French defender of "Oleksandriya" Theo Ndika spoke to Eurosport about his daily life as a footballer in a country experiencing war.
Theo Ndika (photo: instagram.com)— How did your signing in Ukraine happen?
— I arrived during the last winter transfer window. The sports director and president directly contacted my agent. We had quite a few video conferences during the negotiations. They explained the situation with the war to me in detail, how things function in the country…
— You didn’t hesitate considering the situation?
— I was at "Grasshoppers" in Switzerland. I had issues with the management in Zurich. I didn’t play for six months. I needed to find a new option. I had offers, even to return to France, to League 2. I wanted to feel the thrill of playing football again. In Zurich, the playing project didn’t suit me much; it was very direct, physical play. And I, a graduate of "Lyon," that’s not the football that brought me joy. The club "Oleksandriya" appeared. They sent me a lot of videos of their matches. I saw that it’s a team that plays with passes, builds from its goal, a lot of movements. I really wanted a sports project to free myself and find that passion for football again. Because I was a bit disappointed with football. I needed to find a way to love the game again.
— Did the context not affect you at all?
— Yes, I was worried about the context. Initially, my family and my girlfriend were very scared that I was going to Ukraine. I knew players who had played there. They described the situation to me, how it was with the war, what everyday life looks like… Oleksandriya is a very small town; there’s really not much there. And since the start of the war, nothing ever happened there. No bombings, no rockets, no drones. The city is truly safe. So, I told myself: why not.
— In the negotiations, did you ask for guarantees in case something happens?
— Yes, of course, you ask for guarantees. You sign knowing where you are going. But if something very serious happens tomorrow and your life is in danger, you can leave the country. But then the club is no longer obliged to pay you. Let’s say, if there’s a bombing in the city, I wouldn’t feel safe anymore, and I would have to return to France for my own welfare — I can do it. I break the contract, and that’s the end of it.
— Do you remember your first day in Ukraine?
— We were returning from training camps in Turkey. But you can’t fly to Ukraine by plane. So, it was either through Moldova or Poland. We eventually flew to Poland, to Krakow. Then by bus to the border. And there you have to go through customs in both countries. It takes an enormous amount of time to enter Ukraine. You stay there for at least two hours. We spent a day getting to Oleksandriya. We arrived in the evening, so I didn’t see much.
But I remember, immediately the siren went off. I asked what to do in such cases. I was answered in the most natural way: "You do nothing. You listen to the sirens and go on living." But overall, what I was told turned out to be true: in my city, nothing really happens. In general, people in Ukraine live normally. Everything is open. It feels like living in France. People work, go about their business. We calmly go to training. I live as if I’m in Switzerland or France. What’s different is the sirens, three to four times a day to warn the population. Sometimes it can go up to eight. This is to warn that a rocket or drone is flying over your head.
The first week when I arrived, it felt a bit strange. Especially at night when you hear it, you think: "Ah! It’s my turn…" But over time you get used to it. I had the chance to go to Kyiv, where things are tougher. Bombings happen often there. And you see destroyed buildings, blown-up cars. I saw the reality. In Telegram, we are updated about everything happening in Ukraine, live. You know all day what is going on. What you see in France is a bit distorted, because casualties truly happen every day.
— In your nine months there, were you scared at all?
— Yes, only once. When we went to play in Odesa, a city that had been bombed, a strategic point for both sides. I was warned that there are shelling there, and at first, I didn’t really want to go. But I still went. Ten hours by bus from Oleksandriya. We arrived at the hotel, I got off the bus and heard a sound that I had never heard in my life. In fact, a Russian missile was launched to bomb the city, and Ukraine responded. And a rocket against rocket occurred in the sky. Everything exploded. The impact was so strong that all the cars on the ground started honking, the ground shook…
I was a bit in shock. It took me 30 minutes to realize what happened. Then we went to the hotel bunker. Then everything calmed down. In fact, I wasn’t scared, but I was shocked by what I saw and heard. I also remember how one time we stopped on the highway during a trip. And immediately, four tanks stopped at the gas station. Tanks that you only see in video games! It was madness, with machine guns. Such things remind you that you are in a country at war. For example, also for the first time, when I got on the train, I saw soldiers getting on, who were returning from the front.
— Do you have teammates who left the club to fight?
— No, but many Ukrainian players have relatives or close friends who went to the front, and whom they haven’t seen for two to three years… Some of my teammates’ parents are no longer around because they went to fight and never returned — they were killed, went missing, or taken prisoner… A few people from the club lost their home or car because they were blown up…
— How does a championship match go?
— You play at 1, 3, and 6 PM… (Interrupts his sentence.) Listen, I don’t know if you’ll hear it, but there’s a siren now! So, for the matches, you need to understand that there’s a curfew, the time of which depends on the city. Therefore, you cannot play in the evening for security reasons. At the stadiums, there are a maximum of 2000 spectators. But otherwise, everything is classic. With a special protocol: we go out with the Ukrainian flag on our shoulders. Then the national anthem of Ukraine plays, followed by music in memory of those who are at war and who have died.
And then there’s always a soldier who fought, returned because he lost an arm, leg, or can no longer fight, who takes the first kick of the ball. And the match begins. But if a siren sounds during the game, the match is stopped. Fans hide in bunkers, and we go to the locker room. Sometimes this lasts for an hour, two, three… And it happens that the alarm sounds three times during one match. Potentially it can last for eight hours! The maximum I’ve had was between four and five hours for one match. Then the Ukrainian federation asks the two clubs if they want to continue.
— Your contract ends next year, and you know this experience is temporary: how will this period of your career change your life?
— It’s a mix of everything. Before the war, many foreigners came to play in Ukraine, because the championship was quite prestigious, with a certain level. Since the start of the war, of course, the level is a bit lower, but it remains competitive, with fewer foreigners. But at the moment that you agree to come, Ukrainians see this as an act of courage. When you’re a foreigner, they do everything to put you in the best conditions. As soon as you need something, you ask — and you get it immediately. They really give a lot of love. They always try to make you feel as good as possible.
Since I’ve been in Ukraine, I’ve never been received like this. Even from the fans, when they come to greet you, ask for a photo… I’ve seen fans crying. Because when we play football — it’s just joy. It’s like the war stops for them for 90 minutes. It surprised me. But of course, I’ve matured… And my view of life… I’m even more aware of the happiness of being in a country like France, in safety, where you can be calm every day, not living with the stress of losing a loved one or being bombed.
Your view of life changes completely. You become simpler. You realize that life is not only about money or beautiful things… You understand that you can be happy with little. Just being around, being with people, eating together, playing together, being calm and safe. A lot has changed. And I’ve also realized the happiness of having parents, brothers, sisters, a child. When you’re quite restrained and not used to opening your feelings, you start giving more love than before because you understand the happiness that all your loved ones are still here. In life, you can argue; it happens with everyone. But now you think twice. You hold back more. It’s all these little things… You also gain this spirit of solidarity, of team, mutual assistance, lifting people up. That has really changed.
