six months later Russian invasion of UkraineThe Premier League has resumed this Tuesday, with a match to be played at the Kyiv Olympic Stadium. Shakhtar Donetsk and Metalist Kharkiv.
On February 24, the Football Federation of Ukraine decided to permanently suspend the 2021-2022 season due to the war. The country did not enjoy an official match of the local championship from the beginning of Decemberbecause it was at the end of winter vacation at the time of the suspension.
Now most of the matches will be played in the capital and public presence will not be allowed until further notice for security reasons. Those who do not participate in this championship will be Desna Chernihiv and Mariupol, whose infrastructures were destroyed during the war.
emergency sirens
Also enabled in all matches emergency siren if enabled, will force the game to stop immediately and evacuate the heroes of the game to the prepared bunkers around the stadiums.
The game that restarted the competition, goalless draw between Shakhtar Dontesk, leading the previous championship with a two-point advantage over Dinamo kyiv and Metalist Kharkov, a debut match preceded by a minute of silence to commemorate the victims of the war, and featuring the honorary commencement of a veteran injured in the conflict. This August 23, National Flag Day is celebrated in the country.
The head of the Football Federation of Ukraine Andrij Pavelko emphasized the importance of the head of the country, Volodymyr Zelensky, for a return to competition. “I talked to Zelensky about the importance of distracting people from football,” he said.
Also, Pavelko described the rest of the season as a “historic championship” that should be played not abroad, but in Ukraine. “Playing abroad would be a mistake and somewhat artificial,” he warned.