Concerns and insecurity had plagued FC Pidshypnuk since the war broke out in Ukraine in early February. Playing in an international tournament like the Gothia Cup was a non-issue. But a few months ago, everything took a different turn.
– We got in touch and the tournament responded by financing our trip to Gothenburg to participate, says Sergiy.
Scary situation
The team comes from Lutsk in western Ukraine, which is less than two hours from the Polish border. Therefore, the situation has been calmer there compared to several other cities in the war-torn country, but the aircraft alarms still occur.
– The situation in the rest of Ukraine is frightening, but I am grateful that it is calm where we live and that my parents live, says sixteen-year-old Volodymyr Tymoshevych who is one of the players in the team.