Ex-Tottenham star calls out Arsenal's Oleksandr Zinchenko over claims he'd fight for Ukraine if called up

A former Tottenham Hotspur star has called out Oleksandr Zinchenko over the Arsenal man's claim he would fight for Ukraine if called up.

Since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine in early 2022, Zinchenko has not shied away from publicly voicing support for his homeland.

The Arsenal full-back has used his position to raise awareness about the situation in his homeland and raise funds, and has even set up a charity which creates football projects for Ukrainians remaining in the country.

On several occasions Zinchenko has admitted that he would return home to Ukraine and fight for the army if called up to do so, and he did so again in a recent interview with BBC Newsnight.

When asked if he would return to Ukraine if he thought doing so would be more useful than his fundraising efforts, Zinchenko replied: "I think it's a clear answer - of course. I would go."

Despite his seemingly good intentions, not everyone has been sympathetic towards the situation of Zinchenko and his compatriots.

In a bizarre post on Snapchat, former Tottenham right-back Serge Aurier took a swipe at Zinchenko and accused him of playing up to the gallery.

"You are seriously ill," the Galatasaray defender wrote on his Snapchat Story, alongside a series of laughing emojis.

Oleksandr Zinchenko: “I would go to fight for Ukraine.”

Serge Aurier: “Stop your cinema and go there right now [to Ukraine]. A real volunteer doesn’t need anyone to call him up.” pic.twitter.com/xOfBK1b5o8

— Zach Lowy (@ZachLowy) April 7, 2024

"Stop your cinema and go there right now [to Ukraine]. A real volunteer doesn’t need anyone to call him up."

While Aurier did not directly name or tag Zinchenko, it seems pretty clear that he was referring to the Arsenal star.

Aurier is a figure accustomed to controversy.

During his days at Paris Saint-Germain, he was found guilty of assaulting a Police officer and sentenced to two months in prison.

In 2016, he directed homophobic insults towards Zlatan Ibrahimovich and then PSG manager Laurent Blanc during a live Periscope chat.