Ukrainian team that stopped in the war will play in Paraná – 04/24/2023 – Sport
[ad_1]
AA Batel announced that it will play under the name of FC Mariupol –a Ukrainian club based in the city of Mariupol, near the Sea of Azov–, which ended its activities indefinitely amid the invasion of the country by Russia.
The Brazilian team, which in 2022 played in the third division of the Campeonato Paranaense, is headquartered in the city of Guarapuava, in the Prudentópolis region, with a strong influence of Ukrainian migrants. According to the president of Batel, Alex Lopes, the Mariupol uniform and coat of arms will be adopted.
“The club [Mariupol] represents the identity of our community, and our community is formed in more than 70% by Ukrainians and descendants of Ukrainians”, stated Lopes.
“Ukraine has always been incredibly supportive of Brazil’s footballing talent and has become a gateway for Brazilians into the European market. This is the least we could do to help keep the club alive and give hope to Ukrainians around the world,” he added. .
The adoption of the symbols was authorized by Mariupol, which had its stadium and other facilities destroyed by bombing. The team, which even played in the preliminary rounds of the Europa League, closed what was left of its doors a year ago, in April 2022.
“We are very grateful for this warm reception from Batel. The war was devastating for our city, but to have a football team on the other side of the world offering to keep our name alive during this dark period in our history… It is impossible to express how much it means to us,” said the vice-president of the Ukrainian association, Andrei Sanin.
With information from Reuters
[ad_2]
Source link
