German coach quits Russian soccer club to protest invasion

A German coach has quit his job as the head coach of Russian soccer club Lokomotiv Moscow in protest of the invasion of Ukraine, The Associated Press reported. 

In a statement on Tuesday, Lokomotiv said that Markus Gisdol was removed from his position as head coach after spending four months on the job.

“Marvin Compper will prepare the team for the upcoming games. The club and the team are working as usual and are concentrating on achieving the maximum result in the upcoming matches in the Russian Cup and RPL,” the club wrote in a tweet. 

In an interview with German newspaper Bild, Gisdol said he was forced to take action after witnessing what he saw happening in Ukraine.  

“I cannot pursue my calling in a country whose leader is responsible for a war of aggression in the middle of Europe,” Gisdol told the German newspaper, via Reuters. “That is not in line with my values, which is why I have resigned from my position as coach with immediate effect.” 

“I can’t stand on the training ground in Moscow, train the players, demand professionalism and a few kilometres away orders are given that bring great suffering to an entire people. That is my personal decision and I am absolutely convinced of it,” Gisdol added. 

Gisdol’s resignation follows FIFA’s decision on Monday to impose an indefinite ban on Russia’s national team from participating in all competitions, including the upcoming 2022 World Cup in Qatar. 

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began on Thursday and has led to a series of international sanctions against Moscow. U.S. and European companies in a variety of sectors have moved to end business with Russia.

Soccer stars from Polish striker Robert Lewandowski to Ukrainian national team members Roman Yaremchuk and Ruslan Malinovskyi have all used their platform to protest the Russian invasion.

Russian Railways, the owner of Lokomotiv Moscow, was also hit with sanctions by the U.S. last week, according to the AP.