conflict in ukraine
The Ukrainian football legend traveled to Poland to see first-hand the state of his young compatriots
The former soccer player Andriy Shevchenko, named best player in the world in 2004, has been one of the most involved athletes against the Russian invasion that has devastated his country since last March. The former forward of clubs such as AC Milan or Chelsea has once again demonstrated this by going to Poland, where he has been able to experience first-hand the state of the thousands of Ukrainian children who have had to flee their homes and who now they live in the neighboring country as war refugees.
“Nearly three million children in Ukraine have been forced to flee their homes in the last five months as a result of the conflict. The physical impact of the war is evident, but we cannot forget the psychological impact on these young people. It is not enough to take a child out of war. We have to get the war out of children, ”said the former coach of the Ukrainian team.
Shevchenko, 45, visited in warsaw, Polish capital, to many of the children he referred to in his emotional speech, who have had to abandon their childhood to deal with the harsh reality that surrounds them. To do this, the legendary footballer, with the experience that precedes him, proposed sport as one of the ways to protect his mental health: «Sport has incredible power to break down barriers and create hope in times of despair».
