Video: Ukrainian footballer banned for talking on the phone while playing

Kozlenko was very busy on the phone during the match

What do you do when the ball is on the other side of the field while you’re playing? Of course, you take your phone out and start making calls! A Ukranian footballer has been banned after he was captured on camera checking his mobile phone and making calls during a friendly match.

The incident occurred during a friendly tournament in Ukraine when Premier League side Olimpik Donetsk took on third division side Energiya Nova Kakhova in a match that saw Olimpik win 2-1. The player in question, Volodymyr Kozlenko was seen taking his phone out and making calls while the match was going on. He hid the phone in his shorts and seemed to be quite busy when not actively involved in play.

In a statement about Kozlenko’s actions, Olimpik in a statement, said,”got it out from time to time, called someone and conversed.” They also called his actions “anti-football” and “clownery.”

The Kiev Football Federation announced on their website that the player had been suspended for the rest of the tournament while the referee Oleksiy Drachov and his entire staff (assistant referees and match delegate) had been banned for failing to reprimand Kozlenko on the field.

Watch the video of the incident here: