Last Sunday, October 8, the inaugural matches of the UEFA Nations League among teams composed of players with amputated limbs were concluded in Blankenberge, Belgium.

This tournament consists of four divisions, with matches taking place in four different countries. At the same time, the Nations League is a qualifying tournament for the 2024 European Championship in France.

The national team of Ukraine for football players with amputated limbs also participated in the tournament. Within Division C, the blue-and-yellow team defeated Greece (2-1) and Belgium (1-0), as well as drew without goals against teams from Georgia and Israel.

As a result, Ukraine and Georgia both accumulated eight qualifying points, but Ukraine finished in second place due to a worse goal difference. The Georgian team advanced to Division B of the Nations League, while Belgium's team moved up to Division D.

The Ukrainian team and its captain Yuri Such received the Fair Play award from the organizers after the tournament concluded.

"This tournament is interesting because teams of the same level are gathered within a division. Football in the world is developing, as evidenced by the example of national teams from Israel and Georgia. It was interesting to participate in the Nations League.

It's an honor for us that our team included boys who were injured while defending Ukraine! Of course, we always want to win, but finishing second does not disappoint us because we believe we represented our country well at the tournament."

It's also pleasant that Ukraine qualified for the European Championship. We hope that the team will be replenished with new players who can compete for a place in the lineup, and we will demonstrate good football at the continental level," — shared his thoughts about our team's performance Yuri Such.

Upon returning home after the matches, the players of Ukraine's national team met Andriy Yarmolenko from the national team at Warsaw Airport, receiving congratulations on their successful performances and taking group photos together.