Shakhtar Donetsk officials have confirmed six players refuse to return to Ukraine

Shakhtar Donetsk played a friendly match against Lyon last Saturday, and six players of the visiting team missed the flight back to Ukraine.

Shakhtar Donetsk president Rinat Akhmetov told the reporters:

“Six team players have not come - Alex Teixeira, Fred, Dentinho, Douglas Costa, Facundo Ferreyra and Ismaily.
“I don’t rule out that these players will return to the team quickly.
“Players have contracts that they have to abide by. If they do not come, I think, they will be the first to suffer.”

South American players are believed to have refused to return to Donetsk due to safety reasons, as the city lies in the cente of military crisis.

photo: shakhtar.com