Ukraine mourns at Munich with a damaged grandstand, honoring victims of the conflict
The Ukrainian footballers aren't exempt from the ongoing Russian conflict. Prior to their Euro Cup debut in Munich, the football association rallied a demonstration to expose the effects of the devastating Russian war on Ukraine and its sports.
Before their group match against Romania, the Ukrainian footballing legends, spearheaded by Andrij Schevtchenko, the 47-year-old team head and former striker star for Dynamo Kiev, AC Milan, and Chelsea, called upon the nation, even amidst the football enthusiast's excitement, not to overlook the ongoing war battle at home. "Today, eleven players are on the field, but millions are fighting at home for victory," Schevtchenko stated in the morning bustle of Munich.
The association displayed twenty-one wrecked seats from Charkiw's Sonjatschnyj Stadium, which Russian bombings obliterated in May 2022. Built as a training facility for the Euro Cup 2012, the group stage matches, including Germany's thrilling 2:1 victory over the Netherlands, took place in the larger Metalist Stadium.
According to the association, around 500 sports facilities have been destroyed during the ongoing conflict that's been raging for over two years. Schevtchenko emphasized, "Even though Russian grenades may shatter football pitches or tribunes, we will never cease our fight for our nation and expose the cruelty of this war to the world." He continued, "We aim to show that we are still surviving."
Over 500 individuals, along with numerous reporters and camera crews, attended the demonstration. Amidst various performances of Ukrainian songs and dances, battle cries were chanted, and calls for support for the embattled country reverberated. Ukrainians, many adorned with flags, shirts, or blue-yellow flower wreaths, were seen among the crowd.
Schevtchenko ended on a hopeful note for his team's performance at the Euro Cup,with the aspirations that it will serve as a morale booster for the people back home. Following their opening match against Romania, they will face Slovakia in Düsseldorf and Belgium's top team in Stuttgart. The damaged tribune from Charkiw is planned to be set up as a memorial in those cities as well.
