Ukrainian club Oleksandriya has sent an official letter to the Venezuelan Football Federation requesting that they not involve loan striker Bryan Castillo in the friendly match against the Russian national team, scheduled for November 17 in Krasnodar. This was reported by Sport RBC.UA, citing the club's statement on Instagram. Oleksandriya warns that the player's participation in a match on the territory of the aggressor state could negatively affect his future career in Europe.

Reserve list and national team's November schedule

Bryan Castillo, currently on loan at the Venezuelan club Carabobo, was named in the national team's reserve list for the November friendlies. As part of this cycle, the Venezuelan national team will play against the Basque Country team in Bilbao on November 14, and against Russia in Krasnodar on November 17. The latter match prompted a sharp reaction from the Ukrainian club, which holds the player's transfer rights.

Legal limitations and channels used

Oleksandriya emphasized that it does not object to Castillo potentially playing for the national team in the match against the Basque Country, but is strictly against his possible participation in the match on Russian territory. However, the club admitted that due to the player's loan status, it lacks direct legal tools to prevent him from accepting national team call-ups or taking the field. Nevertheless, Oleksandriya has used official channels and reached out directly to the player and his representatives with a recommendation to skip the match and not join the national team camp if the striker is moved from the reserve list to the main squad.

Reputational and career risks for the player

The Ukrainian club's key argument concerns the potential consequences of the trip for Castillo himself. Oleksandriya believes that participating in a match on Russian territory will create reputational problems and negatively affect the player's future career and transfer prospects in Europe. According to the club's assessment, such risks are comparable to being "catastrophic" for a player looking to continue his career in European leagues.

Principal position on isolation

Separately, in the official letter, Oleksandriya set out its principled position on isolating the aggressor state from world sports and drew attention to the risks of traveling to Russia. The club urged the Venezuelan Football Federation not to involve Castillo in the Krasnodar match, citing the contradiction of such participation with its principles.

Not an isolated initiative by Ukrainian clubs

Oleksandriya's initiative is not an isolated case: previously, another Ukrainian club, Polissya, intervened in Venezuela's national team plans for the same reason. Thus, Ukrainian rights holders for Venezuelan legionnaires are building a coordinated position aimed at preventing their loan players from participating in matches on Russian territory.