This has never been the case in Europe: for political reasons, Ukraine renounced its home right in the World Cup qualifying match against Kosovo. The party was transferred to Poland – and took place in front of a ghost scene.
Andrey Shevchenko, the chef of the Ukrainian national team, had just entered the lawn of the Jozef Pilsudski stadium in Krakow, Poland, when the reporter from Kosovo blocked his cell phone and blocked the way: “One photo, Mister Shevchenko ? ” The former Weltkassefußballer nodded mutely, put on his famous melancholy smile and looked, half annoyed, half tormented, into the smartphone camera.
It was a scene that described the historical event on Sunday evening from a Ukrainian perspective: Ukraine played in the World Cup qualifier against Kosovo – similar to their coach, Schevchenko’s players also had difficulties with the South-Eastern Europeans in the 3-0 win. And even for the association, the home game was in a foreign country, almost three kilometers away from the Ukrainian border, a rather unpleasant thing.
How did it happen? Ukraine has not yet recognized Kosovo as a state. Like more than 80 other member states of the United Nations, which refuse to recognize the status of an independent country. Because of this political situation, no representatives of the Balkan Republic are being held on Ukrainian soil, not even the delegation of the Kosovar Football Federation FFK.
