The head coach of the Ukrainian national team, Serhii Rebrov, visited the village of the fallen war hero, presented football souvenirs to the children of the fallen defenders and held an autograph session for all the pupils of the local sports club.
The story of this visit goes back to last month, when the head coach and players of the Ukrainian national team met with the families of the fallen heroes during a training camp in Prague as part of the Tribune of Heroes project. It was then that Oksana, the mother of Viktor Yarmola, a fan of the national team and Dynamo Kyiv, invited Serhii Rebrov to the community where her son and other men who gave their lives for Ukraine grew up. And in less than a month, the blue-and-yellow coach fulfilled his promise by coming to the Zolochiv community in the Kyiv region.
Parents and children were eagerly awaiting the respected and welcome guest. For five years now, the Danapris sports club (the Latin name for Dnipro) has been operating here, where children from local villages aged five to 14 play football in five age groups. Previously, football lessons were held in the gym of the local lyceum, but a month ago, a football pitch was opened here, so the children have the opportunity to hone their skills outdoors. Oksana Yarmola initiated the construction of the pitch, donating the entire amount of the state benefit she received after her son's death to this cause. And with the help of the Ukrainian Football Association and FC Livyi Bereh, the defender's mother's plan was implemented.
At the beginning of the meeting, the UAF First Vice President Vadym Kostyuchenko and Serhii Rebrov himself addressed the audience and stressed the importance of supporting the families of our heroes and the Ukrainian army in general in difficult wartime. First of all, the blue-and-yellow coach presented autographed footballs and other souvenirs of the Ukrainian national team to the children and families of 17 natives of the Zolochiv community who gave their most precious possessions for their nation. In particular, Serhii Rebrov presented the daughter of the fallen hero Serhii Dragomeretskyi, in whose memory the football tournament is planned to be held, with a personalised shirt signed by Oleksandr Zinchenko and a ball signed by all the players of the Ukrainian national team.
Afterwards, the head coach of the national team held an autograph session for all the children who play football at the local sports club.
"I always say that we must constantly support our heroes and their families. This is more important than any business we do, because everything we do today is thanks to our defenders. Our nation has no choice but to unite and be united. And thanks to this, we will definitely win," said Serhii Rebrov in a comment to the UAF press service.
The football holiday for the Zolochiv community continued with a football masterclass held by UAF instructors, honoured teachers and coaches of Ukraine Liana Kopylova, Serhiy Chesheiko, Vitaliy Titaruk and Oleg Shust.
Children from a local sports club and their coaches received equipment and footballs from the UAF for further training.