Yellow and blue stands, donations for refugees or calls for peace: world sport, with football in the lead, could not ignore this weekend the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
no warnot to war: ahead of their often tense derby, the two Manchester clubs showed their unity by taking to the pitch in the most compelling match of matchday 28 England Championship.
Manchester Citywhich has one of the three Ukrainians in its squad premier leaguethe defender Oleksandr Zinchenkoshowed white t-shirts with the Ukrainian flag and the motto no-warwhich also appeared in the black sheepskins worn by the Man Utd.
During the minute of applause in tribute to Ukraine and its population, a large banner with the same call for an end to hostilities was unfurled in one of the Etihad stands.
At all Premier League grounds, the players, gathered in the center circle, took part in a minute of applause in unison with the spectators.
Before the start of the match Watford-Arsenalan entire Vicarage Road grandstand displayed the colors of the Ukrainian flag, as spectators showed panels placed on the seats.
In Spain, Real Madrid on Saturday unfurled a Ukrainian flag with the message “Everyone with Ukraine” on the pitch and in the stands of the stadium. Stadium Santiago Bernabeu before their match against Real societyon matchday 27 of the League.
The starters and substitutes of both teams entered the field wearing a white shirt with the same message in black, and took a photo together behind the Ukrainian flag.
Support for Lunin in Madrid
“Tonight, we wish to show our full support for the Ukrainian people, a people suffering from the injustice of a war. That is why today, our player Andriy Lunin receives all the love from the Santiago Bernabéu”, declared the speaker of the Madrid stadium.
Lunin, substitute for Belgian Thibaut Courtois in goal for the Real Madridhad not participated in the visit to Rayo Vallecano the previous weekend.
In Germany, the red-and-white logo of the Bundesliga it was reformed with the blue and yellow colors of Ukraine, in the stadiums and on the screens of the live broadcast.
Symbolic actions were again carried out in the stadiums to denounce the war and show solidarity with the Ukrainian victims.
Several German clubs announced that they had made donations to NGOs committed to helping refugees. Bayern offered 100,000 euros ($109,272.50) to “SOS-Children’s Villages” in Ukraine, asking its fans to donate.
Borussia Monchengladbach He also indicated that he donated 94,269 euros (103,010.09 dollars)
In the French Ligue 1, in the Saint-Etienne-Metzthe local team did not have its name on its back, but the inscription peace for all (Peace for all).
The shirts were later to be dedicated to be auctioned on Monday for the benefit of French firefighters.
The Olympic Marseille chose to illuminate his Stade Velodrome with the blue and yellow colors of the Ukrainian flag.
The OM also announced that the light panels around the pitch would light up in the colors of the Ukrainian flag during the match and messages of support for the Ukrainian people would be broadcast on giant screens.
A Z that creates controversy
In MotoGP, which started its 2022 season this weekend in Qatar, the riders posed on Thursday for their traditional class photo behind a banner with the legend united for peace (United for peace). Words also shown during the televised broadcasts of the Grand Prix from Friday to Sunday.
Several pilots, like the Italian Franco Morbidellithey also showed on their helmet a sticker with the motto give peace a chance (Give peace a chance.)
In rare discordant notes, Chelsea fans on Saturday chanted the name of the club’s Russian owner, Roman Abramovichduring the minute of applause in honor of the Ukrainian people, while the Russian gymnast Ivan Kouliak traced a Z, symbol of the Russian armed forces in Ukraine, on a sports suit on the world Cup of Doha, where he took third place in the parallel bars contest, won by the Ukrainian Illia Kovtun. (D)
Source: Eluniverso
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