Philip Lahm: "I thought it was questionable how Yanukovych dealt with Tymoshenko before Euro 2012, but the UEFA president said..

Former German national team captain Philipp Lahm recalled his worries about the political situation in Ukraine and Michel Platini's reaction to it before EURO 2012.

"As captain of the national team, I have always considered myself a representative of Germany. That is why, before the tournaments, I usually dealt with the host country. Before going to Euro 2012, I talked about the political situation in Ukraine with the German magazine Der Spiegel. The young democracy was in danger, the way Viktor Yanukovych had handled Yulia Tymoshenko looked to me very dubious.

I urged Michel Platini to stand up for human rights and press freedom in Ukraine. The UEFA president replied: "I don't care what Mr. Lahm says. I deal with football, not politics.

Back then, people wondered if Ukraine would remain a democratic country. And today Ukraine is fighting for the freedom of Europe," Lahm said.