At Paris Saint-Germain, a moment between Matvey Safonov (27-year-old Russian goalkeeper) and Ilya Zabarnyi (23-year-old Ukrainian defender) quickly sparked discussion about X. After a range of comments, from humor and concern to criticism, journalist Bruno Salomon (Ici Paris) pointed out that this distance could be a response to an extremely sensitive situation.
The avoided handshake:
The explanation by Bruno Salomon.
A Ukrainian journalist recently explained to me that even the slightest image of Zabarnyi and Safonov congratulating each other could be used by Russia for propaganda and would be very poorly received in Ukraine. Therefore, the lack of a handshake is primarily a clever gesture on both sides.
Reducing this scene to mere awkwardness or locker room tension seems rather simplistic. The knee-jerk reaction to generate buzz sometimes transforms a neutral image into a trial by innuendo, especially when it involves a Russian and a Ukrainian player at a club as high-profile as PSG.
Bruno Salomon’s response actually brings a bit more seriousness to the analysis: a hug, a handshake, or an overly conspicuous celebration could be misinterpreted, exploited, or very poorly received in Ukraine. In this context, the absence of a dramatic gesture isn’t necessarily a sign of internal tension. It can also reflect a form of lucidity, restraint, and respect for the situation. In other words, not everything is fair game for jokes or criticism, even about X. Sometimes, silence is wiser than images.
