Ukrainian Association of Football has confirmed that the country’s national football team was ordered by UEFA to drop the “Glory to Heroes” motto from its kit on June 10.
The first part of the unofficial national salute, “Glory to Ukraine,” was permitted to remain on the kit by Europe’s football governing body.
According to UEFA, the first part of the salute is apolitical, yet in combination with the second part, the salute has a political meaning. “Involving political messages” is officially banned by UEFA regulations.
According to Tribuna, Ukraine’s sports news outlet, the national association is still holding talks with UEFA to keep the salute on the country’s official jerseys.
Ukraine’s Presidential Office has issued a statement defending Ukraine’s kit.
“Our footballers on the fields of Europe will try to bring glory to their country. That is why the slogan “Glory to Ukraine!” in the form of a national team is perfectly valid and can not cause any reservations,” the presidential office responded in a comment to Ukrainska Pravda news outlet.
“And when a Ukrainian, who is a true patriot of his homeland, hears “Glory to Ukraine,” he already has “Glory to Heroes” as a response at the subconscious level,” the office added.
The news comes after a five-day hysteria by Russian politicians, football officials and pundits who were triggered by Ukraine’s new kit.
Russia’s outrage
Ukraine’s new football kit presented weeks before the start of the UEFA European Championship, featured a map of Ukraine on the front and the two-part national salute on the back: “Glory to Ukraine, Glory to Heroes.”
Russia, which has led an undeclared war against Ukraine since 2014 annexing Ukraine’s Crimean peninsula, accused Ukraine of politicization of a sporting event.
Russia’s main hysterics concerned the presence of a map of Ukraine on the jersey. The map featured Russian-occupied Crimea, which is internationally recognized as part of Ukraine. Russian commentators called it a provocation, and even Russian President Vladimir Putin chipped in.
UEFA ruled that Ukraine’s map, officially recognized by the United Nations, doesn’t violate the organization’s standards.
But then the organization conceded to Russia’s other demand that concerned the “Glory to Heroes” motto.
The “Glory to Ukraine, Glory to Heroes” salute was sporadically used during Ukraine’s War of Independence in 1917-1921 and was picked up by the Ukrainian Insurgent Army during the Second World War. The Insurgent Army fought against the Soviet Union, and briefly cooperated with the Nazi invaders. For this, Russian propaganda brands the Ukrainian Insurgent Army “fascists.”
Today, the salute is officially used by the Ukrainian army defending the country against the Russian invasion.
After Russia condemned Ukraine’s uniform, the Ukrainian Association of Football Head Andriy Pavelko said that the kit was accredited by UEFA. The European football association issued a statement saying that all kits of countries participating in the UEFA European Championship are approved by the organization.
The “Glory to Ukraine” motto was present on Ukrainian football kits since 2018. The “Glory to Heroes” was officially accredited by UEFA in December.
Yet, the organization, whose main sponsor is Russian state-owned oil and gas company Gazprom, had a sudden change of fortune.
On June 10, UEFA ruled to strip Ukraine of one of the two parts of its salute after an official complaint by the Russian Football Association. All other features remained unchanged.
UEFA vs Ukraine
This isn’t the first time UEFA rules against Ukraine.
In November, UEFA ruled to award a technical defeat to Ukraine’s national football team after three players and one staffer were diagnosed with COVID-19 prior to the team’s match against Switzerland in Lucerne.
The game against Switzerland was set to determine who would remain among the top 16 European teams in the UEFA Nations League. After the technical defeat, Ukraine was relegated.
UEFA’s official reasoning for the decision was that Ukraine didn’t prepare a 23-player backup team in case of a potential infection. UEFA laws didn’t require such a team to be prepared before the ruling. UAF appealed the decision in court.
Football remains one of the few sports where Russia’s flag, national anthem and official insignia aren’t banned due to the ongoing doping scandals involving Russia.
The European Championship is set to begin on June 11 and will be held in 11 countries across Europe, including Russia.
Ukraine will play against the Netherlands in Amsterdam on June 13 and North Macedonia and Austria in Bucharest on June 17 and June 21.
