“Football and the international voice are our weapons”: why football clubs continue to play

Ukrainian football clubs continue to play even in a full-scale war. This is just as important as the international publicity about russia's aggression in Ukraine, according to football club owners.

Even despite russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the sport continues to grow. In particular, football clubs continue their activities: training continues, matches are held.

For example, Ukrainian FC Dynamo and Shakhtar have already played several friendly matches with international clubs. These matches are an act of support for Ukraine, publicity about the war of the russian federation against our state, and gathering support in favor of Ukraine. Each such match is a platform not only for sports competitions but also for support actions. Thus, Shakhtar let 12-year-old Dmytro from Mariupol play in the match against Lechia; the boy even scored the winning goal. FC made his dream come true, and once again drew the world's attention to the blockade of Mariupol.

And during the match, 176 toys were placed in the stands instead of the fans; that's how many children died in Ukraine at the time of the match.

At the same time, the football players wore T-shirts with the names of Ukrainian cities that resisted the occupation of russia.

However, Shakhtar and Dynamo are not the only Ukrainian clubs that continue to play. Among them, for example, is Zhytomyr FC Polissia. Oleksandr Naumyk, Chairman of the Board of Directors of BGV Group Management, which is the general and exclusive partner of the club, said in an interview that it is important to develop sports in Ukraine despite everything:

"With neighbors like Ukraine has, our nation simply has to be strong, healthy, resilient, and iron-made. That is why there should be sports in Ukraine. Moreover, our football club Polissia from Zhytomyr is not only 11 players on the field. It has a large team of staff and a professional coaching staff. And the primary goal of our company and its founder is to keep their jobs and salaries, to support the families of club members in this difficult time. Therefore, we continue to support FC Polissia. The guys are training and ready for new matches."

His colleague, Serhii Voitsekhovskyi, a member of the board of directors, adds:

"Currently, the strongest weapon that FC Polissia has is football and the voice of the international football community. Going to every game and communicating with a huge number of foreigners, players from Ukraine convey to millions of Europeans objective information about the situation in our country and russian crimes. We are proud to see how athletes from Ukraine in the framework of international tournaments and championships raise the Ukrainian issue on the world stage, demand the strengthening of sanctions against russia, and initiate support for Ukrainian refugees. And each game is an opportunity to financially support the country's economy, defenders, and humanitarian initiatives. After all, most of the fees will be directed to this."

"We know that some players continue to receive attractive offers from European football clubs. And we know that some of the guys have been waiting for such an opportunity throughout their professional careers. However, Polissia players unanimously decided to defend the honor of the Zhytomyr region at this difficult time for the country, refusing any transfers," the management of BGV Group also emphasized.

Today, the fronts of Ukraine's struggle are more than just armed. All of them are important, including football. Ukrainian footballers and those who support them believe so.

Earlier, Rubryka wrote about how Ukrainian business volunteers: BGV Group delivered 1220 tons of humanitarian aid from Europe and supplies products to the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

To recap, in Prague, donors collect assistance at the Easter fair. The Ukrainian BGV Charity Fund, in cooperation with Czech volunteers, organized a fundraising point for children affected by the war.

Also, read what fields will develop best after the war: the investment company BGV Group shared its vision.