He was nationalized as a Ukrainian to play for the national team, but by a call from the military he almost ended the war

Edmar Lacerda was born on June 16, 1980 in Mogi das Cruzes, Brazil, a country where top footballers emerge year after year, so when he was able to wear the Porto Alegre Inter jersey, he warned that to play a World Cup or a competition with the national team was going to have to kiss another flag.

So in 2002 he was signed by Tavriya Simferopol of Ukraine, where he achieved great performances that caught the attention of FC Metalist, where he ended up in 2007. When he was settled for a long time in the European nation and after having married Tetiana Halovskyi, who took the name, decided to take the corresponding steps to obtain nationality, which is why in 2011, he was finally called up by the local team.

Lacerda, now known as Halovskyi, had found her place in the world. Far from the beaches of Brazil, he had found in the cold lands of Eastern Europe the ownership of an important Premier League team and the constant calls to the national team, so he could be excited to play. a European Championship or even a World Cup. Chopped off. But it all led to an unusual episode.

In June 2014, his name appeared on major portals around the world, but not because of his game or his goals, but because due to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, the army had called on him to come forward to fight and fulfill its civic duty to defend the territory. “Three weeks ago I got the call and my wife, who is Ukrainian, was surprised. At first my teammates joked with me thinking it wasn’t true, but later I presented the document and everyone saw that it was serious, ”he explained to the Brazilian site at the time. Globe Sports.

At that time, the armed conflict between the Ukrainian government and pro-Russian separatist rebels had worsened after the fall of the Malaysia Airlines plane with 298 people on board, shot down by a missile, and the embassies recommend South American footballers to return to their country of origin. Edmar lived in Kharkiv, a city not yet affected by the conflict, but where fear also reigned.

After such news, the Metalist club ensured that the safety of the campus was guaranteed, since training sessions and matches would be held in locations far from the conflict. Finally, and thanks to the efforts of the directors of the institution, it was possible to clarify that everything had been a mistake: “I consulted the board of directors of the club on the situation and everything has been resolved, apparently it ‘ was a mistake of the army. “

“I don’t even want to think about this possibility, I think everything has been solved and I just want to think about playing football, that’s what I know how to do. In 2004, there was a revolution in Ukraine, but it was peaceful, I’ve never seen anything like it, ”commented the 40-year-old former footballer.

Lacerda remained in Ukraine and completed 15 games for the home side, in which he scored one goal. However, despite his best efforts, he was unable to qualify for any of the last 2014 and 2018 World Cups. At the end of his career, he made some brief stages in football in the United States (but not in MLS). , a country where he settles with his wife and three children, while he devotes himself to the search for young talents.

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