Competitive football has returned in war-torn Ukraine after a match between Shakhtar Donetsk and Metalist 1925 played at an empty Olympic Stadium in Kyiv.
The match ended 0-0 and marked the start of the country’s new Premier League season.
The season’s opening matches have been timed to coincide with Ukraine’s Day of the National Flag and provide a further show of resistance following Russia’s February invasion that brought a premature end to last season’s championship.
It was the first competitive fixture in nine months for both teams, and while there were obvious signs of rust, they provided an entertaining contest.
The game was, at least, not interrupted by air-raid sirens, still a daily occurrence.
So tenuous is the situation that only certain venues with bomb shelters will be used for UPL games. No fans are allowed into the stadium, with fixtures mostly centred around Kyiv for now.
The return of the 16-team local league provides a distraction for 90 minutes away from the bloodshed and ravages of a war that Russia calls a special operation.
Shakhtar’s Croatian coach Igor Jovicevic told reporters ahead of Tuesday’s game that football is responsible for showing people that life in the troubled country doesn’t stop.
“This is our job, and we perceive it as a very big responsibility to show the world that life in Ukraine does not stop but continues,” he said.
“Football is one of the factors that gives emotions to the whole country and people who fight for all of us. This is very important for us, not only Shakhtar but also for the entire UPL, to continue life.”
They now await Thursday’s draw and will play their home games in Poland.
Shakhtar qualified automatically for the group stages of this season’s Champions League, having been top of the table when the 2021/22 UPL campaign was suspended.
Source Link Football returns to war-torn Ukraine
