Bournemouth's Ukrainian defender Ilya Zabarny commented on the English Premier League's support of Ukraine on the anniversary of Russia's attack on Ukraine. In the next round of the English championship, which was held this weekend, the captains of all teams took to the field with the captain's armband in the colors of the Ukrainian flag, and the outerwear of the head coaches of clubs in the APL was decorated with a blue-and-yellow badge in the shape of a heart.
"This gesture is very important for all Ukrainians, for all Ukrainian people. Every day people die in Ukraine, and the world needs to know what is happening in my country.
The last year has been incredibly difficult for everyone living in Ukraine. We traveled around the world ourselves and held charity matches for peace, saying that we don't need war, we need support. Last year I traveled a lot to make sure everyone knew about the war.
No matter where we went, no matter what country we were in, no matter what team we played against, people everywhere supported us and respected us. And it was very nice to see.
In Ukraine we did not have fans in the stadiums. During the bombardments we would leave the soccer field for a shelter and stay there until the threat disappeared. Then we continued to play. During shelling, you don't know where the enemy missile will hit. It's very dangerous. It's scary. You listen, and you hear the bomb.
It's really scary. You're not afraid for your life, but for the life of your family. Once the war starts, you just become a different person, and you have to be strong.
But what's amazing is how people try to help each other. You may not know that person, but they help. That's amazing.
I'm proud to be a Ukrainian. And playing in the English Premier League has always been a dream, and it's the glory of my country that I can do it now," the official Bournemouth website quotes Zabarny as saying.