Ukraine footballer Roman Yaremchuk in tears at standing ovation, lovely gesture from team
Ukrainian international footballer Roman Yaremchuk was moved to tears by two special gestures during his club game this morning (AEDT).
The striker was brought off the bench in the second half to replace Darwin Nunez for Benfica during their Primeira Liga game against Vitoria in Lisbon.
What he wasn't expecting, though, was to be handed the captain's armband by teammate Jan Vertonghen.
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Yaremchuk looked surprised as he accepted the armband, and as he ran onto the pitch the entire stadium rose to its feet and applauded the Benfica player.
Yaremchuk acknowledged the applause, before the emotion got the better of him and he began to cry at the lovely gesture.
Ukraine player Roman Yaremchuk of SL Benfica receives support from the crowd after entering the pitch. Getty
Ukraine player Roman Yaremchuk of SL Benfica receives support from the crowd after entering the pitch. Getty
The crowd also held banners reading, "we stand with you", and others to that effect.
The emotional incident is just the latest example of the wider sporting community rallying behind Ukraine following the invasion by Russia last week.
West Ham footballer Andriy Yarmolenko was given time off by his club, but his captain Declan Rice held Yarmolenko's playing shirt up during the pre-game anthem to show solidarity with his teammate at London Stadium.
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