UEFA will investigate the match Ukraine - Russia | News from Germany about Europe

The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) has initiated disciplinary proceedings against the Football Association of Ukraine in connection with the possible misconduct of its fans during the semi-finals of the European Futsal Championship against Russia. This was announced on Tuesday, February 15, by UEFA.

In the match, which took place despite the current tense political situation, on February 4, the Russian team won with a score of 3:2. Later, the Russian Football Union turned to UEFA with a request to investigate the behavior of Ukrainian fans who, during a match in Amsterdam, shouted insults at the Russian team, and also sang the famous slogan song of radical Ukrainian fans dedicated to the President of the Russian Federation. After that, the announcer in the arena asked “not to sing songs of an unsportsmanlike nature.”

The match in Amsterdam was the first face-to-face meeting between Ukrainian and Russian teams in a football tournament after a decision made by UEFA in 2014. Due to the political tensions that arose in connection with the annexation of Crimea by Russia, European football officials decided not to allow such matches until further notice. However, “for obvious reasons, this decision cannot apply to the entire play-off stage of tournaments such as the European Futsal Championship,” UEFA said ahead of the game.

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Saints of football teams
Saints and Prefabs
Athletes are used to relying on their own strength, but many are unlikely to refuse the help of heavenly patrons, and fans should know who to turn to for support at particularly important moments. On the eve of the current European Football Championship, the German Catholic news agency KNA compiled a list of patron saints of national teams – regardless of denominations and religions.

Saints of football teams
Saint Boniface – Germany
From the list, we chose 11 patrons – according to the number of team players on the field. Let’s start with Germany, whose national team is patronized by … a Briton! “Apostle of all Germans” – Saint Boniface (672-754) was a missionary and archbishop in Mainz. This illustration depicts the moment when he cuts down the sacred tree of the pagan Germans – the Oak of Donar. The last time he justified the hopes of the fans at the 2014 World Cup.

Saints of football teams
Saint Martin – France
This photo was taken in Germany – in Cologne, but during a holiday dedicated to the very popular patron of the… French team, who was born… in Hungary. Saint Martin (316-397) was the bishop of the French city of Tours. He is known for sharing (he cut off half of his raincoat for a freezing beggar), but at the World Cup in 2018 he helped the French not to miss the victory.

Saints of football teams
Catherine of Siena – Italy
The Italians are patronized by Catherine of Siena (1347-1380) – one of the most revered holy women in Catholicism. She had a strong character and felt confident, so to speak, in the male team – she contributed to the return of the popes to Rome from the Avignon captivity, and also obtained permission for herself to preach in the church! The head of the saint is kept in the Basilica of San Domenico in Siena.

Saints of football teams
Saint James – Spain
Scallop shells are a symbol of Saint James. These shells also mark the pilgrimage routes leading to the Spanish city of Santiago de Compostela. In 2019, the number of pilgrims to the alleged grave of the apostle exceeded 300 thousand people. Saint James is a very active patron. In this century, the Spaniards won the 2010 World Cup, as well as the European Championships in 2008 and 2012.

Saints of football teams
George the Victorious – England
This saint, although he adorns the coat of arms of the Russian capital, patronizes the England team in the football world. However, as you know, he was born in Cappadocia, that is, he could now take patronage over the Turkish team. George the Victorious (275/281 – 303) helped the British to get gold at the World Cup back in 1966, so it’s time to help again. This photo was taken on the German island of Rügen.

Saints of football teams
Nicholas the Wonderworker – Turkey
What about Turkey – a Muslim country? The national team of this country, according to the KNA agency, is supported by one of the most revered Christian saints – Nicholas the Wonderworker (270/86-343/51). He was the archbishop of the World of Lycia, located in the territory of the current province of Antalya. If St. Nicholas had also been the patron of the judges, this would not have led to anything good. They would judge too softly.

Saints of football teams
Andrew the First-Called – Russia and Scotland
Apostle Andrew is the patron saint of seven countries and regions, so he will help two teams at once at the football championship: Russia and Scotland. In Russia, Peter I established the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called, and the image of the St. Andrew’s Cross is used as a symbol on the flag of Scotland. Scotland, by the way, got to the tournament for the first time in 23 years, so the patron has obviously already begun to help.

Saints of football teams
Vladimir Saint – Ukraine
Vladimir Svyatoslavich (958-1015) – the Grand Duke of Kiev, under whom the baptism of Russia took place. This monument to Vladimir the Great was erected in Kiev on the steep bank of the Dnieper in 1853. The quote of the prince is known: “I will not find a squad with silver and gold, but with a squad I will get silver and gold.” We change “and” to “or” in the second part, and the phrase can be used on a current sports occasion.

Saints of football teams
Saint Stanislaus – Poland
In Poland, they really hope that they themselves will not make a mistake together with one of the best strikers in the world from Bayern – Robert Lewandowski, and with the help of the Krakow Bishop Stanislav Szczepanowski (1030-1079) – a Polish national hero, defender of the oppressed – a shepherd who gave for this his life in conflict with King Bolesław II the Bold.

Saints of football teams
St. Willibrord – Netherlands
The Netherlands has not been very lucky in major tournaments lately, or rather, they didn’t get to them at all, but this time, apparently, the patron of the national team, so to speak, came to his senses and helped at least at this stage. The Benedictine monk Willibrord (675-739) played a major role in the conversion of Frisia to Christianity. He also founded a monastery in Luxembourg where this photo was taken.

Saints of football teams
Anthony of Padua – Portugal
The current European champion at the current championship will be assisted not only by one of the best football players of all time, Cristiano Ronaldo, but also by one of the most famous Franciscan monks, Anthony of Padua (1195-1231). Saint Anthony is approached to restore lost values, but now the main task of this legendary preacher is to (simply) help in maintaining the championship title.

Saints of football teams
All Saints
Which saints patronize the rest of the championship participants? Austria – Leopold III. Belgium – Joseph the Betrothed. Hungary – Istvan I. Denmark – Knud IV. North Macedonia – Clement of Ohrid. Slovakia – Cyril and Methodius. Wales – David of Wales. Finland – Henry of Uppsala. Croatia – Jerome Stridonsky. Czech Republic – St. Wenceslas. Switzerland – Nicholas of Flue. Sweden – Brigid of Sweden.
Author: Maxim Nelyubin