Ukrainian footballers adjust to life in Germany

Cologne, March 24

On the day Russian troops surged into Ukraine a month ago, the players of women’s soccer club FC Kryvbas were heading to the airport on their way to a training camp and games in Turkey.

They had to abort the trip as Russian missile strikes hit their home city of Krivyi Rih.

The players are now living and training in Germany with support from Cologne, a football club with teams in the men’s and women’s Bundesliga competitions.

The players and staff of Kryvbas have managed to stay together, but focusing on training is far from easy.

“I am very glad we arrived here with all our team, that we managed to keep the team. But honestly speaking I cannot say that football is a priority for me now,” Kryvbas midfielder Liubov Mozga said. “Peace on our land is a priority for me now.”

Kryvbas had booked a training camp with two friendly games in the Turkish resort city of Belek starting February 24, and the players were looking forward to meeting up with teammates who had been away on duty with the Ukrainian national team.

The players were already on the bus when rocket strikes hit the city. They took refuge in a hotel and ended up staying there for two weeks. The players eventually made their way to Germany with the help of Artur Podkopayev, a former player for the Kryvbas men’s youth teams who was living in the country and asked Cologne for help. Now the players are staying in a hotel in Cologne which has been converted to house refugees, and they’re able to use their host club’s modern training facilities.

Kryvbas were third in the Ukrainian league when the war began and competitions were suspended. It’s not clear when they could resume. — AP/