Legendary Ukraine and AC Milan footballer Andriy Shevchenko shares video message of peace before derby at San Siro, calling for unity and a stop to war following the Russian invasion
- Andriy Shevchenko is an AC Milan legend and appeared on the big screen
- Ukrainian icon addressed fans and called for an end to the war in his country
- Players stood together in solidarity and posed next to a ‘peace’ sign before game
Ukraine and AC Milan football legend Andriy Shevchenko shared a video message calling for peace at the San Siro on Tuesday evening.
The 45-year-old was keenly observed by both sets of supporters ahead of the first leg of their Copa Italia clash that ended 0-0.
He appeared on the big screen draped in his national flag and said: ‘Dear Italian friends, I ask you from San Siro to give your support for peace in Ukraine.
‘The Ukrainian people want peace, because peace has no borders, because what unites us must be stronger than which divides us.
‘Let’s stop war together. I embrace you all.’
There were several gestures to show solidarity with the people of Ukraine following the Russian invasion
Milan gave out cards to supporters of both sides in the stadium showing the Ukrainian flag and the word ‘peace’.
Stefano Pioli’s men also executed their pre-match warm-ups while wearing T-Shirts of the same design.
All eyes were on the message sent by Andriy Shevchenko before kick-off on Tuesday
AC and Inter Milan players posed for phtographs behind a banner calling for peace
And the players and officials stood together under a banner calling for ‘peace’ prior to kick-off in the game.
Shevchenko is not the only current or former Ukraine footballer to spread the message. Manchester City’s Oleksandr Zinchenko and West Ham’s Andriy Yarmolenko have featured in a powerful video alongside some of their international teammates pleading with the football world to help end the war in Ukraine.
With their country under siege from Russia Zinchenko and Yarmolenko are joined by fellow Ukraine players in appealing to ‘everyone who hears us to resist this war, to stop the destruction and bloodshed.’
Players from Italian sides Atalanta and Spezia plus Ukrainian teams Shakhtar Donetsk and Dynamo Kyiv also feature in the two-minute video.
They add: ‘To everyone who is united by love for the game of football, every fan, every player, every coach, every manager, everyone who understands and loves football.
Mike Maignan was among the players to warm up in a specially made T-shirt
‘We love football. We appeal to you. To explain to the whole world and to show to every inhabitant on planet earth that under the cover of special operation Russian troops are waging an open war on Ukraine.
‘They are bombarding residential areas with missiles and shooting civilians.. We ask all world football community to oppose Russian propaganda.
‘To show the truth and tell the truth about this war in Ukraine by all possible resources. We thank everyone who has already done this and everyone who will support us.
‘No to War. Glory To Ukraine. Glory To the Heroes. #stop war.’
Hundreds have already died as a result of Vladimir Putin’s invasion of the sovereign country.
And a 40-mile convoy of tanks and artillery has been pictured making its way towards Kyiv, sparking fears over a dramatic escalation in the bombardment.
Fans were given signs to hold up and there was a great outpouring of support for Ukraine
A burned-out car and rubble is seen strewn in the streets in Brovary, a city on the edge of Kyiv
Moscow’s defence ministry has claimed the strikes will target security service and intelligence agencies with ‘precision munitions’.
The news comes just hours after Belarus threw their own soldiers into the fray, according to the country’s parliament with an attack on the city of Chernihiv.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has condemned the bombing attacks as ‘terrorism’ and vowed that ‘nobody will forgive, nobody will forget’ Russia’s actions.
***
Read more at DailyMail.co.uk