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Reuters

Eastern Ukrainian club Dnipro are are eyeing unlikely European glory to lift the gloom in their war-weary country, at least for a while.
With fighting raging on the doorstep of their home town of Dnipropetrovsk, the club had to travel 500km to play their Europa League home matches in the capital, Kiev, away from their fans and often at near-empty stadiums. That sapped morale early on, they say.
But despite the odds, they have fought their way to the final on Wednesday against Spain's Sevilla, and when they run on to the pitch in Warsaw they say they will have their compatriots on the front line in mind.
"These are hard times for our state and for us too. We are hoping our sporting achievement will inspire our heroes who are defending our country from the enemy," Dnipro defender Artem Fedetsky said.
These are hard times for our state and for us too. We are hoping our sporting achievement will inspire our heroes who are defending our country from the enemy
Dnipro defender Artem Fedetsky
"We know the whole of Ukraine will be with us at the stadium. We will be playing for them," head coach Myron Markevich said.
An industrial city of just under one million, Dnipropetrovsk has avoided being sucked into the war against Russian-backed rebels, a conflict that has killed more than 6,200 people in just over a year.
It has seen an influx of refugees and is home to an important medical centre for treating military wounded. It has come to be regarded as a bulwark against the separatist threat affecting neighbouring big cities.
Many attribute this to Ihor Kolomoisky, FC Dnipro's billionaire owner and president, who bankrolled a pro-government militia to stop early signs of separatist sympathies taking root.
He later fell foul of the pro-Western authorities and was dumped as regional governor, though his Privat banking group still holds FC Dnipro.
The main boulevard of Dnipropetrovsk, where acacias throw off a heady scent in the evening, is still called Prospekt Karl Marx - but probably not for much longer as a national programme for dropping Soviet name tags takes hold.
As in many Ukrainian cities, a monument to Soviet state founder Vladimir Lenin was taken down in the centre last year.
The team had to fly back and forth to Kiev for qualifying matches after a ruling by Uefa that the Dnipro Arena stadium was too dangerous.
"We had to play all our home matches in Kiev and the stands were practically empty and without the Euro Cup feel that there should be," said Fedetsky, 30. "But we gritted our teeth, fought on and eventually people got interested. At the game with Napoli there was a full stadium."
The war has added an edge to the support Dnipropetrovsk has shown for the team.
We know the whole of Ukraine will be with us at the stadium. We will be playing for them
Myron Markevich
"I have friends and friends of friends who are fighting. They have been drafted into the army or are in volunteer battalions. We and our fanatical fans help them as best as we can," Fedetsky said.
"The world should know about our country and know that, despite the war, life goes on and that the entertainment of football is not foreign to us," said Oleksander Moiseyenko, a 49-year-old shopkeeper in the city.
Dnipro's success on the pitch has been the result of waiting for errors from their opponents and moving quickly to punish them. Their outstanding player is Yevhen Konoplyanka, 25, who expertly laid on the winning second goal to clinch a 2-1 win over Napoli in the semi-final.
Pundits say it is unlikely that Dnipro will beat Sevilla, who captured the trophy last year against Portugal's Benfica and have won 10 of their 14 Europa League matches this season.
No matter what happens in Warsaw, the club will celebrate triumph over adversity.
"We have understood that, since things are not easy for our country just now, we should strive to do better in European cup matches so that people can see in Europe and elsewhere that, though things are difficult for us now, football is still alive in Ukraine," Markevich said.


Dnipro players seek respite for war-weary Ukrainians in Europa League final against Sevilla

Dnipro fans celebrate after their team beat Napoli in the second leg of their semi-final in Kiev. Photo: AFP

Dnipro coach Myron Markevych. Photo: Reuters

Workers roll out new turf at the National Stadium in Warsaw, Poland ahead of the Europa League final between Sevilla and Dnipro. Photo: EPA

Sport

Football

Club says they are representing all Ukrainians amid a bitter conflict with Russia-backed rebels


Eastern Ukrainian club Dnipro are are eyeing unlikely European glory against Spain's Sevilla to lift the gloom in their war-weary country, at least for a while.


Dnipro players seek respite for war-weary Ukrainians in Europa League final against Sevilla

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Club says they are representing all Ukrainians amid a bitter conflict with Russia-backed rebels

Club says they are representing all Ukrainians amid a bitter conflict with Russia-backed rebels