Despite the circumstances, football lives on in Ukraine. He is not afraid of air alarms, and the media continues to cover events in the world of sports number one even in complete darkness.
In the conditions of severe aggression of the Russian Federation, in the conditions of total shelling of our territories, the domestic mass media also have to keep their front. Including football journalists. Yes, they do not chat with the enemy in the dugouts in armor and helmets, but they have to fulfill their direct duty - to convey information to readers and viewers.
Walling up holes for Russian rats!
And it is very important that our mass media do not complain, do not look for reasons to ease their own fate - on the contrary! They gain practical experience in order to bring the greatest benefit to Ukraine.
For example, the "Tribune" website last week started collecting evidence of support for military aggression on the part of Russian (and not only) athletes. The list of relevant names can be used in the future to impose personal sanctions on them and help increase pressure on sports federations of the Russian Federation.
"On November 23, at a meeting of the Verkhovna Rada's subcommittee on high-achievement sports and sports activities, the creation of a Working Group was initiated to develop a mechanism for personal sanctions against Russian and Belarusian athletes and all representatives of the world of sports who support the war in Ukraine.
During the meeting of the sub-committee, Tribuna.com was asked to keep an appropriate register (in fact, to expand the existing one) of athletes and sports officials who support the Kremlin and the war in Ukraine. But it is difficult for "Tribune" journalists to cover all types of sports and all current and former athletes. Especially in less popular and non-Olympic sports.
In order not to miss anything, the initiators of the creation of the Working Group ask all of us to join in the collection of information: readers of Tribuna.com, journalists of other publications, athletes, officials and everyone else. Together, we will be able to collect much more evidence and contribute to the overall victory over the aggressor.", - says the publication's appeal. (Ua.tribuna.com, 23.11.2022).
The goal of the initiative is to modernize sports sanctions, block propagandist athletes, prevent them from entering the wider sports space to spread ideas of hatred and war.
Already at the beginning of the full-scale invasion, tough but fair sports sanctions were imposed on Russia and Belarus. Their rights to all international events were taken away, they were suspended from 90% of world competitions. The IOC recommended not to admit athletes from these countries to the world's sports arenas.
But a loophole remained for the Russians. These are individual performances for various clubs or at some tournaments. In addition, the position of the IOC leadership is now ambiguous, and individual federations already allow Russians and Belarusians to compete. Therefore, in order to wall up such gaps, personal sanctions are also needed.
"It is important for us to work out the criteria for personal sanctions against sportsmen-propagandists, both in Ukraine, and to seek their application by other states. So that they are clear, effective and practical.
In this case, we will finally block the path to world sports for those who support the war. I would like to note that during a recent visit to the USA, they met with representatives of the Eastern Europe Office of the US State Department. Among other things, they discussed the mechanisms of sanctioning athletes who support military aggression against Ukraine. They felt ready to contribute to the implementation of our initiatives", - people's deputy of Ukraine and former track and field athlete Olga Saladukha revealed the details of the meeting of the Subcommittee. (Ua.tribuna.com, 24.11.2022).
According to her, a number of important decisions were made already at the first meeting:
— to submit to the consideration of the Parliamentary Committee on Youth and Sports the creation of a Working Group on countering Russian aggression in the field of sports;
— to propose to the Committee to develop a draft Resolution of the Verkhovna Rada on the expansion of mechanisms for countering Russian propaganda in the field of sports. Seek to have it voted in parliament by December 6 this year, the day the International Olympic Committee Assembly begins;
— to call on the Committee and all competent authorities to introduce personal sanctions against the first group of athletes. These are Alexander Povetkin, Roman Shirokov, Dina and Arina Averina, Evgenia Tarasova, Anastasia Mishina, Alexander Galyamov, Veronika Stepanova, Musa Yevloev, Zaurbek Sidakov, Anatoly Tymoshchuk and others.
"We also call on the public to submit information about athletes who are propagandists of war. All the facts will be considered by the Working Group of the Committee at its meeting, which will transmit the data to the competent authorities regarding the application of personal sanctions. Together we will defeat the Rashists on the sports front", Saladukha wrote on her page in Facebook (23.11.2022).
Creating an appropriate base of supporters of military actions on the territory of Ukraine is a significant step. And this step is part of the same front that the sports media workers of our country must hold.
Fearless, indomitable, invincible
And it is very comforting to note that the press holds its ground no matter what. Cell phones are turned off, lights are off - journalists still find a way to stay connected to the news network. If there are World Cup matches in faraway Qatar, they are illuminated even in the dark. The UPL championship continues - all details of the course of events are reported to the Ukrainian football community.
