Russian football captain Dzyuba embroiled in another controversy amid Ukraine war

Russian football star and captain Artem Dzyuba has reportedly asked not to be picked for the national team, saying that he was turning down a call-up 'due to the difficult situation in Ukraine'.

One of Russia's prolific players and former captain, Dzyuba, hit the headlines for verbally attacking Ukrainian footballers Vitaliy Mykolenko and Andriy Yarmolenko for lashing out at him as he refused to condemn his country's bold invasion.

Also read: My people would rather die than give up, says Man City's Ukrainian star Zinchenko

FIFA and UEFA have suspended Russia from international football over the event in war-torn Ukraine and kicked out of the 2022 Qatar World Cup qualifiers. Russia was set to play Poland in the play-off to reach the tournament. They were initially forced to play without a flag or anthem and under the name Football Union of Russia before FIFA expelled them. 

With no fixtures to play, Russia boss Valeri Karpin has decided to bring his players together regardless for training - with an intra-squad friendly against their U21 side planned while their FA lodges an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

In an interview published on the Russian Football Union's official website, national team coach Valery Karpin said he spoke to the 33-year-old Zenit St Petersburg striker over the weekend about his selection for a training camp in Moscow.

Karpin claimed that Dzyuba rejected the chance to link up with the squad, citing the fact he had 'many relatives' in Ukraine and the sensitive political situation.

"He assured me ... he really wants to play for the national team. But now, due to the difficult situation in Ukraine, where he has many relatives, he apologised and asked for family reasons not to call him to this camp," said Karpin. 

However, Dzyuba denied that he had asked the team coach not to pick him for the national side because of the conflict in Ukraine. "I didn't not join the Russian national team because of political issues. It's about family circumstances, but I don't want to go into details," he was quoted as telling the Sport-Express news outlet.

"It seems to me that there was a misunderstanding, Karpin misunderstood me, or his words were misinterpreted," he added.

A late call-up to the national team when Russia hosted the 2018 World Cup, Dzyuba became a talismanic figure during the team's surprise run to the quarter-finals and has since captained the side and equalled Aleksandr Kerzhakov as the country's record goalscorer.

Since Karpin was appointed last July, Dzyuba, who holds three Russian Premier League winner medals, has largely fallen out of favour. The captain was temporarily suspended from the national team in 2020 to shield him from negative publicity after the leak of a private, intimate video online.

Also read: Ukraine war: Shakhtar Donetsk youth team coach 'killed by Russian bullet'

In early March, he had been slammed by Everton's Mykolenko for being a 'silent b****' having failed to come out and criticise Russia's invasion of Ukraine. 

"Whilst you remain silent b**** along with your s***head football team-mates, peaceful civilians are being killed in Ukraine,' Mykolenko - who joined Everton in January from Dynamo Kyiv - posted earlier this month.

"You will be locked in your dungeon for the rest of your life and, most importantly, the lives of your kids. And I'm glad."

Man City star Oleksandr Zinchenko had also been highly critical of Putin, posting a photograph of the Russian president last month with the caption, "I hope you die the most painful suffering death, creature."

West Ham's Andriy Yarmolenko was particularly critical of Dzyuba and even brought up his notorious sex tape as he called for him to come down harder on Russia. "I know some of you like to show your balls on camera, but now the time's come to show your balls in real life," the winger said.

Also read: West Ham's Yarmolenko thanks fans after emotional first goal since Ukraine war

Following the fierce criticism, Dyzuba broke his silence and lashed out at the Ukrainian stars. "Until recently, I did not want to speak on the topic of events in Ukraine. I didn't want to, not because I'm afraid, but because I'm not an expert in politics, I never got into it and didn't intend to (unlike a large number of political scientists and virologists who have recently appeared on the Internet)," he said.

"But like everyone else, I have my own opinion. Since I am being drawn to this topic from all sides, I will express it. I am against any war. War is a frightful thing. But I am also against human aggression and hatred, which is gaining some sort of devastating scale every day. I am not afraid that I am Russian. I'm proud to be Russian. And I don't understand why athletes have to suffer now. I am against double standards," Dyzuba added.

"Why is it that one can do everything, and they hang all dogs on us. Why has everyone shouted about sports staying outside of politics but, at the first opportunity, when it comes to Russia, this principle is completely forgotten? I repeat, war is scary. In stressful situations, people show their true essence, sometimes negative. How much anger, dirt and bile has now been poured on all Russian people, regardless of their position and profession," he stated.

"Those thousands of people why write insults and threats, get in line! It is doubly strange to hear all this from people to whom Russia has given very, very much in their lives. All this only creates more negativity. The war will end, but human relations will remain, and it will be impossible to rewind back. Keep this in mind," the former Russian skipper warned.

"And to some colleagues who sit on their a** in mansions in England and say nasty things: It cannot offend us, we understand everything! Peace and goodness to everybody!" he concluded.

Dzyuba has 55 caps for the Russian national team, scoring 30 times. He has played 490 times at club level - spending his entire career in Russia. He started at Spartak Moscow, featuring 166 times, being loaned out to Tom Tomsk and FC Rostov. He then joined Zenit in 2015 and has played 236 times so far.

Also read: Football world mourns death of two Ukrainian players; hail them as heroes