---
title: "Polissya blocks Venezuelan Araujo from national team match against Russia: Zhytomyr club's decision"
description: "Polissya has banned Venezuelan Araujo from traveling to the Venezuelan national team's match against Russia in Krasnodar on November 17. The club permitted him to participate in the sparring session with the Basque Country in Bilbao on November 14, provided his route does not include the RF."
date: 2026-11-03T15:27:22.315Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/polissya-bans-arauho-russia-match
tags: [polissya, venezuela-national-team, andrusv-araujo, ukraine-football, friendly-match, shakhtar-donetsk]
author: "Inna Kinsheva"
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Polissya blocks Venezuelan Araujo from national team match against Russia: Zhytomyr club's decision

![Venezuelan football player of the club Polissya Andrusv Araujo in a white shirt on the field](https://xab.info/media/2026/11/03/polissya-zapretilo-arauho-matsh-s-rf/polissya-zapretilo-arauho-matsh-s-rf-1.webp)

## Key Points

- Polissya officially denied the Venezuelan Football Federation's request to release Andrusv Araujo for the match against Russia on November 17 in Krasnodar
- The ban covers any training and preparatory activities on the territory of the Russian Federation
- The club permitted Araujo to play against the Basque Country on November 14 in Bilbao, provided his route excludes Russia
- Shakhtar Donetsk previously applied a similar measure regarding Venezuelan player Gleyker Mendoza

Zhytomyr's Polissya has published an official statement informing the Venezuelan Football Federation of its refusal to release 21-year-old defensive midfielder Andrusv Araujo for the national team's friendly match against Russia. The match is scheduled for November 17, 2026, and is set to take place in Krasnodar. This is reported by Sport RBC.UA, citing the Zhytomyr club's official website.

### An uncompromising ban on any activities in the Russian Federation

Polissya's stance on this issue is categorical: the ban applies not only to the game against the Russian national team itself but also to any training camps, preparatory activities, and related events on the territory of Russia. Thus, even if Araujo could theoretically arrive in Krasnodar as part of the preparation, the club does not allow for such a scenario. The decision was made at the management level and conveyed to the Venezuelan Football Federation through official channels.

### Permissible sparring in Bilbao and logistics conditions

At the same time, the Zhytomyr club does not object to Araujo's participation in another November sparring session for the Venezuelans — a friendly match against the Basque Country national team, which will take place on November 14 in Bilbao, Spain. However, Polissya has set a clear requirement: the logistics and subsequent route of the midfielder after the duel in Spain must completely exclude a visit to Russia. In fact, the club allows the player to perform in Spain but closes his path to the next match in Krasnodar.

### Araujo at Polissya: three-year contract and debut matches

Andrusv Araujo became a Polissya player in the summer of 2026, signing a three-year agreement after his time at Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih. In the current season, the 21-year-old defensive midfielder has managed to play two matches in the UPL for the Zhytomyr team. At the international level, he has also played two matches for the Venezuelan national team — against South Korea and Trinidad and Tobago. Thus, Araujo is at the early stage of his career in both the club and the national team, and his call-ups for friendlies are part of rotation and gaining experience.

### The Shakhtar precedent: not the first case in Ukrainian football

It is worth emphasizing that the Zhytomyr club is not the first to resort to such measures. Earlier, a similar tough stance was declared by Shakhtar Donetsk, which forbade its Venezuelan winger Gleyker Mendoza from traveling to a game against the Russian national team. Thus, the practice of refusing to release foreign players for matches with the RF is becoming a stable trend in Ukrainian football, where clubs with Venezuelan players on their rosters consistently block their participation in such games.

### Context: November sparrings and Venezuela's position

The friendly match between the national teams of Venezuela and Russia, scheduled for November 17 in Krasnodar, remains on the calendar; however, the participation of several players performing in Ukrainian clubs is now being called into question. For the Venezuelan Football Federation, this means needing to revise the squad for the November cycle. For Araujo himself, the situation creates an additional factor of uncertainty: he can play for the national team in Bilbao on November 14, but the match in Krasnodar is off-limits to him by the club's decision.

## Fact-Check & Sources

- ["Полесье" вмешалось в планы сборной Венесуэлы из-за матча с РФ: что решил клуб](https://sport.rbc.ua/ukr/football/polissya-vtrutilosya-plani-zbirnoyi-venesueli-1793719184.html) - Official club statement as reported by Sport RBC.UA. All key facts (the ban, the Bilbao condition, Araujo's career, the Shakhtar precedent) are drawn from this source.

## FAQ

### Why did Polissya ban Araujo from traveling to the match against Russia?

The management of the Zhytomyr club officially informed the Venezuelan Football Federation of its refusal to release the midfielder for the friendly match against Russia, scheduled for November 17 in Krasnodar. The ban applies both to the match itself and to any training or preparatory events on the territory of the Russian Federation.

### Can Araujo play for the Venezuelan national team in November?

Yes, the club has permitted him to take part in the friendly match against the Basque Country, which will take place on November 14 in Bilbao. However, Polissya requires that the player's logistics and route after this match must completely exclude any visit to Russia.

### Who is Andrusv Araujo and when did he join Polissya?

Andrusv Araujo is a 21-year-old defensive midfielder from Venezuela. In the summer of 2026, he joined Polissya from Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih on a three-year contract. In the current season, he has played two matches in the UPL and two games for the national team.

### Have there been similar cases in Ukrainian football before?

Yes. Previously, Shakhtar Donetsk prohibited its Venezuelan winger Gleyker Mendoza from traveling to a game against the Russian national team. Thus, the practice of blocking the release of foreign players for matches against the Russian Federation already has precedents.