WATCH HERE! Ukraine's Roman Yaremchuk's emotional viral video

Add as a preferred source on Google

Bengaluru, March 1: Just like the Premier League tie between Everton and Manchester City at Goodison Park which centred on tributes to Ukraine amid Russia's ongoing invasion, the Benfica vs Vitoria SC match in the Primeira Liga in Lisbon too followed a familiar pattern.

At Goodinson Park on Saturday (February 26), the pre-match focus centred on tributes, with the public's reaction all the more poignant in the presence of Ukraine internationals Oleksandr Zinchenko and Vitaliy Mykolenko with the contest itself taking a little while to capture the imagination

Meanwhile, in Primeria Liga, Ukraine's Roman Yaremchuk was moved to tears after he was given a standing ovation from Benfica supporters in the match held at the Estadio da Luz on Sunday (February 27).

"Ukrainian footballer Roman Yaremchuk comes on as a substitute for Benfica in Lisbon. Watch what happens," tweeted Piotr Zalewski, the Turkey correspondent for
The Economist

The tweet went viral on social media as it was liked and retweeted multiple times with the netizens going on an emotional spree.

Initially, the Ukrainian striker was not in the playing XI, but came on as a substitute in the 62nd-minute and was also given the captain's armband. The Benfica fans then applauded him in support of his home country.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine had its fallout in global sports, especially in the beautiful game with both FIFA and the UEFA banning the former from international football.

The move makes it imperative that Russia will be excluded from this year's Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup and the women's Euro 2020 tournament.

Meanwhile, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) called on all international sporting federations to relocate or cancel any events set to take place in Russia or Belarus.

The IOC said it was needed to "protect the integrity of global sports competitions and for the safety of all the participants.

The Ukrainian athletes have already signed an open letter addressed to the IOC and and Paralympic Committees calling for the immediate suspension of Russian and Belarusian athletes ahead of the Winter Paralympics.

Russia's actions have been widely condemned, and several leading athletes have demanded their entry into the 2022 Beijing Games be blocked.