Counter Strike 2: Former Manchester City left wing-back Oleksandr Zinchenko will join Passion UA as a stand-in at the Intel Extreme Masters (IEM) Atlanta..

Ukrainian Counter Strike 2 team Passion UA announced on Wednesday via their official social media platforms that club owner and former Manchester City Ukraine international left wing-back Oleksandr Zinchenko will join the team as a stand-in at the Intel Extreme Masters (IEM) Atlanta.

According to Passion UA's official statement, due to roster instability following Senzu's departure, Zinchenko has agreed to join the team as an emergency stand in.

Zinchenko has had previous experience as a stand-in for the team, so this emergency addition to his team is not unfamiliar to him.

His last appearance with the team was in 2024. In that match against Bleed, Zinchenko completed two maps and achieved an average rating of 0.80.

Interestingly, although Zinchenko is not a professional Counter Strike 2 esports player, his personal rating is not bad.

The former Manchester City player, known for his footballing prowess, has a CS skill level of 9 on his FACE IT profile.

Passion UA recently announced that rifler Senzu has left the team immediately upon the expiration of his loan spell.

The Mongolian player, who ranked 13th in HLTV's rankings last year, failed to help Passion UA break through in the two months since joining on-loan from BC.Game. Nevertheless, he still achieved a respectable team-high average rating of 1.21.

The void left by Senzu's departure has been filled by former ENCE player sdy, who has joined on-loan.

sdy was recently benced by ENCE after Neityu was signed by FaZe.

Footballing wise, 29-year-old Zinchenko, then on-loan at Nottingham Forest, was recalled by Arsenal in January and released, ending his nearly 10-year Premier League career.

After leaving Arsenal, Zinchenko joined Ajax on a free transfer. However, he is currently ruled out for the season due to a serious knee injury.

Since becoming a member of de Godenzonen, Zinchenko has only made two appearances for the Eredivisie giants in all competitions, failing to score or assist.

Passion UA's roster for the Intel Extreme Masters (IEM) Atlanta is as follows:

In-Game Leader: JT

AWP-er: try

Rifler: Nickx

Rifler: Kvem

Rifler: sdy (on-loan from ENCE)

Stand-in: Oleksandr Zinchenko

Head Coach: T.c.

Image source: Internet / ESPN Netherlands