Arsenal listed former defender, Oleg Luzhny, in their squad on Sunday for the game against Leicester City.

5 Jan 2002: Oleg Luzhny of Arsenal during the Watford v Arsenal match in the AXA sponsored FA Cup Third Round at Vicarage Road Stadium, Watford. DIGITAL IMAGE. Mandatory Credit: Stu Forster/Getty Images
5 Jan 2002: Oleg Luzhny of Arsenal during the Watford v Arsenal match in the AXA sponsored FA Cup Third Round at Vicarage Road Stadium, Watford. DIGITAL IMAGE. Mandatory Credit: Stu Forster/Getty Images

Arsenal ran out 2-0 winners against Leicester City on Sunday at the Emirates, thanks to a header from Thomas Partey and a penalty from Alexandre Lacazette.

While the team was doing their thing on the pitch, the staff behind the scenes could rest up knowing they had made a lovely symbolic gesture of support to their former player and the citizens of the country under attack.

On the back of the matchday programme, they had inserted Oleg Luzhny’s name and squad number:

Oleg Luzhny on the back of Arsenal's matchday programme for the game against Leicester
Oleg Luzhny on the back of Arsenal’s matchday programme for the game against Leicester
Oleg Luzhny on the back of Arsenal's matchday programme for the game against Leicester
Oleg Luzhny on the back of Arsenal’s matchday programme for the game against Leicester
Lacazette on the front of Arsenal's programme for the game against Leicester
Lacazette on the front of Arsenal’s programme for the game against Leicester

You can read below the article we wrote a few weeks ago when Oleg made his announcement about returning to his home country due to the Russian invasion.

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28 February 2022

Oleg Luzhny pauses coaching to fight for Ukraine

Former Arsenal defender, Oleg Luzhny, has told Sky Sports that he will be putting his coaching career on hold to fight for Ukraine against the Russian invasion.

14 Sep 1999: Oleg Luzhnyi of Arsenal is tracked by Predrag Mijatovic of Fiorentina during the UEFA Champions League group B match at the Stadio Communale in Florence, Italy. The game ended goalless. Mandatory Credit: Gary M Prior/Allsport
14 Sep 1999: Oleg Luzhnyi of Arsenal is tracked by Predrag Mijatovic of Fiorentina during the UEFA Champions League group B match at the Stadio Communale in Florence, Italy. The game ended goalless. Mandatory Credit: Gary M Prior/Allsport

Speaking in a What’s App message to Sky Sports, Luzhny, said, “The situation is horrific.

“I want to come to coach in the UK but before anything I will stand firmly and fight for my people, for my country and for democracy.

“We all hope this will be over soon as innocent lives are being lost and families are being torn apart.

“A country being invaded and destroyed is all for what? We need to stand together as one and bring to an end this criminal warfare.”

Oleg Luzhny, who won the Premier league and FA Cup, with Arsenal, moved to the club in 1999 from Dynamo Kyiv and the Ukranian full-back played 109 times for the club before moving to Wolves on a free transfer.

He represented his country 60 times after picking up his first when he was just 20. Luzhny captained Ukraine in 37 of those appearances.

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