Ukraine will have to change the jersey they planned to wear during Euro football which begins on Friday. At the request of Russia, which officially lodged a complaint on Tuesday, UEFA decided to force Ukraine to change its jersey deemed “political”.
Ukrainian jerseys feature the map of Ukraine, including Crimea, a region Moscow annexed in 2014, as well as eastern territories, controlled by pro-Russian separatists. This map corresponds to the recognized borders of the country. There are also slogans “Glory to Ukraine! Glory to the Heroes!”, formulas taken from a patriotic song and became a rallying cry during the popular uprising in Maidan in 2014, which ousted a president supported by the Kremlin, Viktor Yanukovych.
“After further analysis”, this slogan is “clearly political in nature” and “must therefore be withdrawn (…) in view of UEFA’s competitive matches”, said football’s governing body in Europe.
