Ralph Hasenhuttl: Hard to focus on football while people die in a needless war

Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl admits he is struggling to concentrate on his job in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Austrian Hasenhuttl has welcomed the many sporting sanctions imposed on Russia and concedes football is currently serving only as a distraction.

The sister of Saints’ Brazilian defender Lyanco is among those to have fled Ukraine, while Poland international Jan Bednarek united with his compatriots in refusing to play Russia in a World Cup qualification play-off.

Southampton host Premier League rivals West Ham in the FA Cup fifth round on Wednesday evening.

The south-coast club will then wear their yellow and blue away kit – the same colours as the Ukrainian flag – for Saturday’s top-flight trip to Aston Villa, a pre-planned move which is being turned into a show of solidarity.

“I think there is nobody around who is not talking about it because it affects us all,” Hasenhuttl said of the invasion.

“It’s a human catastrophe what happens and every team has players that are affected. We have with Lyanco, a sister who was in Ukraine but made it now back to Brazil, but you can see what it does with players and with everybody.

“I have been really struggling for one week to concentrate on my job, to concentrate on ridiculous football in the moment.

“The only good thing is that you have two or three hours during the game where you’re not thinking about it.

“The rest of the day is affected by worrying about children, women, people dying in a needless war.”