Hryhorii Khotsevych Acquires Italian Citizenship
Italian citizenship has been granted to Ukrainian volleyball player Hryhorii Khotsevych, meaning he can no longer represent Ukraine internationally. Khotsevych now plays for the main squad of Monza, a team competing in Italy's Super League. Born in Dnipro and trained at the Samarivka Youth Sports School, he relocated to Italy following the start of the full-scale invasion in 2022.
Career in Italy and Achievements
In Italy, he played for Piemonte U16 and Volley Parella Turin, then joined Monza's U20 youth team in 2024. With the youth squad, Khotsevych won the national youth championship three times and claimed the Junior League title twice. His last appearance for Ukraine's national team was during the U18 European Championship qualifiers.
Last Super League season, Monza finished eighth, while the team placed fifth in the Italian Cup. Notably, Oleh Plotnytskyi played for Monza during the 2017/18 and 2018/19 seasons.
Additionally, Ukrainian golfer Lev Grinberg has officially become a French citizen. The naturalization ceremony took place on April 2, 2026, at the headquarters of the French Golf Federation. Grinberg is 18 years old. The citizenship process was lengthy and administratively challenging, but FFGolf leadership expressed pride that Grinberg will now compete under the French flag.
The citizenship changes for Khotsevych and Grinberg highlight a trend among Ukrainian athletes who, due to political and social circumstances, are compelled to switch their sporting nationality. This shift significantly impacts their careers and ability to compete on the international stage. For Ukraine, it means losing talented players who could not only elevate the country's prestige but also contribute to its development in sports.