Ukraine was a hotspot for Brazilian footballers. Now they are stuck in a war zone

“There’s no fuel. The border is closed. The airspace is closed,” said Brazilian football player Marlon Santos, speaking on an Instagram video from a hotel in Ukraine. “There’s no way for us to get out.” 

The center-back, who plays for major Ukrainian club Shakhtar Donetsk, recorded the video alongside a group of fellow players and their wives. They claim to be trapped in a hotel and request assistance from the Brazilian government to flee the country.

As a matter of fact, Brazilians make up the biggest diaspora of foreign footballers in Ukraine, with a total of 33 players plying their trade in the Eastern European nation. In fact, over the last decade and a half, Ukraine — and particularly Shakhtar Donetsk — has become something of an illustrious destination for Brazilian footballers, giving them the chance to play in Europe and earn large salaries.

Clubs such as Shakhtar, Dynamo Kyiv, Metalist Kharkiv, and Dnipro are regular participants in Europe’s top club competitions, giving Brazilians an effective shop window for future moves to the top football leagues.

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