Universitatea Craiova is set to kick off its Champions League qualifying campaign against Belarusian champions ML Vitebsk on Wednesday. However, a significant moment may occur before the match even begins. Ukrainian defender Oleksandr Romanchuk has reportedly decided not to shake hands with the Vitebsk players prior to the referee’s whistle.
The match is scheduled for Wednesday, July 8, at 20:00 local time in Mezokovesdi, Hungary. It will be available live on GSP.ro and broadcast on Prima Sport 1 and Digi Sport 1.
In recent years, the refusal to greet Belarusian and Russian opponents has become a symbol of protest for many Ukrainian athletes in light of the ongoing war, which began in February 2022. If Romanchuk follows through with his plan, he will break the usual UEFA protocol that involves handshakes between teams.
Romanchuk Intends to Ignore ML Vitebsk Players
The Ukrainian center-back, who joined Universitatea Craiova from Kryvbas last year, plans to avoid extending his hand to the Belarusian and Russian players on the ML Vitebsk squad before the match begins.
This action could mark Romanchuk as the first player registered with a Superliga team to highlight the Russo-Ukrainian conflict during a European competition.
ML Vitebsk features nine foreign players, including Silas Gnaka (Ivory Coast/Belgium), Ode Abdullahi (Nigeria), and Nikita Glushkov (Russia). The coach, Filipp Sokolinskiy, is also Russian.
In recent years, the refusal to shake hands has been a common gesture among Ukrainian athletes when facing opponents from Russia or Belarus. Notable instances include tennis players Elina Svitolina, Marta Kostyuk, Lesia Tsurenko, and Dayana Yastremska, who have repeatedly chosen not to shake hands with their Russian or Belarusian counterparts, citing the inability to separate sports competition from the realities of war.
Football also has its precedents; Anatolii Trubin, a goalkeeper, attracted significant attention when he ignored Aleksandr Golovin before a Champions League match between AS Monaco and Benfica.
Another well-publicized incident occurred in fencing during the 2023 World Championships, where Olha Kharlan similarly snubbed Russian athlete Anna Smirnova, initially facing disqualification before the international federation revised the interpretation of the handshake protocol.
Mihnea Rădulescu Excluded from Squad
Universitatea Craiova has finalized its squad for the upcoming matches against the Belarusian champions. All summer signings have been included in the UEFA list, but one significant absence is that of Mihnea Rădulescu.
The 20-year-old attacking midfielder, who missed most of last season due to a serious injury, will not feature in the first qualifying round of the Champions League. Also absent from the UEFA roster are Darius Fălcușan and Florin Gașpăr.
Rădulescu had a promising start to the season before suffering an injury in the autumn. He only returned for the final match of the playoff against Rapid, where the game ended in a goalless draw. Last season, he made 13 appearances and scored two goals.
Additionally, the new arrivals have selected their jersey numbers; Alexandru Maxim will wear number 1, Răzvan Sava will don number 90, Heriberto Tavares will sport number 19, Ronaldo Webster will play with number 31, and Simon Elisor will take number 22.
Who is ML Vitebsk, the Surprise Champion from Belarus?
Universitatea Craiova’s opponent is one of the recent surprises in Eastern European football. ML Vitebsk, formerly known as Dnepr Rogachev, clinched its first-ever national championship title last season, despite being newly promoted to the top league, a success that has earned them their debut in the Champions League qualifiers.
The current season has also started positively for Vitebsk, who currently sit second in the league after 11 matches, just two points behind leaders Dinamo Minsk.
The Belarusian squad is valued at €12.9 million, while Universitatea Craiova’s worth is estimated at €34.5 million. The most valuable player for Vitebsk is Jamaican striker Shamar Nicholson, who is rated at €3.2 million.
Despite being a relatively new entrant in Belarusian elite football, ML Vitebsk has made significant investments to strengthen its lineup, including the acquisition of Artem Kontsevoy for approximately €400,000 from Rodina Moscow and Malian forward Bassekou Diabate for €500,000 from Stabaek.
Due to sanctions imposed on Belarusian clubs amid the Ukraine war, the Belarusian champions cannot host European matches at their home stadium, thus the first leg will be played at a neutral venue in Hungary.
