The President of the Ukrainian Football Association and head of the UAF Coordination Center, Andriy Pavelko, met with the national team players and coaching staff ahead of their match against Scotland in the 2022 World Cup playoff.

During the meeting, a pleasant surprise for the team was a gift presented by the UAF leader to the players — a state flag with autographs and wishes from soldiers who are currently defending Ukraine's independence on the front lines.

Photo by the UAF press service

This flag was handed over to Andriy Pavelko when he visited them in May. According to the president of the UFA, the defenders of Ukraine asked him personally to present this gift from them to the national team to convey the energy and bravery of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and help the team prepare for the important match. The football players, in turn, requested that a huge thank you be conveyed to our heroic soldiers for such an invaluable gift. Before the match against Scotland, the players hung this flag in their locker room to draw inspiration from the courage of Ukrainian warriors before stepping onto the field.

Photo by the UAF press service

As a reminder, Ukraine's national team secured a convincing victory with a score of 3-1 in their match against Scotland. "This is how the team repaid the brave soldiers who gifted them a state flag with wishes from the front line, which I had the honor to personally present to the team one day before the game. This connection between the boys on the front and the national team on the pitch at Hampden Park in Glasgow, the powerful energy of unity among millions of Ukrainians, which was fueled by blue-and-yellow supporters on the stands, inspired our main team to success!" — Andriy Pavelko noted after the game.