For Ukraine, Euro 2024 is about more than football

With Group E delicately poised before the last round of group stage matches, Ukraine have a chance to qualify for the last 16 at Euro 2024. For the Ukrainians, going far in Germany is about more than football – it’s about giving hope to those back home in a country at war.

A damaged stand from Sonyachny stadium in Kharkiv being displayed at the tournament is a stark reminder for football fans of the destruction being inflicted on Ukraine beyond the festive atmosphere in Germany for Euro 2024.

Built for Euro 2012, Sonyachny stadium is one of 500 Ukrainian sports facilities that have been damaged or destroyed by Russian missiles since Moscow’s full-scale invasion in February 2022.

The president of the Ukrainian Football Federation and Ballon d’Or winner Andriy Shevchenko knows the stadium well: The Ukrainian squad trained there before the qualifiers for Euro 2021 when he was the team coach.

“The stadium means so much for us. Learning that the stadium was destroyed felt like finding out that your home was ruined,” he told FRANCE 24.

“I was overwhelmed by the feeling that we would be cheering and watching the match together again," said Matvienko, who came to Düsseldorf with her daughter Liza for Ukraine’s game against Slovakia.

"I believe he is with me and Liza. Today I represent him, our hero.”

Read more on FRANCE 24 English

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