The veterans team of Ukraine and its 40 unforgettable matches in 2019

08.12.2019 14:01

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The national team of Ukraine among veterans finished its performances in 2019. Formed from the legends of national football, the team successfully performed in Ukraine and abroad, having played 40 games and gathered hundreds of thousands of spectators in the stands.

The main goal of the tour has remained unchanged for the fourth year in a row - it is to support the Ukrainian military and to establish peace and unity in the country as soon as possible. The Ukrainian Football Association, the Football Veterans Association of Ukraine and Agrobusiness LLC are reliable partners of famous players, organizing and conducting such an important tour for the promotion of football at the highest level. Let's remember the most interesting matches of the veterans' team in 2019.

January

The calendar year has traditionally begun in Georgia. It took place on January 13 in Tbilisi one of the most prestigious tournaments in the world among veterans. It is traditionally dedicated to the memory of UEFA official, manager of national federations David Petriashvili, who tragically died in 2015. Six national teams took part in the tournament - Georgia, Ukraine, Spain, Turkey, FIFA and UEFA. The number of stars in the Olympic Palace in the capital of Georgia exceeded all records.

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Квітень

The second drug started Open Championship of Ukraine ATO Heroes. A gala match between the team of anti-terrorist operation heroes and the national team of Ukraine among veterans took place in Lutezh as part of the opening of competitions in the Kyiv and Pivnich groups.

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Pyriatyn is one of the most football cities in Poltava region, as evidenced by the stands filled with spectators of the picturesque stadium "Jubilee". True, local veterans lost to football legends - 1: 5, but it did not upset anyone. Especially since this game was held on the eve of Easter.

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May

In Madrid, Anatoly Demyanenko's team held in one breath Solidarity tournament FEAFV-2019, winning the main trophy. Especially interesting was the final match, in which the Ukrainians defeated the famous "Atletico" - 3: 1.

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On May 19, part of the Spanish capital, Madrid, was painted blue and yellow. Several thousand of our compatriots, who temporarily or permanently live in Spain, gathered at the Polideportivo La Elipa stadium to witness match between the national team of Ukraine and the Ukrainian community of Madrid.

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On the fifth anniversary of one of the most terrible tragedies in the modern history of Ukraine, when the military of the 51st separate mechanized brigade gave their lives in unequal battle with the occupiers in Donetsk region, a traditional football tournament was held in Volnovakha. The national team of Ukraine won the main prize, in the final defeating "Aboriginal" - 5: 4.

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Червень

A hot season for football veterans has begun with the start of summer. Supporting the national team on the way to the Euro-2020 final, legends have taken place two games in Lviv region - in Pidmonastyry and in Rudky.

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Subsequently, the holiday of football came to neighboring Ivano-Frankivsk. Picturesque Bolekhiv and the Valley competed in absentiawho is the best wizard to play against the idols of youth.

On Constitution Day, the Berdychiv City Stadium barely accommodated everyone who wanted to watch the match between the best players of the city and the national team of Ukraine. And these are not good words - the epicenter of life that day was the stadium, where passions raged from the first to the last minute of the match.

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The meeting of Vorskla veterans and the national team of Ukraine took place in Karlovka, on the 285th anniversary of the city's founding. A good gift for the townspeople! And in Vyshgorod playing with the national team was dedicated to the opening of a new field, which will be able to hone the skills of hundreds of students of the local football school.

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July

This month was the hottest in the busy program of performances of the national team of veterans. Eight matches at once, and four of them - in Khmelnytsky region. This is where the happiest football fans live!

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And the month began in the picturesque Korsun-Shevchenkivsky, at the recently opened Kolos Arena. Together with the match, the Ukrainian Football Association held "Open Football Lessons" for hundreds of young football players.

125th Anniversary of Ukrainian Football! It was such a loud poster match at the Lviv Arena, where veterans of the national team of Ukraine and "Carpathians" delighted fans with a bright game. It is symbolic that the footballers, who once defended the honor of the main team of our country, and the players of "Karpaty", whose predecessors established a unique achievement 50 years ago, came together in a face-to-face duel - became the first and only team in the first league to win the USSR Cup.

