Ukraine: Conflict-affected children had a ball with football star Gaizka Mendieta

20 June 2018

On 26 May 2018, Kyiv hosted the UEFA Champions League Final. The day held special significance for ten children from the Donbas. On the morning of the big game, they enjoyed a football match of their own: a five-a-side game on the pitch set up in the Champions Festival in the heart of the city. They were joined by football star and former Spain international player, Gaizka Mendieta.

Football has rules, so does the war. That's why the match these kids played was important, not only for them but also for other victims of the armed conflict in eastern Ukraine.