- Three games open at 2pm BST with Georgia v Czech Rep
- Player interactive | And you can drop Xaymaca a mail
The game was always likely to be overshadowed by the political context … when the draw was made no game seemed as politically charged as this. When the nationalist Robert Fico became prime minister of Slovakia last year, he vowed to reduce aid to its eastern neighbour while pursuing a policy of greater alignment with Hungary, whose prime minister, Viktor Orban, has been the most overtly pro-Vladimir Putin voice among EU leaders. Fico’s ally Peter Pellegrini was elected as president in April. Last month, Fico was shot twice at close range while meeting the public in Handlova, about 120 miles north-east of the capital, Bratislava. Police arrested Juraj Cintula, a 71-year-old poet who has spoken openly of his opposition to Fico’s attempts to curtail the freedom of the press, to downgrade anticorruption bodies and to reduce support for Ukraine.
Roman Yaremchuk was reduced to tears after bringing the ball down beautifully and poking it past the onrushing keeper. Ukraine’s first win in a major tournament since EURO 2020 means so much to Ukraine’s players and fans because of everything that’s happened outside of football in the last couple of years.
Continue reading…Three games open at 2pm BST with Georgia v Czech RepPlayer interactive | And you can drop Xaymaca a mailThe game was always likely to be overshadowed by the political context … when the draw was made no game seemed as politically charged as this. When the nationalist Robert Fico became prime minister of Slovakia last year, he vowed to reduce aid to its eastern neighbour while pursuing a policy of greater alignment with Hungary, whose prime minister, Viktor Orban, has been the most overtly pro-Vladimir Putin voice among EU leaders. Fico’s ally Peter Pellegrini was elected as president in April. Last month, Fico was shot twice at close range while meeting the public in Handlova, about 120 miles north-east of the capital, Bratislava. Police arrested Juraj Cintula, a 71-year-old poet who has spoken openly of his opposition to Fico’s attempts to curtail the freedom of the press, to downgrade anticorruption bodies and to reduce support for Ukraine.Roman Yaremchuk was reduced to tears after bringing the ball down beautifully and poking it past the onrushing keeper. Ukraine’s first win in a major tournament since EURO 2020 means so much to Ukraine’s players and fans because of everything that’s happened outside of football in the last couple of years. Continue reading…
