Zinchenko thinks football’s return to Ukraine was crucial

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Oleksandr Zinchenko

thinks returning to football Ukraine is crucial for “all Ukrainian people” after the invasion of Russia.

Shakhtar Donetsk and Metalist 1925 locked horns on Tuesday and it was the first official game played in Ukraine since the invasion of Russia six months ago.

After their 0-0 draw, three more games happened and two more were schedule for Wednesday.

However, it is not yet back to normal, with all games played behind closed doors.

On some occasions, there were sirens sound like the suspended game between Rukh Vynnyky and Metalist Kharkiv on Wednesday, which happened on Ukraine’s Independence Day.

Notwithstanding the risks, Zinchenko thinks it is a good thing that they allowed football to continue in the country and the country’s moral can be boosted.

"It's important for the country and all Ukrainian people because nobody was ready for this situation,"

he told Arsenal's official website. 

"People are still suffering and we need to fight every single day everywhere, but we need to keep going, live our lives and carry on.

"People deserve the lives they had before. I'd like to say a massive thanks to the Ukrainian Federation, and president [Volodymyr] Zelenskyy who said we needed to play our competition in Ukraine. 

"I know it's not going to have the best facilities, but we need to keep going and that's the most important thing for all Ukrainians. I can't wait and I'll watch all the games if it's possible.

"It's difficult for me to imagine how it's going to be. There could be a siren and the players need to stop at some point, but it's so important to show the rest of the world that the Ukrainian people don't give up, and in any situation, they carry on. It's all about our people."

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