With patriotic songs broadcast and thousands of exiled Ukrainians in the stadium, the men's national team was made to feel at home at their first training in Germany for the European Championship.

After the national anthem played, and before the warm-ups began, there was a vivid reminder of the war at home that is a constant and uniting force for this Ukraine squad.

Each player had a ball to give to a fan and Oleksandr Zinchenko presented his to a military veteran who had prosthetic legs below each knee.

Near the downtown stadium of Wehen Wiesbaden is the United States military headquarters in Germany which is coordinating the delivery of weapons and other aid from Ukraine's allies to fight against the Russian invasion.

It is a subject the Ukraine team wants to address, and hope Euro 2024 watched worldwide will help put on centre stage. “We need to talk about this,” coach Serhiy Rebrov said. “I know that some people are tired about the news of the war, but we are continuing to fight and we need your support.”

Later Thursday, the Ukrainian football federation published a video on social media of 13 players talking about their hometowns with images of their destruction and occupation by the Russian military.

Zinchenko was in the Ukraine team that reached the Euro quarter finals three years ago. That was the last European summer before the Russians attacked.

This tournament is “100%” different and special, Zinchenko said. “There are still people dying for no reason and we have to stick together,” said the Arsenal player, stressing that what the players have lived through does not compare to fighters on the front lines and their families. For them, it is super difficult, for us it's extra motivation."

Ukraine first play on Monday against Romania in Munich.