Football returns to war-torn Ukraine as Shakhtar draw with Metalist 1925

Record ID: 1685812

  • Title: Football returns to war-torn Ukraine as Shakhtar draw with Metalist 1925
  • Date: 23rd August 2022
  • Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) AZOV SERVICEMAN, YAROSLAV HOLIK, SAYING: "Ukraine's Soccer Championship supports the soldiers, the wounded and the dead. This is important. This is yet another platform we can use to shout about what is going on to the whole world." HOLIK HOLDING UP SHAKHTAR DONETSK SCARF (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) AZOV SERVICEMAN, YAROSLAV HOLIK, SAYING: "I would like there to be more people at the stadium, but it can't happen yet because of the situation in our country. We can’t count on this, unfortunately. But before I could only run out onto the pitch until I was caught by the steward, and now, I’m invited intentionally (on the pitch)." VARIOUS OF KYIV OLYMPIC STADIUM'S EXTERIOR
  • Embargoed: 6th September 2022 13:25
  • Keywords: Azov Donetsk Ukrainian football Ukrainian soccer hooligans ultras war in Ukraine
  • Location: KYIV, UKRAINE
  • City: KYIV, UKRAINE
  • Country: Ukraine
  • Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace,Europe,Military Conflicts
  • Reuters ID: LVA006009523082022RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Shakhtar Donetsk and Metalist 1925 played out a 0-0 draw in Kyiv’s empty Olympic Stadium on Tuesday (August 23) as competitive soccer returned to war-torn Ukraine with the start of the country’s new Premier League season.
    The opening matches of the campaign have been timed to coincide with Ukraine's Day of the National Flag and provide a further show of resistance following Russia’s February invasion that brought a premature end to last season’s championship.
    But it also comes as the U.S. Embassy in the capital warned of the increased possibility of Russian military strikes on Ukraine, and Kyiv banned public celebrations in the capital on the anniversary of independence from Soviet rule on Wednesday.
    It was a first competitive fixture in nine months for both teams and, while there were obvious signs of rust, they provided an entertaining contest in which Shakhtar came closest to winning when Mykhailo Mudryk struck the crossbar.
    The game was, at least, not interrupted by air-raid sirens, still a daily occurrence.
    Azov Battalion serviceman and former Shakhtar Donetsk ultra, Yaroslav Holik was invited to do the ceremonial first kick.
    "Ukraine's Soccer Championship supports the soldiers, the wounded and the dead. This is important. This is yet another platform we can use to shout about what is going on to the whole world," Holik said.
    Shakhtar qualified automatically for the group stages of this season's Champions League, having been top of the table when the 2021-22 UPL campaign was suspended.
    They now await Thursday’s (August 25) draw and will play their home games in Poland.
    The club had been using their website to give daily updates on the war from Ukraine’s Defence Ministry but can, for now at least, return to the more mundane team news and match reports.
    (Production: Ivan Lyubysh-Kirdey, Felix Hoske)
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2022. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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