The mass media have not lost their diligence. On the contrary, they became more united, combat-ready and ready to face the invaders in the sports media field. In this regard, the appeal to Russians from the popular website "Dynamo Kyiv from Shurik" looks very clear.
"...You can't break us! All you have achieved, and you will not achieve anything else, is hatred for every inhabitant of your snotty little country!
All over Ukraine there is no light due to your efforts, you monsters in sandals, in wooden latrines and uncleaned huts. But news on Ukrainian sites continues to appear. And it will always be like that!
We will be light, warm, happy and live in the best country on this planet! And you scumbag non-imperials will spend the rest of your lives in shit!
Everything will be Ukraine!" (Dynamo.kiev.ua, 23.11.2022).
Of course, in the absence of power supply it is extremely difficult to adhere to the usual work schedule, but the vast majority of our sites are online.
Everyone has their own recipe. So, Oleksandr Popov, the inspiration and main author of the same "Dynamo Kyiv from Shurik", told an amazing story about how people find the opportunity to stay afloat.
"There is still no light for the second day, laptop batteries, power banks, UPSs - all of them during this time approached zero on their remaining energy. Plus the connection is also almost non-existent from the point of view of mobile Internet.
It was necessary to look for jokes. And one such person was found. Very little effort, and the problem is solved.
There is a hospital near me. In it, for obvious reasons, there is always light, even though these club-footed types shoot all their rockets here. And across from the large "Sylpo" hospital. The store, apparently, is in one "slot", and there is always light here, too. And a stable connection. And there are also tables here - typical ones, next to the kitchen for those who want to have a snack. But now these tables have another purpose. People flock here, coming with their extension cords from home. Because there are only a couple of sockets. And dozens of people. They charge phones, gadgets, power banks, laptops. Well, they work here, of course. I have never seen such long chains included in a friend's carrier in my life!
That's how we'll break through! Don't give up! We are much stronger than them! They are just pitiful animals in human guise". (Facebook.com/shurik.dk, 23.11.2022).
The secrets of the functioning of the well-known website "Football Club" were discovered by its columnist Nikita Shmelov.
"Previously, we had a set order of rotations - everyone knew when he was the main responsible person. This applied both to current events, that is, to the actual matches, and to other moments. Currently, while the emergency power outages continue, our schedules are cancelled. We all try to be in touch and "turn on" at any moment, replacing a colleague who has lost power. During the day, when the World Cup and national championship games are played, this is a top priority", he noted in a comment to "Pressing". (Pressing.net.ua, 25.11.2022).
Against this background, the question of another journalist, blogger and commentator Roman Bebekh, who addressed the public on his Twitter, seems inappropriate: "Does anyone have time to watch YouTube? Does it make sense to shoot something now and fill it in?"
Of course it makes sense. Football life must go on no matter what.
The outstanding goalkeeper of Dynamo Kyiv and the national team of Ukraine, Oleksandr Shovkovsky, called on his fellow citizens not to give up due to the lack of light and heat and to believe in the best. Problems with communications due to constant shelling by Russian troops of the critical infrastructure of Ukraine reminded one of the coaches of the national team of the episodes of his playing career related to the "friendly" reception in Minsk.
"There is no light in the very center of the capital for more than 16 hours. No, you don't think I'm sorry!
I remember how after training we washed in cold water. I remember how they played at -17 Celsius (it is interesting that it was precisely in Minsk, in the capital of a country that in every way supports, helps and provides its territory for military aggression on the part of Russia).
It is good that we have only two brotherly peoples... They say the truth that blood feud is the most cruel!
I feel that we are even more clenched into a fist to feel each other... to complement each other... to unite to become one... Fearless... Unbreakable... Invincible!", O. Shovkovskyi wrote on his page in Instagram.com (25.11.2022).
Charitable acts of other representatives of the number one sport aimed at helping war victims should not be overlooked.
Thus, the leaders of "Dynamo" Serhiy Sydorchuk and Georgy Bushchan paid for the courses of first aid for 80 people, which will allow them to feel more confident during emergency situations and, it is possible, to save someone's life. (Fanday.net, 21.11.22). And the club itself took care of the seriously injured fan.
"Before the full-scale invasion of Russia, 23-year-old Kyivan Leonid Losev studied and worked as a manager, and in his spare time visited the fan section at the matches of his beloved Dynamo.
The young man met the beginning of the great war while carrying out border service in the Chernihiv region and, together with his brothers, defended Chernihiv, which at that time was mercilessly shelled by the Russians from aviation and artillery.
