On Monday afternoon, Ukraine kicks off their European Championship premiere.
But before that, the Ukrainian Football Association has set up a bombed-out stand in Munich – to send a message to the world.
"Even though our arenas are destroyed, we will never stop standing up for Ukraine", the association writes to the Football Channel.
The stand that is being set up was in Kharkiv at one of the arenas that hosted the 2012 European Championship. But after Russia's full-scale invasion, it, along with 76 other football arenas, was bombed to pieces.
Now, the Ukrainian Football Association is choosing to set up the stand inside Munich, where the team will play their European Championship premiere, to show their support for the people and soldiers back home.
"The installation is being made to show that Ukrainian football is not outside politics. And even though our arenas are destroyed, we will never stop standing up for Ukraine", the association writes in a statement to the Football Channel.
"We are all together"
Andriy Shevchenko, former striker for among others Chelsea and Milan, but now president of the Ukrainian Football Association, was the one who presented the stand on Monday.
Today is the first match. There is a team on the pitch, but many soldiers who stand for Ukraine. We are all together. We play today for the country and for the people, who defend our lives and our land, he said according to the Football Channel.
We continue our lives
Shevchenko continues to tell that Ukraine's participation is not only important for the people back home, but also for the image of the country in the rest of the world.
It is very important. There are two parts. One is the sporting part, where it is important that the country can continue living under war. Sport has the power to unite people. Ukraine's participation in the European Championship is also a very important message to the rest of the world that we continue our lives and will fight.
Ukraine's European Championship premiere against Romania begins at 3 pm on Monday.
