--- title: "Oleksandriya demands Castillo not be called up for Venezuela vs. Russia match" description: "FC Oleksandriya sent a letter to the Venezuelan Football Federation requesting that they not call up on-loan striker Bryan Castillo for the friendly match against Russia in Krasnodar." date: 2026-11-05T14:01:18.195Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/oleksandriya-demands-castillo-not-play-russia tags: [football, venezuela, russia, ukraine, brian-castillo, fc-alexandria] author: "Andrey Kosynko" publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Oleksandriya demands Castillo not be called up for Venezuela vs. Russia match ![Football player Bryan Castillo wearing the white Venezuela national team kit on the pitch](https://xab.info/media/2026/11/05/aleksandriya-prosila-ne-vyzyvat-kastillyo-na-matsh-s-rossiey/aleksandriya-prosila-ne-vyzyvat-kastillyo-na-matsh-s-rossiey-1.webp) ## Key Points - Oleksandriya sent an official letter to the Venezuelan Football Federation requesting that Bryan Castillo not be involved in the match against Russia on November 17 in Krasnodar. - Castillo, who is on loan at Carabobo, was included in the national team's reserve list for the November friendlies. - The club acknowledges the lack of direct legal tools due to the loan status but has used official channels and contacted the player directly. - Oleksandriya warns of reputational risks and the negative impact the trip could have on the player's transfer prospects in Europe. - A similar initiative was previously taken by the Ukrainian club Polissya. 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. ## Fact-Check & Sources - ["Несет катастрофические репутационные риски": "Александрия" предостерегла своего легионера от участия в матче против сборной РФ](https://sport.rbc.ua/ukr/football/nese-katastrofichni-reputatsiyni-riziki-oleksandriya-1793886240.html) - Source: Official statement by FC Oleksandriya on Instagram. It confirms the letter sent to the Venezuelan Football Federation, Castillo's loan status at Carabobo, match dates (14.11 vs. Basque Country in Bilbao, 17.11 vs. Russia in Krasnodar), and the club's argument regarding reputational risks. ## FAQ ### Why is Oleksandriya asking that Castillo not be involved in the match against Russia? The club believes that the on-loan striker's participation in a match on the territory of the aggressor state will create reputational problems and negatively affect his career and transfer prospects in Europe, and also contradicts the club's position on isolating Russia from world sports. ### Can Oleksandriya forbid Castillo from playing for the national team? No, due to the player's loan status, the club lacks direct legal tools to forbid him from being called up. The club has used official channels by sending a letter to the Venezuelan Football Federation and has contacted the player and his representatives with a recommendation to skip the match. ### When and where will Venezuela's November matches take place? On November 14, Venezuela will play against the Basque Country in Bilbao, and on November 17, against Russia in Krasnodar. Oleksandriya does not object to Castillo participating in the first match but opposes the second.