Later, Leonid was transferred to the Donetsk area, where four weeks ago he was seriously wounded by enemy mortar fire. The young man had to have his right leg amputated, after which complex and long-term rehabilitation was necessary, but the boy's condition only worsened.
Kyiv "Dynamo", having learned about the injury of its fan, sent an ambulance from Kyiv for him, which transported Leonid from the Dnipro hospital to one of the capital's hospitals. And the mother of the soldier Olena, who now does not leave her son and supports him, transported two more wounded soldiers from the Dnipro to Kyiv in her own car.
In Kyiv, the fighter underwent eight difficult and painful operations, but he does not lose his optimistic mood and is looking forward to the start of the procedure of making a prosthesis and adapting to it. Leonid dreams of returning to playing football, which he did as a child, as well as to his other hobby, motor sports.
The management of Dynamo Kyiv took care of the fighter - the president of the club Ihor Surkis personally monitors the rehabilitation process and will help with the organization of the family's trip to Germany for prosthetics using the most modern technologies", the official website of the city of Kyiv told the story of the hero. (Fcdynamo.com, 28.11.2022).
For its part, Shakhtar Donetsk invited 30 Ukrainian immigrant children to its training in Vynnyky, who received fantastic impressions from such an event.
"The children arrived at the base on a club bus and were able to watch Shakhtar players train. After the session, the players chatted with the children, signed autographs and took commemorative photos. Also, according to a good tradition, at the last training of the year, the team presented children with gifts for the upcoming winter holidays". (Shakhtar.com, 21.11.2022).
Once again, former Dynamo player and coach Serhiy Rebrov showed himself from the best side, who not only clearly expresses his civic position, but also sets an excellent example for his colleagues. Yes, our famous tennis player Serhiy Stakhovsky reported that Rebrov presented another SUV to the ZSU. It is not necessary to remind one more time how important this "gift" is in autumn and winter conditions. "And Stanislavovych continues", S. Stakhovsky confirmed on his Twitter.
Colors of the 2022 World Cup
Naturally, the media pay a lot of attention to the World Championship, which started on November 20 in Qatar. And although the Ukrainian national team did not make it to the main four-year tournament, there is considerable interest in it in our country. After all, this is not only a top competition with the participation of the best, but also an effective way to distract yourself from the disturbing thoughts of today, at least for a few hours.
The domestic media understand this and feel it like no one else, so they try to publish the information coverage as fully as possible. There is really something to look at - it has its own exoticism, scandals, records and sensations.
"This is an exceptional tournament in many ways. Qatar replaced Switzerland as the smallest country ever to host the World Cup. This is the first tournament since the beginning of the World Cup in 1930, in which the host country has never played a single World Cup match. In addition, this is the first World Cup held in an Arab country. But the fact that this is happening precisely in Qatar is also amazing from a regional point of view. After all, the strongholds of Arab football are in Egypt, Algeria, Tunisia and Morocco, both in terms of the quality of players and the number of spectators in the stadiums.
At first glance, it may also seem that this is the first World Cup that is held outside of summer, when the temperature in Qatar can reach 50 degrees. However, this is applicable only from a European point of view. For example, the 2014 World Cup in Brazil and the 2010 World Cup in South Africa were held in the southern hemisphere in winter", - brings interesting facts Intercourier.news (25.11.22).
The World Cup 2022 introduced the innovations already in the opening match with the participation of the hosts and the Ecuador national team. In the 3rd minute of the match, the Ecuadorians scored after a free kick, but the modernized VAR system immediately intervened in the episode: the Italian referee Daniele Orsato was informed of offside and the goal was canceled.
"Against Ecuador, new technologies were used in this case: a new semi-automatic system for determining offsides includes the presence of 12 special cameras that track in detail the position of the footballers' limbs during game episodes. That is why Enner Valencia could not complete a hat-trick already in the first half” shares information Footboom.com (20.11.2022).
Not rusted and with sensations. During the two rounds of the group stage that ended, one of the favorites of the tournament, Argentina, managed to lose to Saudi Arabia in its first game (1:2), Germany scored against the Japanese, but received two goals in response, and Belgium "burned" Morocco (0 :2). All kinds of records were broken by national teams, as well as football players, including the icons of recent years, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. And the most ridiculous news was the fact that the referee of the match England - Iran (6:2) added a total of 24 minutes of added time.
