Beijing time on March 12 news, the Ukrainian Football Association officially announced that the former national team captain Timoshchuk was stripped of all honors, and banned him from engaging in football activities in Ukraine for life. This decision is not surprising, as there have been loud voices asking the Ukrainian Football Federation to make this decision. Sadly, Tymosshchuk remained silent after the conflict. Now bad luck has befallen the silent. Netizens have also spoken out, saying that this is simply a farce.
Tymoszchuk is a legend in Ukrainian football, and as a midfielder, Timoszchuk has made a total of 144 appearances for Ukraine in his career, a figure that no one has surpassed so far. But even so, this time Tymosshchuk did not escape the choice of having to take sides. His silence finally ushered in the decision of the Ukrainian Football Federation to completely ban him.
Is Timoshchuk's silence understandable? He is currently an assistant coach in Zenit St. Petersburg in the Russian Premier League, and since the clashes, Tymoschuk has not publicly said any departure or resigned as an assistant coach. It may seem that it is somewhat anachronistic that Tymoschuk did not speak out for his homeland, but at the same time, Tymoszchuk needs to consider his work and safety. If a statement is made at this time, it is conceivable how he will be treated locally.
Originally, sports was a very pure thing. But this time the conflict has caused the major international sports associations to tear off the mask of hypocrisy. When there was a conflict in 2001, 2003, and 2011, the United States, the United Kingdom, and France were not banned, but this time there were countries that were banned, and such a double standard can only show that these international organizations have become tools in the hands of some people.
Timoshchuk's current tragic experience is once again chilling behind people's backs. If one is punished for even being silent, then the world is terrible. Man has the right to speak, but at the same time he has the right not to speak, but unfortunately Timoshchuk now does not even have the right not to speak.