Ukraine will soon face the World Cup qualifiers, but half of the team is in the middle of a war. According to Andrew Todos, an expert on Ukrainian football, playing for the national team could unite the people even further.
The regular football English Premier League match became something bigger and more important last Saturday. As Everton and Manchester City players warmed up on the field before the initial whistle, the encounter between the two players in the center circle distracted.
Ukrainian national team players Oleksandr Zintshenko and Vitali Mykolenko shared an emotional hug as the audience applauded from their stand. Just two days earlier, Russia had attacked their homeland.
Before the start of the match, the players of Everton, represented by Mykolenko, arrived on the field with the Ukrainian flag on their shoulders. Zinchenko’s Manchester City, on the other hand, was wearing shirts decorated with Ukrainian flags. There were also a lot of Ukrainian flags on display.
Similar demonstrations of support for Ukraine and Ukrainian athletes have been seen in recent days in a wide range of sporting events. British journalist Andrew Todos witnessed the emotional moments of the match between Everton and Manchester City on the spot.
– It was really, really touching. Many Ukrainians have watched videos of various matches on their phones and laptops in subway stations and bomb shelters where they are protected from airstrikes. Ordinary Ukrainians have received a positive response from the sports world, Todos tells Sport.
The story continues after the video and pictures.
Todos, who writes for various media about Ukrainian football, points out that in international leagues, especially in football, there are many followers in Russia as well.
– The message is also strong for the Russians when they see people showing their huge support for Ukraine through sport. Maybe it will wake up ordinary Russians to do their part to end the war, Todos ponders.
All sports activities in Ukraine have been suspended due to the war. According to the original program, the country’s football league was due to return from the winter break last weekend. The Ukrainian men’s national team is scheduled to play in the World Cup qualifiers in Glasgow against Scotland in late March, but there is currently no information on the match.
About half of the Ukrainian national team players play abroad and are currently able to practice normally within their own endurance. According to Todos, over the weekend in the European leagues, many Ukrainian players were missing from their teams.
The situation for domestic series players is more difficult. Men between the ages of 18 and 60 are not allowed to leave the country, and no training is possible in a state of war.
– They are in bomb shelters and live in very difficult times like other Ukrainians. They haven’t played because of the winter break since mid-December, Todos says.
According to Todos, playing for the Ukrainian national team in an important football match would be a further unifying factor.
– I think many players would like to play and show the people unity. They would like to give Ukrainians something else to think about in a difficult situation so they don’t have to think about war constantly 24 hours a day, Todos says.
Todos, currently living in London, has noticed an unprecedented change in Ukrainian athletes since the Russian invasion began.
– Athletes have not taken a position on politics at all in the past. They have avoided answering certain types of questions. Now they have been really strong behind the country on social media. They have never been seen so patriotic before, Todos says.
– I think the Ukrainians want to see their athletes compete and show that Ukraine is fighting and able to win not only on the ground, but also in war.
The all-time football player of Ukraine has also been active in the country Andrei Shevtshenko, who coached the national team to the semifinals at last summer’s European Championships. Shevtshenko took part in a protest against Russian hostilities at Trafalgar Square in London on Sunday.
– He still has a family in Ukraine, he was clearly worried. His message was that people need to stand in support of Ukraine around the world, Todos says of his conversation with Shevtshenko.
The war in Ukraine has had a great impact on the country’s sports since the 2014 occupations of Crimea and eastern Ukraine. Two of the major football clubs in the east of the country, Shahtar Donetsk and Zorja Luhansk, have been involved in the evacuation for almost eight years.
Shahtar in particular has remained at the top in Finland despite difficult conditions and has also been successful in the euro area. The team currently holds their home and plays their home game in Kiev. Over the years, home games have also been played in Lviv and Kharkiv.
Todos feels that the Russian attack came at a time when the country’s football was on the rise again. Ukraine’s main series returned to the 16-team format for the first time this season after the occupation of Crimea.
– Many clubs go bankrupt again and the number of teams in the league drops. But it is clear that football is not important now. We will not see football in Ukraine in the near future.
Just four years ago, the final of the Football Champions League between Liverpool and Real Madrid was played in Kiev. Now the city and the whole country have become a battleground.