The power of football goes far beyond what is imaginable and proof of this was what happened this Monday in Ukraine, with some soldiers taking the opportunity to watch the Euro Cup match against Romania.
The situation is unstable. Part of the country is destroyed and many Ukrainians have been fighting against Russian forces since February 2022. However, in the middle of the Euro Cup, there is room for possible distractions and football acts as a kind of escape route, taking thousands of Ukrainian soldiers. Staff take a “break” from the conflict to watch the Ukrainian national team. the country’s great source of joy in difficult times.
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“Football is the most important among the least important things in life,” said the Italian Arrigo Sacchi one day. The phrase could perfectly apply to what happened on Monday afternoon in Ukraine. The country stopped to witness the debut of the Euro Cup, although, on the ground, the task was not easy due to constant loss of connection to the mobile network.
Given the defeat suffered against Romania (3-0), few were satisfied with the Ukrainian performance. One of these cases was that of Volodímir, a soldier from the 108 Brigade of the Territorial Defense Forces who, according to El País, stated that it was “better that the connection fell”, also trusting that his favorite player is the striker Artem Dovbyk . from Gerona. Soldier Kipish, who was a player for the defunct Metalurg Mariupol, stressed that “it’s just a game” and “nothing happens.”
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The match was just an excuse for the two to meet about 20 kilometers from the front line, in Zaporizhia, and divert their attention from the war. The location seems simple given the conditions, but it was chosen in detail: It is a farm that houses the brigade’s communications center, which, in theory, would facilitate the transmission of the game. In the end it didn’t happen.
Also present was Dima, press officer of that Brigade, who confessed that he was not a football fan and that only a few days ago he found out about Ukraine’s presence in the competition taking place in Germany. “A Norwegian journalist told me this and asked me if there were football fans in our sniper unit. “Neither I nor the boys understand why he invited us,” he shared with El País, before the group left. The next game will be on Friday, but no one knows if they will be able to see it. After all, the fight continues and the final whistle is still far away.
Source: Observadora
