There is discord in the Ukrainian football team over Crimea and the war in Donbass
One of the reasons for the defeat of the Ukrainian national team at Euro 2016 was the conflict situation within the team due to the division of players for political reasons, writes the Kiev newspaper “Zerkalo Nedeli”.
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“We can turn a blind eye to this as much as we like, but the fact remains that some players of the national team are put on thermal imagers for the army and are friends with the Azov fighters, while others periodically go home to Donetsk, to their parents and friends, and relax in Crimea.
When such a challenge comes to a family, as we know, many people stop talking about politics and withdraw into the personal, everyday and current. Experience suggests that there is no guarantee that one bad day someone will not lose their temper, say rude things and slam the door.
That's how it is in the family. And here we have 20 young athletes, full of testosterone, who, as a rule, are not inclined to analytics and political modeling,” the publication says.
“...the game does not deceive, and a pass to the nearest comrade somewhere off the field is accompanied by an inner voice: “May you choke!” – the newspaper describes the game of the Ukrainian team at the championship.
Discord over politics is not the only problem in Ukrainian football.
“The drying out of the oligarchs has already led to the disappearance of one club - Metalist de jure, and Dnepr is approaching this de facto. “Shakhtar” and “Dynamo” are cutting budgets, refusing major purchases, remaining, however, even in this state unattainable for other clubs - where they do not see salaries for six months,” the publication says.
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