Footballers all over Europe have been showing solidarity with the citizens of Ukraine amid Russia’s invasion of the country and have been vocal about the establishment of peace in that region.
This weekend, a lot of clubs in the English Premier League have shown their overt support to the cause, by various gestures.
The match between Leeds and Tottenham this Saturday was full of the blue and yellow of the Ukrainian national flag along with shirts with the country's name on it.
In the match between Manchester United and Watford, the players held a placard calling for peace between the countries. It was the idea of Manchester United's boss Ralf Rangnick and the placard contained a peace sign with the word peace translated into several languages.
Everton vs Manchester City was the match which by far has seen the highest solidarity shown to the cause of Ukraine.
Everton v Manchester City - Goodison Park, Liverpool, Britain - February 26, 2022 Manchester City players wear t-shirts in support of Ukraine before the match - REUTERS/Peter Powell
Manchester City's Ukrainian fullback Oleksandr Zinchenko was given a heartwarming welcome by the fans of both the clubs, with the emotional Zinchenko thanking them for their support later on.
The German football association condemned the attack on Ukraine and stated that war of any form is not compatible with the idea of sports.
Bayern's talismanic striker Robert Lewandowski wore an armband supporting Ukraine in the match vs Eintracht Frankfurt. Lewandowski's native Poland has also been playing a role in this issue as the country is currently giving residence to all the Ukrainian migrants coming across the border.
Poland and Bayern Munich star Robert Lewandowski wears an armband in support of Ukraine during a German first-division match in Frankfurt, Germany, on Saturday - REUTERS
Most of the Ukrainian footballers, both current and former including the likes of Andrey Shevchenko, Anatoliy Tymoshchuk have expressed their support for the people fighting against the Russian occupation of the country.
Poland and Sweden have both refused to play against Russia in the World Cup qualifying playoff that is going to take place next month due to the invasion of Ukraine.
FIFA and UEFA have suspended the Russian National Teams and clubs from all competitions.
The final of the UEFA Champions League which was supposed to be hosted by the Russian city of Saint Petersburg has been shifted from the city to the Stade de France of Paris.
As of now, the football world has responded strongly in response to the invasion and it would be for the fans to see whether the actions taken by FIFA and UEFA stand till the end.
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