Missile attack and World Cup Chasing soccer in a war-torn country December 16, 21:28
Argentina, led by Lionel Messi, the “greatest soccer player of all time,” and France, who are aiming to win the tournament for the second time in a row, competed in the finals of the FIFA World Cup.
There is a country that looks at the stage of that dream in the ravages of war.
Ukraine, 3,200 kilometers from Qatar.
The best result of the national team in the past is the World Cup best 8.
It is also a country with a particularly high level of enthusiasm for football, which produced the Ballon d'Or and Shevchenko.
President Zelensky was among the first to restart the domestic league, just six months after the invasion.
What do the players think and play now?
And what do people entrust to football?
(NHK Special "Kickoff of War-Ravaged Country" coverage team)
Ukraine national soccer team in war
I have one photo.
A picture of the Ukraine national football team taken in 2018.
The three players with big smiles are the core members of the national team who have fought for the country of Ukraine.
The lives of the three of them changed drastically due to the military invasion of Russia.
Taras Stepanenko (pictured right) is a midfielder who belongs to Shakhtar Donetsk, a powerhouse team in the East.
He is a “midfield crusher” who is known for his physical play that does not mind injury.
Now, the team has been occupied by Russia in Donetsk, which is their home base, so they continue to play while moving around the country and neighboring Poland.
We were able to speak with Stepanenko in Lviv, western Ukraine, where we visited to cover the match.
Stepanenko
: “For the people of Donetsk, who are forced to evacuate like us, Shakhtar is still their home team. My mission is to make their lives a little brighter.”
Another player in the photo, Oleksandr Karavaev (center) belongs to Dynamo Kyiv, which has the longest history in Ukraine.
He has played a variety of positions, from defender to forward, and is a player who has saved teams time and time again with his dedication.
After the Russian invasion, he faced a shocking situation when his native province of Kherson was unilaterally "annexed."
Karavaev, who continued to play soccer without knowing whether his parents were safe in his hometown.
When we interviewed him, he was down and unable to play as he normally would.
Karavaev told us:
Karavaev:
"Right now I'm not in a position to play football normally. I have a lot of anxiety in me all the time. I have to deal with that anxiety. The team has a psychology counselor who helps me cope with anxiety.
I am playing soccer with the help of
A representative player called a traitor
Some of the players in the photos have been labeled "traitors" by the Ukrainian public.
Player Ivan Oldez.
Three years ago, while playing for a team in Moscow, suddenly a military invasion by Russia began.
At that time, Oldets' failure to condemn the invasion and instead to remain in Russia ignited the anger of the Ukrainian public.
In addition, the appearance of participating in the party spread on SNS, and the flames accelerated.
"Fuck you!" "Enemy collaborators!" "I chose gold over Ukraine."
Is Oldetsu really a traitor?
We were concerned about his one-time post on social media, saying, "Ukraine doesn't need war."
When I looked it up, Oldetz is now transferred to a German team.
He went straight to the interview, but he never opened his mouth in front of the camera.
A former coach who was with Oldets at the Moscow team said that although Oldets moved to Germany, he may still be under contract with the Moscow team.
In the unlikely event that he returned, he feared that he would be in danger if he found out that he had blamed Russia.
Former coach of FC Dynamo Moscow
: “Oldets has not participated in any activity of the Moscow club since the military invasion began. He has not even appeared at the training ground. There is. Please believe me."
Air raid sirens ringing in the stadium
Behind the glamorous World Cup, Ukrainian players continue to play soccer with various thoughts in their hearts.
However, fighting in the eastern and southern parts of Ukraine showed no signs of stopping, and missile attacks by Russian forces continued relentlessly throughout Ukraine, destroying infrastructure one after another.
The domestic league was held mainly in areas with relatively little damage, and the schedule changed like a cat's eye.
In October, the match between Shakhtar Donetsk and Oleksandriya will be held in Lviv, western Ukraine, and we, the news crew, were also allowed to film at the stadium.
There was an atmosphere different from the soccer scene that we usually cover.
Guards with rifles patrol the backyard for dangerous items.
Due to the threat of Russian attacks, the stands were closed to spectators.
Only the voices of the players and coaches echoed in the arena.
The number of media was also limited, and football was played in a unique silence.
As I sat in the spacious press seats and watched the game, something unexpected happened just before the end of the first half.
An air raid warning was issued for all of Ukraine.
The game was immediately suspended and all players, staff and officials on the field were moved to shelters.
Waiting for the air raid warning to be lifted in a shelter of about 20 tatami mats.
You are not allowed to go outside during that time.
It is said that there were games that were made to wait in the shelter for more than 3 hours, but the interruption on this day was 1.5 hours.
After a short warm-up for the players, the game resumed as if nothing had happened.
We were more than a little surprised that the local reporters and staff seemed used to it and continued their work in a matter-of-fact manner.
According to our research, soccer stadiums have been attacked at least four times in the six months since the military invasion, mainly in the eastern and southern parts of the country.
The damage was so great that some teams were unable to participate in the league because of it.
Soccer continues in a situation where the stadium could be attacked at any moment.
The domestic league resumed on August 23, half a year after the military invasion.
It was a highly unusual move, permitted under government backing and military security controls.
What was the reason for taking the risk and restarting?
One of them is said to be that football is deeply connected with the history of Ukraine.
Football has been overwhelmingly popular since it was one of the Soviet Union's republics.
Dynamo Kyiv, a club in the capital, boasted the most victories of any team in the former Soviet Union.
For people who were forced to live in financial difficulties, its existence was a source of pride and emotional support.
The football federation has decided to restart the league with the support of President Zelensky.
