New Delhi, India

Ukrainian football manager Yuriy Vernydub had celebrated passionately as he inspired his club Sheriff Tiraspol to a stunning win over Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League in September last year. Sheriff Tiraspol had pulled off one of the biggest upsets in the Champions League history as they earned a 2-1 win over 13-time European champions Real Madrid at their home - Santiago Bernabeu.

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The victory had helped the Moldovanclub finish on top of Group D which also had the likes of Inter Milan and Shakhtar Donetsk along with Real Madrid. It was one of the biggest wins in the history of the club, which have an annual budget of around only 6-7 million USD. After guiding the minnows to a win against the La Liga giants, Vernydub is now back in his home country - Ukraine, far from the football field for an entirely different battle.

Six months after the win over Real Madrid, Vernydub left his team midway through their Europa League campaign last week to return to Ukraine to support the country in their ongoing war against Russia. Russia has launched a full-fledged military invasion of Ukraine and the country is battling hard amid support from all corners of the globe.

Like many other former and current sports stars in Ukraine, Vernydub has exchanged his coaching gear for that of the Ukrainian forces and is ready to fight against Russia. The football coach has joined the Ukrainian forces and a picture of him in army uniform has left many on social media inspired.

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Vernydub revealed his son broke the news to him of Russia's attack on Ukraine and the first thing he wanted to do was to return home and join the army. The Sheriff Tiraspol manager said he immediately enrolled in the army once he was back home despite his family suggesting him not to do so.

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"My son called me at 4:30 am and he told me the Russians attacked us. I knew then that I would return to Ukraine to fight," Vernydub was quoted as saying by BBC.

"We flew home and landed in Iasi, Romania. I then went by bus to Tiraspol, in Transnistria, with the rest of the team on Friday evening and left for Ukraine first thing on Saturday morning. I enrolled on Sunday," He added.

Also Read: Ukraine under attack: Here's how Ukrainian sports stars joining fight against Russia

The 56-year-old football coach was born in Zhytomyr, a northern city in Ukraine. In his professional career as a footballer, he played for several clubs including  Russian heavyweights Zenit Saint Petersburg before retiring. He began his managerial career in 2002 when he became the assistant manager of the Ukrainian football club Metalurh Zaporizhzhia.

He became the manager of Sheriff Tiraspol in 2020 and led the club to the Moldovian National Division title in his first year in charge of the club. After masterminding one of the biggest wins for Sheriff against Real Madrid, Vernydub is now on the battlefront against the Russians and is in no mood to leave his country.

Also Read: Premier League: Captains to wear special armbands in Ukrainian colours to show support

"The people close to me tried to stop me. My wife, my children, my grandchildren. I stood strong and I thank my wife for supporting me. She knows my character. If I make a decision, I won't change it," said the 56-year-old.

"We could have gone to Moldova and this option is still open for my children, for their wives, for my grandchildren. But me and my wife - we are staying here for sure," he added.