Igor Belanov, co-chairman of the UAF Professional Football Committee and legendary Dynamo forward, told the BBC about life in Ukraine under martial law.
Igor Belanov"Millions of Ukrainians are waiting for victory. I apologize to the England fans, but we need this victory more than they do. Soccer is the religion that unites Ukraine. In Europe it is hard to understand, but even during the war, soldiers, medics, volunteers want at least for a moment to feel a taste of peaceful life.
The game against England is one of the few opportunities to switch from war to sport, at least for two hours. I, of course, expect to win. What other options could there be? The soldiers in the trenches are waiting to win. And their children, parents, brothers want it. The whole country is dreaming about the victory of the Ukraine national team at Wembley.
Soccer - the game of millions - brings them back to peacetime. For ordinary people who were once drivers, managers, athletes or IT people, everything has changed. They had lives, plans, hobbies. All of that suddenly ended, and they had to learn the military and go to war.
Our players spend more time hiding from missiles than they do training, training is constantly disrupted in Ukraine. Every day the enemy destroys infrastructure, fires missiles at us, and kills people. It affects the brain, the soul and doesn't go away quickly.
I want to watch a beautiful game full of emotions and events. Of course, let it end with our victory," Belanov told the BBC.
