Coach De Zerbi describes his escape from bombed Kiev

Italian coach De Zerbi spent a harrowing 24 hours bombing Kiev from the Russian side before he got out of the Ukrainian capital. In an interview with Goal, he describes the horrific feelings of the escape.

The Russian invasion of Ukrainian territory is now in its sixth day, and many civilians, not just Ukrainians, are experiencing horrific moments in the midst of war. Shakhtar Donetsk’s Italian coach Roberto De Zerbi, who stayed despite the Italian embassy’s invitation in Kiev, describes his feelings about the bombing of the capital.

The former manager of Palermo, Benevento and Sassuolo was in a hotel in Kiev when Russian troops advanced on the capital. He spent 24 hours hiding in a bunker in the basement of the hotel until he finally managed to get out of the city and cross the border to safety.

“It took 24 hours, but it was very slow because we didn’t sleep at all,” De Zerbi told Goal his horror story. “At night you could hear everything,” the Italian coach described the terrifying moments.

Some of his coaching staff slept in a bunker in the basement of the hotel, some in a hotel room. “I slept in the room to see what was going on outside the hotel,” the Italian strategist explained. “When I heard the bombing, I ran to the bunker instead,” he recounted.

UEFA assistance

The Italian coach and the rest of his staff are back home in Italy. “We are back home thanks to the commitment of UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin, who showed great humanity, incredible sensitivity and organised everything down to the smallest detail,” he thanked the European governing body UEFA for its help.

Like De Zerbi, Dynamo Kiev coach Paulo Fonseca was also able to cross the Romanian border. He spent 30 hours travelling by bus due to a lack of flights across the country.

De Zerbi did not forget to pay tribute to the Ukrainians who stayed home to fight Russian troops in Kiev and across the country. “Ukrainians are defending freedom and those who defend freedom have an advantage,” he praised the courage of Ukrainians. He also paid tribute to Ukrainian boxers Klitschko, who also enlisted in the Ukrainian army to defend their homeland.

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