Ex-Middlesbrough forward stranded in Ukraine hotel amid Russian invasion

He made six league appearances during his one season at the Riverside.

Former Middlesbrough winger Carlos De Pena has said he is stuck in Ukraine and that the situation "is serious" amid the ongoing invasion by Russia. The 29-year-old Uruguayan, who plies his trade for Dynamo Kiev, is currently staying in a hotel with several other South American players. De Pena posted on Instagram to say that his family were back in his native Uruguay, before asking for people's prayers about the 'serious' situation. On Twitter, he wrote: "The situation is serious and I am here in Kiev. My family, thank God, is in Uruguay. I only ask you to pray and everything will be fine." The ex-Boro man then posted a video which showed a number of players and their families in the hotel, alongside the caption: "We are together!" https://twitter.com/carlosdepena/status/1496812831471243264?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1496812831471243264%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.mirror.co.uk%2Fsport%2Ffootball%2Fnews%2Fmiddlesbrough-winger-ukraine-russia-war-26329968 The Uruguayan signed for Middlesbrough for £2.6million in September 2015, but he made just six league appearances before leaving the club in the summer of 2017. Following his departure from the Riverside Stadium, he returned to his old club Nacional in Portugal, before signing for Kyiv in 2019 - where he has made more than 100 appearances. Ukraine’s domestic season was set to resume this weekend. However, it will now remain suspended amid Russia's invasion of the country. Meanwhile, UEFA stripped Russia of the right to host the 2022 UEFA Champions League final, with the the showpiece event now being played at the Stade de France in Paris. The final was scheduled to take place at the Gazprom Arena in St Petersburg on Saturday, May 28. Speaking about the decision, press secretary of the President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Peskov said: "It's a pity, of course, that such a decision was made. But [the decision] has been made, so it is accepted." Related links:

• Premier League players, managers and fans allowed to display Ukraine flags
• Roman Abramovich’s daughter makes anti-Putin post on Instagram
• Ukrainian footballer vows to pause career to go to war against Russia

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