Of course, the Scottish players and spectators also dreamed of finally taking part in a football World Cup again. But now, with that dream shattered by a 3-1 playoff draw against Ukraine, they’re going home and living their lives. This is not possible for the Ukrainian players because of the war instigated by Russia. And so for them this game was much more than just a football game.
“I have no emotions, I left all emotions on the pitch. This win is not for me, not for our players, but for our country, so it was a big win for Ukraine,” said Ukraine coach Oleksandr Petrakov the party. A victory “for the armed forces in the trenches and hospitals who give their last drops of blood, for those in Ukraine who suffer every day”.
Ukraine: Send positive feelings
And Oleksandr Zinchenko, the star of the team who plays for English champions Manchester City, expressed himself even more emotionally on the Uefa website: “Thank God that this game happened. We tried to show our best game to create great emotions and positive Sending feelings to all the Ukrainian fans who were watching.” And so the players in the yellow jerseys celebrated every goal with the numerous fans in the stands at Glasgow’s Hampden Park – hoping that the pictures of joy and pride could also reach as many people as possible in their war-torn homeland.
That a World Cup participation would mean a lot to the country was more than just a hunch on the night in Glasgow. There is only one win left. Next Sunday’s opponent at the Cardiff City Stadium is Wales.