On Wednesday, Oleksandr Zinchenko’s wife, Vlada Sedan, gave birth to a girl, making him a father for the second time.
A year after being married in August 2020, the Arsenal player and his football writer partner already had a two-year-old daughter named Eva.
Later that night, the couple shared the good news on Instagram, with Sedan introducing their “little princess” to the world in a heartfelt post, following their initial gender reveal event for their second child at the wedding.
Hours after the delivery on Wednesday night, Sedan posted photographs of the Ukrainian defender grinning down at his wife and newborn daughter. A number of his teammates and former teams also went to the platform to wish him well.
Congratulations were shared by Arsenal and former team Shakhtar Donetsk, and Bernardo Silva of Manchester City wrote: “Zina!” I’m really glad for you all (heart emoji).
Days before Game4Ukraine, a charity football match organized by Zinchenko to support his foundation and Ukraine’s United24 fundraising platform, which was established in the wake of the Russian invasion in 2022, the couple’s second daughter is due.
The defender, who has been a vocal supporter of his nation against Russian aggression, organized the fundraising event with former Chelsea and AC Milan striker Andriy Shevchenko. It will take place on August 5 at Stamford Bridge.
Fans in attendance will get the opportunity to watch Zinchenko and his former national team coach lead the two sides, and proceeds from the game will go toward rebuilding the Mykhailo-Kotsyubinsky School in Chernihiv Oblast, which was destroyed in the early days of the conflict.
The talented teams will be led by Emma Hayes and Arsene Wenger, and players like Samuel Eto’o, Michael Essien, Claude Makele, Gerard Pique, and Robert Pires will play.
The defender has missed Arsenal’s most recent round of friendlies due to recuperating from an injury he sustained at the end of the previous season and getting ready for the birth of his daughter. Mikel Arteta’s team won the Emirates Cup on penalties against Monaco on Wednesday.
After joining from English champions Manchester City in August 2022, Zinchenko instantly made his way into the starting lineup, providing the Spaniard with a key presence throughout their Premier League title-chasing season.
The defender signed a four-year contract that will keep him at the Emirates until 2026.