War in Ukraine. The Ukrainian football team unveils its new very political jersey

If it still hasn’t played a match in 2022, due to the conflict that is devastating its country, the Ukrainian football team has unveiled its new jersey. And this one has a very political slant, with several references to war.

A shirt worn in friendly matches

On the three tunics revealed – one yellow and one blue for the outfield players, one red for the goalkeeper – we can notice a map of Ukraine present on the front. This includes Crimea, annexed by Russia in 2014. The borders are made with the flags of the countries that support the country in the conflict (It is our honor and gratitude to foreign partners for their help​, explains the press release), while in the center of the card is a message United for Ukraine​.

Another important point: the presence of the U24 badge on the chest. This refers to the global crowdfunding platform United24, launched by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, to raise money in support of the country. Finally, on the back, the players’ numbers include the names of Ukrainian cities, such as kyiv or Boutcha, where the Russian army is suspected of having massacred civilians.

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These jerseys will be worn by the Blues and Yellows from this Wednesday, May 11 (8:45 p.m.), during their friendly match against the German club Borussia Mönchengladbach, played at Borussia Park. They will only be used for these preparatory matches for the 2022 World Cup qualifiers (Ukraine will face Scotland in the play-off semi-final on 1^er June). These tunics will then be donated to museums or sold at auction, via the United24 platform.