Paris Saint-Germain organized an internal match on Saturday, a week before the Champions League final against Arsenal.
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/2026/05/24/6a12b6552844a867865693.jpg "Football: PSG players Matvey Safonov and Illia Zabarnyi did not shake hands during an internal friendly match")
It was a scene that caught attention and circulated on social networks. During a friendly match organized internally by Paris Saint-Germain on Saturday, May 23, in preparation for the Champions League final, Russian goalkeeper Matvey Safonov and Ukrainian defender Illia Zabarnyi, who were opponents, did not shake hands.
The relationship between the two players, against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine, has been widely discussed since the defender arrived in the capital last summer from Bournemouth. “I have to interact with him on a professional level in training, and I will fulfill my obligations to the club,” Zabarnyi said in late August on the Ukrainian show Football 360.
“The war continues, and I have no relationship with the Russians,” he also stated. The two teammates have played together on the field 13 times this season.
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