Former footballer and head coach of Ukraine Andriy Shevchenko has spoken in an interview with the British media about initiatives to help the country, which he is carrying out together with Arsenal player Oleksandr Zinchenko.
Andriy Shevchenko"We are already working on many different projects together with Zinchenko. We are now preparing something big with the Football for Ukraine project to get help for Ukrainian people. We already have a project in Irpen together with UNITED24. We have raised funds for restoration of the football stadium. I think that the impact of sports is very important. It can give something different to people, help them get away from war just a little bit.
Zinchenko was incredible. I am very proud of him because he is young, he has a young family with a child, yet he supports Ukraine so much. Not only does he raise funds, but he also speaks loudly about Ukraine. He has remained so strong.
When we communicate, I tell him: "Do not hold back your emotions, give them freedom. There is nothing to hold back. We must show the truth. We are here to show the world how Ukrainian people feel. It has been difficult for everyone, but whenever we talk, I remind him, "We must be much stronger. Must help our people in Ukraine because they need us. Must draw attention to the war."
I am much stronger now. I know that we have to hold on. At the beginning of the war and in the first months I had a lot of difficult things to do. However, I cannot complain because I know that soldiers face a lot on the front line, and families in Ukraine have to evacuate from dangerous areas where missiles have landed.
We went through an incredible year, it was a very difficult winter. I was there in Kiev during the first big blackout in Ukraine.
But we are defending our country, and that gives us strength. We know that the whole democratic world is behind us. However, this is a good moment for me to remind everyone that the war goes on," Shevchenko said.
