It is a symbolic week in the country, since there has been a return to activity, behind closed doors, after the escalation of the conflict with Russia. The local league has a protocol for action in the event of attacks. There was already a game that activated the plan and required players to suspend the duel and take refuge for about three hours.
Kyiv Olympic Stadium It has been the scene of major European football matches over the past decade. He received the final of Euro 2012, during which Spain beat Italy and was crowned double champion of the Old Continent. Closer in time, in 2018 it hosted the Champions League final between Real Madrid and Liverpool, in which the merengues won 3-1, a game scored on the night to forget goalkeeper Loris Karius . However, none of them reach the significance for the local town of what happened last Tuesday.
On this day, coinciding with Flag Day, Shakhtar Donetsk and Metalist 1925 from Kharkiv started the season of the Ukrainian championship, as part of the return to activity after the explosion of the conflict with Russia, which is still not over after six months. Under threat of Russian attacks, the Ukrainian Premier League returned after a long and enforced break, aiming to restore (somehow) some normalcy in the sport of this country.
The match, which was a goalless draw, was played without the presence of the public, one of the conditions of the return. In addition, players will be moved to bomb shelters in case air raid alarms sound. “We have rules in case of an alert and we have to go underground. But I think the teams and the players will be proud of this event,” Shakhtar captain Taras Stepanenko said in an interview with AP news agency, before the opening match. “We are ready, we are strong and I think we will show the world Ukrainian life and its desire to win,” added the player. Since December 12, 2021, there is no football in Ukraine.
Day zero was full of symbolism. It served as a tribute to combatants and the thousands of people displaced by war. The Shakhtar and Metalist teams took to the field carrying the flag as the national anthem was played and President Volodymyr Zelensky delivered a speech which was shown on the stadium’s giant screen, which featured a significant military presence in custody.
As mentioned above, all stadiums and match development have a protocol for action in the event of a military attack. The Ukrainian league itself has indicated that matches will stop immediately in case air attack alarms sound. In this situation, all people will have to protect themselves in the air-raid shelter that the stadium will have, a mandatory measure to host the matches of the 2022-2023 season.
The 16-team tournament returned without two clubs, Desna Chernihiv and Mariupol, both from cities that suffered heavy destruction. All matches are played in and around Kyiv and further west.
On Wednesday, Rukh Lviv and Metalist Kharkiv met (the visiting team won 2-1) in a match that lasted over four hours. The match was repeatedly interrupted due to the sound of anti-aircraft alarms. With this, the players had to take refuge in the shelter, where they stayed for 145 minutes (almost two and a half hours).
Out of the country
The conflict between Ukraine and Russia has also This affected the senior team, which was forced to prepare outside their country for the European World Cup qualifiers in Qatar. Despite the vicissitudes, they beat Scotland as visitors and thus accepted the definition against Wales, which they lost by the minimum in Cardiff.
In the same line, Ukrainian teams playing continental tournaments will have to exercise their locality in other countries, for security reasons. This is the case of Shakhtar Donetsk itself, qualified for the group stage of the Champions League. It will host in Warsaw, the capital of Poland. The draw made on Thursday showed that they will face none other than current champions Real Madrid in Group F. Dynamo Kyiv will also play in Poland, but in the Europa League, in the city of Lodz. For the same event, Dnipro will be local in Kosice, Slovakia.
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Source: Latercera
I am Sandra Jackson, a journalist and content creator with extensive experience in the news industry. I have been working in the news media for over five years. During this time, I have worked as an author and editor at various outlets producing high-quality content that attracts readers from different demographics.
