Taras Stepanenko has fielded more than 200 times for Shakhtar Donetsk, a Ukrainian football club, however, Tuesday match could be the first that might be interrupted by air raids.
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| Tanas Stepanenko waves the Ukraine flag. Photo: @tanasstepanenko |
The clash between Shakhtar and FC Metalist 1925 Kharkiv, in Kyiv, will kick off the 2022-23 Ukrainian Premier League (UPL) season, and 33-year old Stepanenko, who has recorded more than 70 caps for the Ukraine National team, says, that despite the threats, he is hopeful that football can present to people some relief from the constant news of destruction and death.
From Kyiv, Stepanenko told AlJazeera: “When I play football, I don’t think about the war. We should [play] for our country. It’s our obligation.”
The matches are to be played behind closed doors with the presence of tight security, mostly in Stadia in Kyiv and the west of the country, far away from the front lines.
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| Tanas Stepanenko flaunts the Ukraine flag as he marches into a football pitch. Photo: @tanasstepanenko |
However, officials have issued warning that Russia could heighten its attacks the week across the country, as Ukraine marks six-month anniversary of the war as well as the country’s independence day on Wednesday.
Stepanenko further said: “I think sport can help Ukraine tell our story to the world, and in Ukraine we can make people feel good. For us now it’s very important.”
