Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky paid tribute on Wednesday to the national football team, narrowly eliminated at the end of the group stage of Euro-2024.
With a victory, a defeat and a draw, Ukraine finished with the same number of points as the three other nations of Group E (Romania, Belgium and Slovakia) but its journey ends there in application of the complex tie-breaking criteria of UEFA. “A strong nation is a nation that remains united and helps each other in all circumstances, in times of defeat as well as in times of victory”commented the Ukrainian president on Telegram. “Today we thank the Ukrainian national football team. Despite this disappointing result, you fought for our country.he continues. “Our great victories await us, the victories of Ukraine. Until then, let’s continue the fight, let’s stand up to move forward and become stronger in the future.”he adds before concluding with a “glory to Ukraine”.
Ukraine’s presence at the Euro was in itself a victory against adversity, emphasized Andriy Shevchenko, football legend who became president of the Ukrainian Football Federation, in an interview with AFP before the competition. “On the one hand, we have shown that we are still competitive and that we continue to excel in football, even during the war. On the other hand, and most importantly, we proudly represent Ukraine and remind the world what we are going through.declared the 2004 Ballon d’Or. Since the Russian invasion of February 2022, Ukrainian athletes have been driven by a particular mission, like the boxer Oleksandr Usyk whose victory against Tyson Fury for the title of champion of the unified heavyweight world on May 19 aroused the pride of his compatriots.
During the match between Ukraine and Belgium, supporters also displayed a banner with the portrait of Nazariy Hryntsevich, nicknamed “Hrienka”, a fallen soldier and football fan. The image was generated by artificial intelligence from photos of 182 fallen Ukrainian soldiers, who in civilian life were Ukrainian football fans.
