Ukraine’s qualification for the Euro 2024 football finals has cheered a nation embattled in its conflict with Russia and for a few weeks in June and July the tournament will provide a welcome distraction. welcome away from the harsh realities of war.
See live football Ukraine beat Iceland 2-1 in the play-off final in neutral Poland on Tuesday and made its fourth straight appearance at the continental finals.
They will be in Group E with Belgium, Slovakia and Romania. The teams they will face in their opening match in Munich on June 17.
The war between Russia and Ukraine is now entering its third year and although both sides have suffered heavy casualties, there is still no sign of ending after the February 2022 invasion.
Ukrainian fans displayed yellow and blue banners criticizing Russia, which UEFA banned from trying to qualify, and the country’s president Vladimir Putin at the stadium in Wroclaw.
“I am very proud to be Ukrainian, to have the same blood as those who are currently sacrificing their lives for our freedom,” captain Oleksandr Zinchenko said after Tuesday’s victory.
“We need to talk about it, shout about it every day. This is the only way we can win. It was one of our most emotional matches.
“It’s a great feeling. I’m so happy because this is another dream come true. A big thank you to our fans, they helped us get through this difficult time safely.” amazing way.”
Coach Serhiy Rebrov said before the match against Iceland that it was difficult for his team to concentrate watch soccer.
“Missiles fly every day,” Rebrov said. Our mission is to show that we all survive and fight against the Russians and we need European support.”
He added that his players were “watching the news about the shelling in Odessa and Kyiv. After watching, we were even angrier and more eager to show our potential on the football field.”
Coach praises “the character of our players and our country” for going ahead with a qualifying campaign as post-war refugees, Ukraine hosted home matches spread across Europe.
There is a poetic irony in the fact that Poland, where the team’s mission was successfully completed, now has the largest concentration of Ukrainian refugees of any country. Certainly the road to the final is not easy.
Rebrov’s team overcame a difficult qualifying round that included European champions Italy and runners-up England, drawing both sides.
It follows the disappointment of losing to Wales in the 2022 World Cup qualification playoff in Qatar, after which former Ukrainian striker Rebrov took over last June.
With Roman Yaremchuk and Artem Dovbyk in attack, the pace of winger Mykhailo Mudryk, the finesse of Zinchenko in midfield and the steel of Illia Zabarnyi and Vitalii Mykolenko at the back, Ukraine have a capable squad. .
“It was very difficult today sitting on the bench, I saw how difficult it was for the guys,” Rebrov said. I am grateful to all of them for this gift to our country. In such difficult times, it is very important.”
What they have proven now is that they can fight against adversity and win, hopefully that will become a message of unity for the country.