian football community, his name started symbolizing betrayal.
In March 2022, the Ukrainian Association of Football stripped Anatolii of all state and football-related honors and his coaching license. The reason was his ongoing work within the Zenit club and his failure to make any public statement in support of Ukraine or to condemn Russia’s aggression.
In its official statement, the UAF emphasized that Tymoshchuk’s actions contradicted the principles of morality, patriotism, and civic responsibility and violated the Code of Ethics and Fair Play. As a result, he was:
- Stripped of all state awards related to sports
- Deprived of his UEFA coaching license issued by UAF
- Removed from the official history of the Ukrainian national team
However, in November 2024, the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne, Switzerland (CAS), overturned the UAF’s decision. The court sided with Tymoshchuk’s team, citing procedural violations and overreach by the UAF.
Thus, he was formally reinstated in his rights, although his name remains controversial and unacceptable to most Ukrainian fans.
Public response
After it became known that Tymoshchuk was involved in raising funds for the Russian army, his former national team teammate Oleksandr Aliyev responded publicly.
Aliyev said, "I deeply regret I played with you in the Ukrainian national team. You are a Russian sellout dog who sold yourself for money."
Tymoshchuk’s ex-wife, Nadiia Navrotska, also made a public statement, accusing him not only of supporting Russian aggression but also of being involved in the deaths of Ukrainian children.
