Ukraine seeks refuge in football in tears: "We will give everything to win"

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Oleksandr Petrakov

, at 64 years old, was clear that his place should not be the bench of a football team, in this case the Ukraine team, but a position in the front.

Russian troops besieged the streets of kyiv, where his wife and children remain, and he saw the need to defend the country from him, rifle in hand.

The Ukrainian authorities, however, made Petrakov see that history had a more symbolic role reserved for him.

Ukraine is two games away from qualifying for the World Cup in Qatar.

To do so, they must beat Scotland in Glasgow on Wednesday (8:45 p.m.) and, if successful, Wales in Cardiff next Sunday.

A monumental challenge that transcends sport to become a cohesive element of a people gangrened by war.

“It is the most important game in our history.

It's not even about football anymore, it's about offering hope to the people of Ukraine.

It will be a sign that the war has not broken us," Ukrainian journalist

told the AFP agency .

Selection cannot be easy.

Its members neither want nor can ignore what is happening in their country, no matter how much they have tried to prepare for the duel against the Scots in an idyllic spot in Slovenia, Brdo, 20 kilometers north of Ljubljana.

They arrived there on April 30 after 20 hours by bus.

The only thing that Petrakov asked for was that the footballers did not use the mobile phone during the time they were training.

Although, even without the screen of the device as an intermediary of the trauma, the restlessness continued its course.

“My life will have had meaning”

"I'm at an age where I don't want anything: not a house, not a car.

But if I take the national team to Qatar, my life will have meaning," Petrakov told

newspaper on May 7.

With professional sports activity in Ukraine stopped, the national team has encountered serious problems in even organizing friendlies.

Ukraine, in fact, has not played an official match since last November 16, when it beat Bosnia in Zenica (0-2).

After the Russian invasion on February 24, the Ukrainian team has barely been able to play three games of solidarity and little sporting value (victories against Italian Empoli and German Borussia Mönchengladbach, and a draw against Croatian Rijeka).

The list of 21 players, in addition, is plagued by footballers belonging to currently inactive teams.

Oleksandr Petrakov, during a friendly against Empoli in May.GETTY

Oleksandr Zinchenko

, Manchester City midfielder, could not help but burst into tears in the appearance prior to the match against Scotland.

"I can promise the Ukrainian people that we will give everything to win this match", said the footballer with a broken voice and unable to suppress his emotion: "We want our people to feel proud, and give them a reason to smile again. Although only be for a few seconds. Everyone wants this war to end. I spoke with children who do not understand what is happening and who dream of peace. That is their dream. And we have another dream: to reach the World Cup".

"We all want to win"

The role of their rival this Wednesday in Hampden will not be easy either, a Scotland that seeks to qualify for the final phase of the World Cup, a border that it has not seen since the 1998 World Cup (Ukraine played its last World Cup in Germany 2006, where it reached the quarterfinals).

Thus, the Scots assume a tricky role in the face of the sentimental component of the date.

“The respect will be there.

I can't imagine what those Ukrainian players are going through.

Their families will be in a really difficult situation.

I have respect, sympathy for them, but we all want to win," Aston Villa midfielder

told

.

And he abounded: “We have the utmost respect for your situation.

But while the match lasts we will give everything to win the match.

It's what matters."

's team has

gone eight games without losing, to the Ukrainians' seven.

The Ukrainian Football Federation estimates that just over 2,000 fans will support this Wednesday in the stands of Hampden Park a team that seeks refuge in the ball.

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