An emotional Oleksandr Zinchenko declared "I would die" for Manchester City after lifting the Premier League title due to the support the club have offered amid the conflict in Ukraine.
Pep Guardiola opted to leave Zinchenko on the bench against Everton in February, City's first game since Russia invaded neighbouring Ukraine following heightening political tensions between the two countries.
Zinchenko returned for the next match and captained the side to victory in a FA Cup fifth-round win over Peterborough United, as support continued for the Ukraine international in the stands and on the pitch.
The 25-year-old capped a turbulent season on a personal level as he came off the bench at half-time in the dramatic 3-2 win over Aston Villa, which secured the Premier League title on Sunday.
Speaking to Sky Sports after the game, Zinchenko expressed his gratitude for the support of his team-mates, coaching staff and supporters at City.
Asked what the title meant, the left-back said: "Unforgettable emotions for me, this is for all Ukrainians at the moment who are starving and surviving in my country because of Russian aggression.
"I'm so proud to be Ukrainian, I would love to one day bring the title to Ukraine for all Ukrainian people because they deserve it.
"This [club] means everything to me because I want to die for these people, the support that people gave me, what they have done for me during this period, the toughest period of my life.
"It is so appreciated and I will never forget this."
Zinchenko continued to dedicate the top-flight success to his home country as he detailed the struggles of continuing to compete with the ongoings in Ukraine.
"Honestly at some point at the beginning, I didn't even think too much about football because it's impossible to live at the moment with this going on in my home country," he added.
"But all this support I have had in this period and during, you know, we did it – so what can I say."
As for what his fourth title at City meant, Zinchenko added: "I hope we are going to keep going because this amazing club deserve everything."
Al Ittihad 1-2 Al Hilal: Holders into King's Cup final
Al Hilal overcame Sergej Milinkovic-Savic's red card as Saud Abdulhamid's late goal sealed a 2-1 victory over Al Ittihad in the King's Cup semi-finals.
Without Karim Benzema, Al Ittihad ultimately lacked the firepower to make their numerical advantage count in Tuesday's clash.
Former Lazio midfielder, who joined Al Hilal as part of their spending spree last year, received a straight red card in the 42nd minute.
Al Ittihad's Abderrazzaq Hamed-Allah cancelled out Micheal's opener, but Abdulhamid popped up with the winner in the 81st minute.
Al Hilal are 10-time King's Cup winners, having won their 10th title last season.
The Saudi Pro League leaders, who are still without the injured Neymar, will now face either Al Khaleej or Cristiano Ronaldo's Al Nassr in the final at the end of May.
Data Debrief: Malcom in the middle
Al Hilal might be missing their star Brazilian Neymar, but his compatriot Malcom is delivering when it comes to playmaking.
The former Zenit attacker set up both of Al Hilal's goals, creating three chances in total and registering a pass accuracy of 92.6 per cent, better than any of his team-mates.
Former Spain boss Del Bosque to oversee RFEF
Former Spain boss Vicente del Bosque will oversee a new committee supervising the RFEF.
Spain, which is due to be one of six host countries for the 2030 World Cup, announced the creation of a special committee until the federation holds elections to replace Luis Rubiales.
That is despite Pedro Rocha having this week been appointed as Rubiales' replacement, though he himself is under investigation amid a corruption probe.
Rubiales was dismissed following his unsolicited kiss on Jenni Hermoso during the Women's World Cup trophy ceremony in 2023.
The federation's former president was then arrested in early April as part of a corruption investigation.
Del Bosque led Spain to three consecutive trophies, winning the European Championships in 2008 and 2012, while also leading the team to their first World Cup success in 2010.
Prior to his time with the national team, he also won two Champions Leagues and two LaLiga titles while in charge of Real Madrid, where he made over 400 appearances as a player.
Preston 0-3 Leicester City: Foxes seal Championship title in style
Leicester City cruised to a 3-0 win over Preston in the Championship on Monday to clinch the title with a game to spare.
Jamie Vardy was the star for the Foxes as he scored in both halves before Kasey McAteer made sure of the points with an unmarked header.
Abdul Fatawu had the chance to cap an already memorable night for the travelling fans but hit the post with his curler.
Preston slumped to a fourth consecutive defeat, while Leicester go into their final game against Blackburn Rovers with the knowledge that they will lift the trophy after the final whistle.
Data Debrief
Jamie Vardy has scored 18 goals this season (two in this game), more than any other Leicester player in the competition. He has also netted in his last three games, scoring four goals in total.
It was a dominant performance from the Foxes, who had 19 shots with 11 of those on target. At the other end, Preston only managed to test Jakub Stolarczyk once from their five attempts.
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