13.04.2022U17

U17s play team from Kyiv – invitation to Leipzig game

They regularly played together in Ukraine as a Kyiv team but a few weeks ago they were forced to flee their country due to the Russian war of aggression – and the team all fled to Germany. The total of 28 youth players born in 2005 and 2006 have now landed up at the Sportschule Hennef where they are living and training. Tomorrow, Thursday 14 April, they will play a friendly against the Bayer 04 U17 team (kick-off: 11.00 CEST). In addition, Bayer 04 have invited the youngsters to the Bundesliga home match against RB Leipzig.

Crucial in implementing this act of support for youth footballers was the close contact between Stefan Rönz, a member of the coaching teaching staff at the Middle Rhine Football Association, and Dynamo Kyiv – in particular with Wladimir Zharikow, the director of the youth academy at the top-flight Ukrainian club. "Wladimir asked me to look after the lads a few weeks ago," explained Rönz.

On the initiative of the 50-year-old, the young Ukrainians, whose families have mostly stayed in the Ukraine capital Kyiv and are thereby in the war zone, plus two of the mothers are now staying at the Sportschule Hennef. They train there daily and have already played games against clubs from the surrounding region.

team at Bundesliga game against Leipzig

The Ukrainian youth footballers will be guests in Leverkusen three days after the game against the Leverkusen U17 team at the Kurtekotten Performance Centre: Bayer 04 have invited the team to the Bundesliga home game against RB Leipzig on Easter Sunday 17 April (kick-off: 19.30 CEST).

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