The Ukrainian Ambassador to the Republic of Poland, Vasyl Bodnar, reacted to the incident during the Conference League match where Donetsk’s Shakhtar faced Warsaw’s Legia (1:2). Provocative banners and chants linked to historical events appeared among the Polish fans.
Photo: Agencja Wyborcza«During the match between Shakhtar and Legia, provocative banners appeared among Legia fans, unrelated to the sporting event or support for the teams.
While respecting the right of Polish fans to express their opinions, it is difficult to understand the motives of such a provocation. Is it intended to overshadow Poland’s assistance to Ukrainians who have sought refuge from the war, or is it an attempt to drown out the words of gratitude from Ukrainian athletes with negative comments, or is it a desire to divert attention from the real threat from Russia, particularly for Poland?
Despite everything, we will not stop thanking Poland for supporting Ukrainian athletes and Ukrainian sport since the beginning of the full-scale Russian aggression,» Bondar wrote on the social network X.
Recall, during the match in Krakow, where Shakhtar hosted Legia, fans of the Polish capital club attempted to bring a banner into the stadium with the inscription: «Wołyń Pamiętamy» («We Remember Volyn»). The head of Shakhtar’s security initially banned this, but the banner eventually appeared.
