Marseille, a land of welcome and solidarity.
The amateur football club, ASC Vivaux Sauvagère, has been welcoming refugee children from Ukraine since this week.
They were 14, Wednesday, to take part in two football training sessions, for the first time since they left their country at war.
“The language of football is universal”
An initiative of Omar Keddadouche, big-hearted president of this club, and Maryna Lukasheva, president of the Solidarité Ukraine association, during a special program on Ukraine broadcast on
France Bleu Provence
.
“The Ukrainian children are happy, ours are happy to welcome them.
The language of football is universal, I don't speak Ukrainian or English but on the other hand we manage to understand each other.
It's good to see our little ones playing with little Ukrainians.
That's also football and Marseille, ”savors Omar Keddadouche, whose club has made the outfits available.
Once put on, it is difficult to differentiate the little Marseilles from the little Ukrainians, as the smiles are shared on the faces.
A real breath in a daily life far from his own.
“They are still very isolated in terms of language, communication and networks.
They often stay to follow the news from Ukraine, and do not leave this daily life of the war.
So these activities allow them to go out and are a real breath of fresh air for them,” says Maryna Lukasheva.
An afternoon that ended with a snack, with the distribution of gifts offered by Olympique de Marseille.
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