President Andriy Pawelko emphasized that restarting the league would boost the morale of the war-torn nation.
President Andriy Pawelko:
"Playing football even in wartime is a way to show the world that our country will always win."
Enthusiastic fans going to the battlefield "Ultras"
We also learned of an unexpected connection between football and the “war” in Ukraine.
I interviewed at a sports pub in Kyiv.
This place is known for gathering enthusiastic fans of "Dynamo Kiew".
However, even when I visited before the game started at 17:00, there was no crowd as I expected.
In wartime, people probably don't have time to gather in pubs.
When I gave up on interviewing supporters and called out to the store manager, I was taught something I didn't expect.
"All the Ultras go to the front lines and participate in the battle."
'Ultras' is a term used in Ukraine to refer to enthusiastic supporters.
They take up positions behind the goal and cheer enthusiastically, sometimes causing conflicts with the opposing team's Ultras.
Many of them are fighting on the front lines.
According to the store manager, it's normal for Ultras to go to the front in Ukraine, and it's not something that just started.
The pub was also responsible for procuring bulletproof vests, food, clothing, and other items to support the Ultras on the front lines.
On this day as well, an Ultras headed for Kherson in the south showed up to receive supplies.
“We have a strong connection with the Ultras on the front line, who want to protect the country. We have developed a strong sense of patriotism through football, as well as a passion for football.”
We spoke with Stands of Heroes, a foundation that supports local Ultras.
The reason Ultras went to the front line was the "Maidan Revolution" that occurred eight years ago.
It was a revolution in which citizens staged large-scale protests and the pro-Russian government collapsed.
The government at the time carried out a severe crackdown on the protesting citizens.
It is said that the Ultras from all over the world fought on the front lines while many casualties occurred.
“The Ultras were the most ready to fight, both mentally and physically. The clubs were at odds with each other, but they wanted to use this revolution as an opportunity to unite for the independence of Ukraine. I became
After that, the existence of Ultras became a big thing.
About 2,000 to 3,000 people are still fighting on the front lines, according to the Foundation.
Many people lost their lives.
As far as the Foundation knows, 123 Ultras have died so far.
We also spoke to the bereaved families that the foundation supports.
Olena Partala had fled to the west with her two children and a mother from Kharkiv in the east.
Her husband, Stanislav, was an ultras at the local club Metalist Kharkiv.
After joining the Maidan Revolution, Stanislav joined the Azov Battalion, which fought against the Russians in Mariupol, along with his Ultras.
She lost her life on March 2, when the fighting escalated during the military invasion.
Ms. Paltala:
"When I heard that my husband had died in the war, I cried out, 'That's not true.' That's not true, I couldn't believe it."
The last time Paltala spoke to her husband was the day before he died.
It took her more than a month to accept the reality of her husband's death.
Paltala said that when she was at peace, she often went to watch matches with her husband.
She asked how she felt about football now.
Paltala:
"It's a very difficult question, but if it weren't for football, I don't know if my husband would have been on the front line. Without his peers... without the strong ties there... But football has been the most important part of his life." It was one of the important things, and I accepted it."
Football The struggle to regain normality continues
It was October 10th, about a month after I started interviewing.
Attacks centered on missiles hit all over Ukraine, causing great damage.
Ukraine was once again in turmoil.
Power outages occur in various places due to attacks targeting power facilities.
It became difficult for citizens to lead a daily life.
During our coverage, air raid warnings were frequently issued, and we continued our coverage while evacuating to shelters.
However, even under these circumstances, the domestic league was held without stopping.
During this period, the mayor of Kyiv, whom I interviewed, warned me that "now is not the time to think about football."
Soccer continues without water or electricity.
A taxi driver who rode with us told us:
“Watching football makes me feel that there is a normal life in Ukraine, because football is connected to the memories of our life before the war, our peaceful time. I was a football fan back then.I need football to recover my 'daily life' from the tragic reality.I can't live without it."
thoughts hidden in my heart
Three former Ukrainian national team players faced a grim fate.
Branded as a 'traitor', Ivan Oldets played the final league match of the year in Germany without being able to return to Ukraine.
We wanted to know what was going on inside his mind, so we took the chance to interview him again.
On this day, Ordetsu played in the starting lineup and the team won.
After the match, we waited for Oldetsu in a public coverage space called the Mix Zone.
And I asked him a question as he pulled me up with a smile.
"Are you worried about the war in Ukraine?"
Oldets replied with a straight face.
"I can't answer that question." Is
his mind still closed?
We sighed as we saw Ordez off the mixed zone with his back to the camera.
It was then.
Ordetsu, who once disappeared, has returned.
Then he said these words and disappeared again.
"I'm very worried, but I can't talk about it."
When will the day come when Ordetsu will be able to reveal his true feelings?
What is the power of football
For both the players and the fans who love football, football is a power to survive in the present, and I feel that it is a unique existence that can connect with the "daily life" before the war.
On the other hand, soccer has a high affinity with nationalism and has the aspect of raising national consciousness.
The enthusiastic scenery reflected by the soccer festival called the World Cup and the completely different scenery of the war-torn country seen from the same soccer.
We are almost overwhelmed by the excessive gap.
And I feel once again how precious it is to be able to enjoy soccer purely every day.
Akira Saito,
Director of Social Program Department
Joined in 2013
Oita Bureau → Sports Information Program Department → Current affiliation During
the Beijing Paralympic coverage, the military invasion of Russia began, and since then he has continued to report on Ukraine from the perspective of sports.
Director of Saturday Watch 9
Yu Hasegawa Joined the
station in 2009.
Loves the station and produces mainly soccer programs.
Inspired by the performance of the Japanese national team, I started muscle training.
studying Ukrainian
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