War in Ukraine: ‘Life is not normal’, says Brazilian – 06/03/2023 – Sport

When Russia began its invasion of Ukraine a year ago, Talles Brenner went to the country’s border to try to leave it. At first, the guidance was for them to stay at home and wait for instructions, but the situation became increasingly unsustainable.

The Brazilian spent five days on the border between Ukraine and Poland, in a period that was etched in his memory.

“It’s a very bad feeling, because we went to the Polish border on the first day and we couldn’t leave the country, there were a lot of people wanting to leave. We stayed five days at the border trying and nothing. Without eating, and it was very cold”, remembers the Brazilian.

The war is a result of growing tensions between Russians and Ukrainians. On February 22 of last year, after failed diplomatic negotiations, Russia began an invasion of the neighboring country, a decision condemned by the international community.

When the conflict started, there were 30 Brazilian players playing in Ukraine’s first division.

For several years, starting in the 1990s, the country was a kind of oasis for Brazilian athletes. Teams like Shakhtar Donetsk and Dynamo Kyiv were seen as gateways to Europe’s top leagues, in addition to paying high wages. Even in peripheral clubs it was possible to earn good money without the instability of South American football.

Talles settled in Hungary for the time with his wife and then traveled to Brazil. Today, however, he is still trying to get life back to normal. Talles is playing in Ukraine again, still with Rukh Lviv, who are currently ranked 12th in the domestic league.

During matches, the routine is quite different from what it was before the war. The attacks on the country continue.

“I decided to come back to Ukraine to play. Not everything was like before [da invasão]. The championship is a little different from normality, because sometimes the siren goes off during games and they are interrupted. There is no public at the matches. I had a good half season, where I was considered the best foreigner in the country, and I’ve been firm about everything. And we hope everything goes back to normal as soon as possible,” he said.

According to him, the concern coming from Brazil was very great since the news of the war became international.

“I remember that, when there was the first attack in Kiev, in the country’s capital, it was at dawn. I woke up very early these days, with many people from Brazil sending messages. I was at home with my wife and the club arranged a van for us to leave the country,” he began.

“I am in a country where there is war, and life is not normal here. I hope that all this can end as soon as possible because people just want to live and are tired of all this”, he added.