Arsenal Reveals Emotional Reason Behind Zinchenko’s Captaincy Against Leicester City

• Oleksandr Zinchenko is captaining Arsenal against Leicester City this afternoon
• Martin Odegaard and Granit Xhaka are both present but the Ukrainian gets the nod ahead of them
• The club has now revealed the emotional reason behind the decision

Arsenal have confirmed that Ukrainian star Oleksandr Zinchenko will captain the sides today against Leicester City, a decision that has confused fans.

Club captains Martin Odegaard and Granit Xhaka are listed in the starting 11 but it was the former Manchester City star that was handed the captain armband for the crucial game.

The club, in a statement released on Twitter, revealed the reason behind the decision, and it is an emotional one and as a sign of respect.

''Zinchenko will wear our captain's armband today, as a mark of respect and love on the first anniversary of the conflict in Ukraine,'' the statement reads.

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As reported by BBC, Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022 and yesterday marked the one year anniversary. The war is still raging on despite multiple interventions and peace talks.

Fans' reaction to Zinchenko's captaincy

The fans received the news with open arms. They applauded the decision and praised the Ukrainian's commitment and leadership qualities.

@OwurahJ wrote:

His passion and the believe that he has for this football club has always been unmatched. Thank you for this honor.

@valyrian_v wrote:

it’s been almost nine years since the start of the war. russia first attacked ukraine in 2014. yesterday however it was exactly a year since the start of the full-scale invasion. nevertheless, thank you for this small but meaningful gesture. let’s win and stay on top.

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@NathiDareen wrote:

Oh understood, was wondering why Odeegaard isn't captain today....much respect Gunners

@LordLokkum wrote:

I do love this but I don’t think it should be classed as an anniversary as it’s not a celebration that the war has gone on a year.

Zinchenko sets up friendly between Chelsea and Arsenal

Sports Brief earlier reported that Zinchenko is working on a friendly between Chelsea and Arsenal with proceeds from the match going to charity in Ukraine.

The 25-year-old is doing this in conjunction with compatriot and former Chelsea striker Andriy Shevchenko. The two are helping to set up a charity in Ukraine to receive the proceeds from the match.

The two clubs clashed when the Blues hijacked the Gunners bid for Shakhtar Donetsk winger Mykhailo Mudryk last month.