The return of competitive football to war-torn Ukraine plays a vital role in showing the rest of the world that people have not given up and are trying to carry on with their lives, Arsenal defender Oleksandr Zinchenko said on Wednesday.
The Ukrainian Premier League restarted on Tuesday on the country’s Day of National Flag, another show of resistance following Russia’s invasion in February which brought a premature end to last season’s championship. Shakhtar Donetsk and Metalist 1925 Kharkiv were the first teams to take to the field in an act of defiance and an attempt to raise the spirits of a nation still gripped by war.
Precautions include matches only taking place in Kyiv and in the west of the country, and in stadiums that can accommodate bomb shelters. No fans will be in attendance, and not just the referee’s whistle can bring play to a halt, with air raid sirens installed to warn of imminent danger.
Despite all this, Zinchenko feels the resumption of the Ukrainian league is vital to bring about a semblance of normality and boost morale in a country that has shown incredible strength in the face of horrors.
Reflecting on Tuesday’s kick-off, he said: “It’s important for the country and all Ukrainian people because nobody was ready for this situation. People are still suffering and we need to fight every single day everywhere, but we need to keep going.
“People deserve the lives they had before. I’d like to say a massive thanks to the Ukrainian federation, and president Zelensky who said we needed to play our competition in Ukraine. I know it’s not going to have the best facilities but we need to keep going. “It’s difficult for me to imagine how it’s going to be,” he added.
“There could be a siren and the players need to stop at some point, but it’s so important to show the rest of the world that the Ukrainian people don’t give up, and in any situation, they carry on.” Zinchenko, who has represented Ukraine 52 times, joined Arsenal from Premier League champions Manchester City in July.
(Written with inputs from www.arsenal.com)
