Ukraine unveils new EURO jerseys and infuriates Russia! Will UEFA deal with it?

On Friday, the next edition of the European Championships will begin and will feature both Ukraine and Russia, two countries that have been at war with each other for several years. Now the Ukrainians have unveiled the new jerseys they will wear at the Euros, infuriating the Russians. Why?

A very bold and partly provocative gesture. As much as a good number of football fans already grumble about political gestures in football, Ukraine has come up with another one.

Shortly before the start of the European championship, the local football federation unveiled the jerseys it will wear at the tournament.

And what is political or provocative about the jerseys? The Ukrainians have a map of Ukraine on their shirts, but it also includes Crimea or Donetsk and Luhansk, areas occupied by pro-Russian separatists.

On the back of the jersey is the inscription “Glory to Ukraine!” This is part of a chant from 2014, when the so-called Ukrainian crisis erupted in Ukraine, when citizens drove pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych out of the country.

This, of course, does not leave Russia at all at ease. One Russian MP described Ukraine’s new jerseys as a political provocation and called for UEFA to look into it.

A spokesman for the Russian Foreign Ministry has criticised the nationalist slogan, the annexation of Crimea to Ukraine and the so-called Nazi protests and rallies by Ukrainians in previous years.

But the jerseys were supposed to be approved in accordance with current UEFA equipment regulations, according to the BBC.

“We believe that the silhouette of Ukraine will give the players strength because they will fight for the whole of Ukraine,” Andriy Pavelko, head of the Ukrainian fobal association, was quoted as saying.

Source: BBC, Twitter