He went on the stage of the Châtelet theater in Paris to present the Women’s Golden Ball, won for the second year in a row by Barcelona’s Alexia Putellas, but Andrei Shevchenko obviously could not only talk about football on Monday evening. The former Ukrainian striker was asked about the war that has hit his country since the end of February and the start of the Russian offensive in this former republic of the Soviet Union.
“These are very difficult times since the beginning of the war for the Ukrainian people,” said the 2004 winner of the famous distinction. I am very proud to see my country stand up and defend its freedom. I participated in humanitarian aid projects with our President Volodymyr Zelensky. It is very important to remember that the war continues and to stand with Ukraine, to continue to help Ukraine. An intervention greeted by an ovation of about thirty seconds by the assistance made up of big names in world football.
The former AC Milan striker, ex-coach of Ukraine which he brought to the quarter-finals of the Euro a year ago, appeared in tears during an intervention on Italian television after the start of the conflict. Since then, Andrei Shevchenko has been involved in the United 24 project, launched by the Ukrainian head of state, which aims to raise funds for the defense and reconstruction of the country.
“It is important to remember that the war is not over yet, he explained to France Football in September. Yes, she moved away from Kyiv, but millions of Ukrainians are suffering every day. I went to the destroyed football school in Irpin (Editor’s note: city in the suburbs of kyiv where the fighting was important). It is impossible for me to look at this reality without crying because small children still come to play in a place where there is nothing left but the walls. »