SHAMROCK ROVERS’ match against Shakhtar Donetsk at Tallaght Stadium tonight will serve as a reminder of issues beyond football.
The links between Ireland and Ukraine have been well-documented in recent years.
According to figures produced by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) last February, over 112,000 Ukrainians sought refugee status in Ireland since the Russian invasion three years ago, although a sizeable percentage are believed to have left the state since the initial influx.
Some of those new arrivals are expected to be in attendance tonight, with close to 9,000 tickets sold as of Wednesday evening.
Speaking at a press conference in Tallaght Stadium on Wednesday, Ukraine international Dmytro Kryskiv expressed gratitude to Ireland for accepting friends of his after the war broke out, and he added that he hoped they could return to their native land someday.
“It’s really very important game for fans from Donbass and Ukraine, and we really need to win this game,” he said of tonight’s Uefa Conference League tie.
“All games in Europe are important for us because we want to win on the pitch, for our fans.
“I have friends in Ireland who live in my city in Kharkiv who, after the war started, came to Ireland.
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“It’s good because Ireland gives them good possibilities and a moment for life. I hope this [war] finishes, and some people who live in Ireland right now can come back to Ukraine.”
Shakhtar Donetsk manager Arda Turan. Dan Clohessy / INPHO
Dan Clohessy / INPHO / INPHO
The club’s manager is Arda Turan, an ex-Turkey international, whose former clubs include Atletico Madrid and Barcelona.
The 38-year-old, who took charge of Shakhtar Donetsk in May, having previously spent two years coaching Eyüpspor in his native country, praised the resilience of his players and the Ukrainian people in general.
“We are in war. Ukrainian people need to be happy,” he told reporters in Tallaght.
“Another side I like about Ukraine, the people. War continues, but they don’t stop. This is great for me. This is the best one.”
However, Turan was reluctant to go into too much detail about events unfolding in his adoptive country.
“I don’t want to talk about the negative side. But first of all, I want to say to my players, thank you. Because why? They come here, 16 hours. 16 hours. And everything… our organisation is perfect. We have a perfect bus, perfect plane, we have great organisation. But after 16 hours, we are here. For the football team, it is very difficult, this one.
“Today we did morning, mobilisation, and now we do some training, but special training. Not our training. Because if you (travel) for 16 hours, it is very difficult for us. We look always to the positive sides. Where did I learn this? These people, Ukrainian people.
“Drone is no problem for them. Look to life. Last night we did this one. I respect too much. Negative side, too much. If you ask me, I can say 100 negative sides, but we look to positive sides.
“Also, I want to say to all country leaders — Trump, maybe Putin, maybe Erdogan, maybe Zelensky, now for the kids, it is very difficult. What is the war now? This is not the time for the war. If you live one night in Kiev… You can’t talk about the football. But these people, I respect too much.
“I love Ukrainian people, I love my players. If they win, if they lose, no problem for me. I am here for them. Also, I feel like Ukrainian people, they are my family. This is what I want to talk about, because it is very emotional for me. Thank you for this question.”
Turan, who won 100 caps for Turkey, was also complimentary when asked about tonight’s opponents, Shamrock Rovers.
The Hoops will be going into the game hoping to build on the draw they earned away to AEK Athens in the last matchday — the first point they secured after defeats in their opening two games.
But they will be considerable underdogs against a side who sit 21 places above them in the Conference League table.
Ahead of a match that the hosts badly need something from to boost hopes of qualifying for the knockout stages, the opposition manager sang the praises of several Hoops players.
“They have great midfielders. [Dylan] Watts is a very aggressive player. Also, the number two [Josh Honohan], he is always left-back, but he can play sometimes at right-back. He is a very good player, he is very aggressive at one-against-one.
“Player number 20 [Rory Gaffney] is very experienced. Also, they have a great captain [Roberto Lopes]. And also the number 10, [Graham] Burkey, he has good qualities.
“We are ready. We respect them too much. They are [domestic] champions. If they are champions, we will be ready against them because we respect them too much. Their position is better than ours, because we are not champions. They are champions.”
