Ukrainians express pride and gratitude for their men's national soccer team qualifying for the European Championship, a rare piece of good news and a welcome distraction from the war with Russia The result was
Celebrations after Ukraine's 2-1 win over Iceland were muted as Russian missiles rained down on the country, but the team's success will be felt by Ukrainians when the tournament opens in Germany this summer. It was invigorating.
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Tuesday night's decisive playoff victory touched national emotions and proved that “Ukrains always win when they do not give up and continue to fight in the face of difficulties.” He said he did.
Ukraine came back from a goal down to defeat Iceland in Poland, with Mykhailo Mudryk scoring the winning goal. Due to the war, the team had to play their qualifying matches outside Ukraine.
On Wednesday, youth players at the Sporting Kyiv Football Academy in the Ukrainian capital said they were inspired.
12-year-old Hrib Kochetov said: “The war does not prevent us from continuing our sport and it shows that we can qualify and participate in the European Championships.”
15-year-old Artem Mikhailenko says seeing Ukraine qualify for Euro 2024 will be a proud moment for the entire country.
“We need to show our true values, who we are, and that we are Ukraine, that Ukraine is a great, united and strong country in many ways.” Stated.
In the midst of Russian missile and drone attacks, trying to live as normal a life as possible has become a way for Ukrainians to show their defiance.
Sporting Kyiv coach Anatoly Kartashov said keeping young people actively involved in sports and other activities is also a way to keep their minds away from the war, which deeply traumatized families across the country. he said.
“They have dreams and set goals for themselves. Many of them want to become professional football players, so this is a very positive event,” said the 36-year-old Kartashov.
Ukraine will face Belgium, Slovakia and Romania in the group stage of Euro 2024. First up is Romania, which will be held in Munich on June 17th.
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