The defender of Shakhtar and the Ukrainian national team Bogdan Butko, who played for the Russian Premier League (RPL) club Amkar, called Russia an enemy in an interview with the Do Best YouTube channel.
Butko said that he went to the RPL for a new level of football. “Even though it was Russia, for me it is considered an enemy. But then I went just for football. I wanted to get my level back. I would not go to Russia now, ”he said. The 29-year-old Ukrainian added that none of his compatriots criticized him for this decision.
Butko signed a contract with Shakhtar in 2008. He played on loan for various Ukrainian clubs from 2010 to 2015. Then, under the same conditions, he moved to Amkar and played for the team for one season, having spent 38 matches in the Perm team.
In August this year, Ural defender Igor Kalinin speculated about the changes in Crimea after joining Russia. The footballer, who was born in Crimea, considered that the life of the peninsula had changed for the better.