Derby fracas may threaten Ukraine's Euro 2016 chances

By Igor and Nitsak KIEV (Reuters) - Ukraine team mates Andriy Yarmolenko and Taras Stepanenko have been involved in a club fracas that could undermine their country's chances at the European Championship next month. Shakhtar Donetsk midfielder Stepanenko was blatantly kicked by his international colleague on Sunday for kissing his club's badge and staging a provocative goal celebration in front of Dynamo Kiev fans in a domestic derby match. Dynamo winger Yarmolenko is likely to receive a lengthy ban for his reaction during Shakhtar's 3-0 league win over the Ukrainian champions. "We will spend lots of time together preparing for the (Euro 2016) games. We have to sort this out so it does not affect our mission," national coach Mykhaylo Fomenko was quoted as saying by the depo.ua website. Stepanenko said he was furious with Yarmolenko. "What if he would have broken my knee?," he told his club's website (http://shakhtar.com/en/). "I would like the whole country to know my friendship with Yarmolenko has ended -- it was a deliberate action." There was also a mass brawl between both sets of players that resulted in three red cards for Shakhtar, who are second in the table, and one for Yarmolenko. Ukraine have been drawn in Group C with Germany, Poland and Northern Ireland at the European Championship in France that starts on June 10. (Editing by Tony Jimenez)