PFC coach Lvov is sure that football helps Ukrainians survive terrible times
Head coach of PFC Lviv Oleg Dulub spoke about his most emotional impressions of the war in Ukraine and about whether he will continue to work in PFC Lviv.
“Year of war. I feel like ten years have passed. Sometimes I remember what happened before the attack on Ukraine: they were returning from Turkey, preparing for the championship. February 24 had to go to the game in Alexandria. They called at five in the morning from Belarus that it all started.”
“The first days of the war: anxiety, uncertainty. When we left for Poland on March 3, we constantly saw refugees. Women, children. Someone was in a state of shock. It’s hard to put into words – you have to see it. In Warsaw, too, I always met people who were fleeing the war. I won’t forget those moments.”
“Then the championship of Ukraine still started. On October 10, there was the bombing of Lvov – a new, very emotional moment. The rocket fell near our hotel. A series of explosions – descended into the bomb shelter. Then there were more explosions. Then they were beaten all over Ukraine. It’s hard to believe that the year contained so many events.
“There is such an expression “Spanish shame”. When rockets flew from Belarusian territory. For me, this is generally a sore point. They were launched between two villages in the Gomel region. One of them is my grandfather’s village. Do you understand? The rockets were actually flying from the place where I spent my childhood. Upon learning this, I felt guilty – as if I had shot myself.
“I knew that I would return to Lviv. When we left in March last year, there were a large number of roadblocks. About ten to the border. We went with Vasily Khomutovsky in the outfit of the club. And at every checkpoint, people said: “We will definitely come to your match when the war is over.” He replied: “No questions. Get in the club. If necessary, I will buy tickets for you myself.”
“Ukraine is a football country. There are three well-known clubs in Lviv alone: Karpaty, Rukh and Lvov. Football has long been not just a sport, but a social phenomenon. An outlet for the country during the war. As long as the country is alive, football is also alive. I felt it would be right to return.”
After the first round of PFC Lviv, it takes the last 16th place in the UPL standings. Lviv will start the second round with a match against Minay on March 6.
Early on the morning of February 24, Russia launched rocket and air strikes on most Ukrainian cities and then launched a full-scale military invasion. The war against Russia has been going on for 365 days.
Source: Sportarena
I’m Scott Moore, a professional writer and journalist based in the US. I’ve been writing for various publications for over 8 years now, and have been working as an author at athletistic for the past five years. My work has been featured by some of the leading sports websites and magazines across Europe.