Unfortunately, it was not without scandals. But they accompanied the World Cup in Qatar from the very beginning. After all, this Arab country is always criticized for low standards of human rights, there is no freedom of the press, but there is homophobia. FIFA's policy can also cause negative consequences. The organization prohibits the wearing of One Love armbands, which are dedicated to the fight against all forms of discrimination in society, at the World Cup matches. The association said that a player who violates the ban will receive an immediate yellow card.
This caused a storm of negative emotions among many representatives of the World Cup. European national teams have collectively condemned the ban, and the German team staged a "silent" protest against FIFA's censorship before their match against Japan. And it seems that Denmark is ready to go next.
"This decision has not been made now. Everything was clear to us for a long time. We have been discussing this in Scandinavia since August. We have now rethought it. I suggest there could be problems if Denmark goes it alone. It is necessary to think about the question of how to restore confidence in FIFA. We must assess what has happened and then form a strategy together with our Scandinavian colleagues", - quotes the president of the Danish federation Jesper Møller Football.ua (24.11.22).
A very bold decision
We don't care about their problems, only Ukrainian fans shrug their shoulders. Indeed, when the air-raid alarm goes off, there are no phobias. When it comes to survival, everything else takes a back seat.
However, even in threatening conditions, football life in the country does not stop. It's only planned according to the calendar, it will soon take a break, as the first part of the season will officially end.
On Monday, November 28, the 15th UPL round came to an end. It is noteworthy that only "Vorskla" from Poltava and "Veres" from Rivne managed to hold all their scheduled matches on time. Other clubs were deprived of this opportunity under different circumstances. This year, there are still three postponed meetings of rounds 7-8: "Dynamo" - "Metalist" (November 30), "Zorya" - "Kolos" (December 1) and "Chornomorets" - "Kryvbas" (December 2).
In general, holding the championship of Ukraine in the middle of a full-scale war was a very brave decision. According to the opinion of the majority of the mass media, it can be said that it justified itself.
"So far, fortunately, no missile has hit the stadium, and therefore no one has been injured during the matches of the UPL, the First and the Second League. We still have a full season, teams play, even without fans, and even the Ukrainian Cup is planned for spring", he states Sportanalytic.com (24.11.22).
However, what the teams had to go through during these months was nothing compared to anything they had experienced before. Perhaps this is the reason for the rather unexpected results that the participants of the race demonstrated.
First of all, this applies to "Dynamo", which the press and experts considered the undisputed favorite. However, Mircea Lucescu's wards failed to some extent. Too much energy was given in exhibition matches for victories, which at that stage the country badly needed against the background of the Russian invasion. Let them be on the football field. Qualifying for the Champions League turned out to be difficult.
Only at the end of 2022, the "white and blue" regained their lost fitness, significantly improving the tournament situation in the domestic arena.
""Dynamo" took shape. Let it be too late, let it be in the conditions when in some tournaments it is no longer possible to correct mistakes (Europa League). But the fact remains: Mircea Lucescu once again received a trump card with which he can block criticism. The party is not over yet", - sure Ua-football.com (26.11.22).
Shakhtar remains one of the main contenders for the championship. The players under the leadership of Ihor Jovičevych embarrassed the skeptics, coming out of the extremely difficult group of the Champions League in the spring of the European Cup and loudly passing the distance in the UPL. In four months of work, the Croatian coach managed to create a practically new combat team. Adding a spoonful of tar is the fact that the Donetsk club's games with the calendar - according to the opinion of its rivals and most of the media, the postponement of matches involving the "orange and black" to the second round put other teams on unequal terms. However, Jovičević is probably right, who calls for an end to hostilities and to work side by side in this difficult time.
"We, the entire Ukrainian people, must unite now. Do not criticize each other, do not fire the coach because of defeats. This is war. This is a war in Ukraine. I can't understand it. Why do we share? Croatia is not divided: when there was a war, everyone was one. 40 million people must now breathe as one. And I am here with you. And I want you all to think as one". (Shakhtar.com, 23.11.2022).
Interestingly, the former club of Jovičević impressed the most in the current draw. It may seem incredible, but in the entire history of the championships of Ukraine, only once did the clubs go to the winter season without Dynamo or Shakhtar as the leaders. And what is remarkable, that time - in the 1992/93 campaign - Dnipro was also in charge. True, the Kyivans won that championship (the first for themselves since Independence), beating the Dnipros by goal difference. How will it be this time?
"In the fall of 2022, history partially repeats itself. Dnipro is the interim champion again. However, "Dnipro" is a little different, and the situation is completely different. How everything will end, spring should show us. In general, we have a lot of hope for her", sums up Terrikon.com (23.11.22).
Orest LELEKA