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'I hope this finishes and people who live in Ireland can come back to Ukraine'
SHAMROCK ROVERS’ match against Shakhtar Donetsk at Tallaght Stadium tonight will serve as a reminder of issues beyond football.
The links between Ireland and Ukraine have been well-documented in recent years.
According to figures produced by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) last February, over 112,000 Ukrainians sought refugee status in Ireland since the Russian invasion three years ago, although a sizeable percentage are believed to have left the state since the initial influx.
Some of those new arrivals are expected to be in attendance tonight, with close to 9,000 tickets sold as of Wednesday evening.
Speaking at a press conference in Tallaght Stadium on Wednesday, Ukraine international Dmytro Kryskiv expressed gratitude to Ireland for accepting friends of his after the war broke out, and he added that he hoped they could return to their native land someday.
“It’s really very important game for fans from Donbass and Ukraine, and we really need to win this game,” he said of tonight’s Uefa Conference League tie.
“All games in Europe are important for us because we want to win on the pitch, for our fans.
“I have friends in Ireland who live in my city in Kharkiv who, after the war started, came to Ireland.
“It’s good because Ireland gives them good possibilities and a moment for life. I hope this [war] finishes, and some people who live in Ireland right now can come back to Ukraine.”
The club’s manager is Arda Turan, an ex-Turkey international, whose former clubs include Atletico Madrid and Barcelona.
The 38-year-old, who took charge of Shakhtar Donetsk in May, having previously spent two years coaching Eyüpspor in his native country, praised the resilience of his players and the Ukrainian people in general.
“We are in war. Ukrainian people need to be happy,” he told reporters in Tallaght.
“Another side I like about Ukraine, the people. War continues, but they don’t stop. This is great for me. This is the best one.”
However, Turan was reluctant to go into too much detail about events unfolding in his adoptive country.
“I don’t want to talk about the negative side. But first of all, I want to say to my players, thank you. Because why? They come here, 16 hours. 16 hours. And everything… our organisation is perfect. We have a perfect bus, perfect plane, we have great organisation. But after 16 hours, we are here. For the football team, it is very difficult, this one.
“Today we did morning, mobilisation, and now we do some training, but special training. Not our training. Because if you (travel) for 16 hours, it is very difficult for us. We look always to the positive sides. Where did I learn this? These people, Ukrainian people.
“Drone is no problem for them. Look to life. Last night we did this one. I respect too much. Negative side, too much. If you ask me, I can say 100 negative sides, but we look to positive sides.
“Also, I want to say to all country leaders — Trump, maybe Putin, maybe Erdogan, maybe Zelensky, now for the kids, it is very difficult. What is the war now? This is not the time for the war. If you live one night in Kiev… You can’t talk about the football. But these people, I respect too much.
“I love Ukrainian people, I love my players. If they win, if they lose, no problem for me. I am here for them. Also, I feel like Ukrainian people, they are my family. This is what I want to talk about, because it is very emotional for me. Thank you for this question.”
Turan, who won 100 caps for Turkey, was also complimentary when asked about tonight’s opponents, Shamrock Rovers.
The Hoops will be going into the game hoping to build on the draw they earned away to AEK Athens in the last matchday — the first point they secured after defeats in their opening two games.
But they will be considerable underdogs against a side who sit 21 places above them in the Conference League table.
Ahead of a match that the hosts badly need something from to boost hopes of qualifying for the knockout stages, the opposition manager sang the praises of several Hoops players.
“They have great midfielders. [Dylan] Watts is a very aggressive player. Also, the number two [Josh Honohan], he is always left-back, but he can play sometimes at right-back. He is a very good player, he is very aggressive at one-against-one.
“Player number 20 [Rory Gaffney] is very experienced. Also, they have a great captain [Roberto Lopes]. And also the number 10, [Graham] Burkey, he has good qualities.
“We are ready. We respect them too much. They are [domestic] champions. If they are champions, we will be ready against them because we respect them too much. Their position is better than ours, because we are not champions. They are champions.”
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