Kharkiv and Ukraine

[bluefm]

I have just read a story on the BBC about a guy in Kharkiv, less than an hour's drive from the Ukrainian-Russian border, with thousands of Russian troops currently positioned just over the border, saying that he was ready to defend his family and his country from any potential Russian invasion. I went to Kharkiv all three times when we played Shakhtar (and also went to Dynamo Kiev) and had a great time, the people there were really friendly and it was a good place. It's horrifying to think that it could be a war zone in the near future, with good friends I met there potentially taking up arms to defend their city and country, and risking their lives. Something most of us over here could ever imagine. Now let's hope this doesn't happen, and Putin is just posturing, but it's a fairly tight call at the moment, no-one really knows. All the same, I am just posting this to register my support for the people of Kharkiv, Kiev and Ukraine generally. One thing I hope for is that if Putin does invade in any way than the football world unites and moves the Champions League final from St Petersburg. I know politics and football should not mix, but this is different.

 

[urban genie]

As the final was due to be in Isatnbul when Turkey was invading northern syria and kurdish teritory murdering locals, I doubt the european footballing body give much of a shite about such things.

It will stay in St Peterburg unless there is a sporting embargo upon the Russian FA and Uefa won't be bold enough to call for one.

 

[Blue Mist]

Totally agree. I only did Kharkiv the once but loved the place and the people were great.
If anything happens Uefa will not have the balls to move the final especially as Gazprom are huge sponsors but I will register my support for the cou try as well.

 

[Grassland Blue]

I have just read a story on the BBC about a guy in Kharkiv, less than an hour's drive from the Ukrainian-Russian border, with thousands of Russian troops currently positioned just over the border, saying that he was ready to defend his family and his country from any potential Russian invasion. I went to Kharkiv all three times when we played Shakhtar (and also went to Dynamo Kiev) and had a great time, the people there were really friendly and it was a good place. It's horrifying to think that it could be a war zone in the near future, with good friends I met there potentially taking up arms to defend their city and country, and risking their lives. Something most of us over here could ever imagine. Now let's hope this doesn't happen, and Putin is just posturing, but it's a fairly tight call at the moment, no-one really knows. All the same, I am just posting this to register my support for the people of Kharkiv, Kiev and Ukraine generally. One thing I hope for is that if Putin does invade in any way than the football world unites and moves the Champions League final from St Petersburg. I know politics and football should not mix, but this is different.

Sports and the arts are, unfortunately, inextricably linked to politics.
Any ideology which has to use violence (or even the threat of it) will ultimately fail.
I hope your friends and their families and friends and everyone else are spared the horrors of conflict.

 

[LongsightM13]

Viva Ukraine
Fuck Russia and Fuck Putin

 

[14aguero]

The American response isn't a complete negative to the Russian demands, so things will move to a middle somewhere, I think.

 

[LongsightM13]

We need the Zinchenko song loud and proud.

 

[Katsunari Takayama]

We need the Zinchenko song loud and proud.

I didn’t know we had one.

 

[AliBobbyJ]

Chelski v. City with Zinchenko in the final would be interesting.
Either way, fuck the Russians.

 

[Deleted member 77198]

The 1966 World Cup and Euro 96 were held in England despite Britain’s involvement in Northern Ireland/“The Troubles” throughout the decades.
The 2018 World Cup was held in Russia despite them doing this to Ukraine for years. They also held the 2014 Winter Olympics right at the time they invaded Ukraine for the first time.
A Europa League final was held in Baku despite the Azerbaijan-Armenia wars over the ethnic Armenian area of Nagorno-Karabakh.
They were going to hold last year’s final in Istanbul despite Turkey pushing ethnic Kurds from their own land, in a war that has been ongoing since 1978.
Cameroon is currently in a Civil War yet it’s holding the ACON that’s going on now. A Senator was assassinated there this week! And about 500k people have been forced to leave their homes yet it’s bigger news that 6 people died in a crush at one of the ACON games or that Salah scored the winning penalty for Egypt yesterday.
USSR and China have been(/were) allowed to compete at sporting tournaments despite their Communist regimes killing over 100m of their own citizens over about ¾ of a century (although Cambodia didn’t compete in the Olympics for decades). Moscow hosted the 1980 Olympics despite USSR contesting borders with Afghanistan and other neighbours.
China has been at war or in conflict with many neighbours, including Turkestan and Tibetan nationalists within China… yet they were given the 2008 Olympics.
Even back in Nazi Germany, the 1936 Olympics were held there.