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As for the aforementioned Khmelnytskyi, first team played in Krasyliv and Chemerivtsi, and later continued the tour in Netishyn and Dunaivtsi. It is symbolic that at these games the fans had the opportunity to see with their own eyes the trophy of the U-20 world champion won by the youth national team of Ukraine. Just as festive was also in Korosten, where almost the whole city gathered for the opening of the renovated Spartak Stadium!

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July meeting with the special forces team in Vinnitsa has become a good tradition. This time at the Central Stadium against the national team of veterans the team played, formed by Ukrainian military and NATO instructors.

August

In the Chernivtsi region, in the village of Putyla, they do not forget their compatriot, the famous midfielder of Kyiv "Dynamo" and the national team of Ukraine Andriy Husin, holding an annual tournament in his memory. The national team of veterans of Ukraine honored the second by playing match with the national team of Bukovina veterans.

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This year's holidays in honor of the National Flag Day and Independence Day will be remembered by the veterans' team with incredible emotions and impressions! The famous football players went to the East of Ukraine, to the Luhansk region, where they spent matches in Rubezhnoye and the village of Lugansk.

September

A visit to the Maple Leaf Country has become another in the blue and yellow world tour. The team did a game with the national team of the Toronto community. In addition to the football match, the veterans' team had a rich program of events, the main of which was the Ukrainian festival in Toronto. The metropolis was drenched in blue and yellow, the visit of the national team of veterans of Ukraine was mentioned in his address by the Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and the Foreign Minister of Canada Christia Freeland noted the unique role of famous footballers in strengthening relations between the two friendly countries.

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Lviv region is one of the most football regions of Ukraine, the team of veterans is a frequent guest here. In Vynnyky, she took part in the opening of a new football field, defeating local veterans - 4: 2.

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Cozy Sukhovolya has never seen so many famous football players at the same time. In the Horodok district every year the championship among veterans is held, the best players from the teams of which have earned the right to play against football legends. They lost - 0: 1, but looked decent, earning praise from the football stars.

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October

Shargorod has a rich football history: once the local team played in the second league of the Ukrainian championship, repeatedly won the regional championship. Nowadays, old-timers remember those times with sadness, nostalgic for the full stands of Kolos Stadium. The national team of veterans is happy came to Vinnytsia region, where she won - 4: 1.

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It took place at the Temp Stadium in Kyiv charity match for the Ukrainian Football Legends Cup between the national team of Ukraine among veterans and the national team of journalists of Ukraine. Immigrant children from the East of Ukraine, military and anti-terrorist operation veterans came to support the teams.

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Листопад

The Day of the Assault and Storm Troops in Zhitomir was celebrated in football! The Ukrainian national team of veterans came to visit the legendary paratroopers from the 95th detachment. Friendly match at Spartak Arena ended with a productive victory of football legends - 9: 4.

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This is how rich it was for 2019 football legends. And in addition to going out into the field, there were friendly meetings, workshops, ordinary human communication.

Oleh Sobutskyi, UAF Vice President, AVFU President, Founder of the Veterans' Team, summed up the season: “It was an interesting year, during which we tried to present and promote Ukrainian football, perform the main task, which was emphasized from the first day of the team's existence to promote the establishment of peace and unity in the country as soon as possible.

Visits to the East of Ukraine, where we are glad to be seen everywhere, are always expected for the team. We were in Stanytsia Luhanska, Rubizhne, Volnovakha, and also played many matches with the military in their bases, in the peaceful territory of Ukraine. I want to thank each of our footballers, they are all true patriots and professionals. As well as coaches - Anatoliy Demyanenko and Volodymyr Lozynsky, who united outstanding players of the past years into a wonderful team. It has a unique atmosphere of friendship, mutual assistance, respect, as everyone who invites us to friendly matches says. We had important trips to our friendly Georgia, Spain, Canada, where there is a large diaspora, whose ties with our homeland are not lost even after years and distance. We set no less ambitious goals for next year as well.

We already have an invitation to the traditional Cup of Legends tournament in January, but this time it will take place not in Tbilisi, but in Batumi. Then there will be other matches, right now, in the off-season, we are forming a calendar for the year. "