"We address you hereby regarding the distressing miscommunication, which was unfortunately revealed at the official webpage of UEFA EURO 2024, namely, the fact that in the player's visit card of the National Team of Ukraine footballer Maksym Talovierov was stated that russia is his country of origin, while Maksym Talovierov in fact was born in Donetsk in the year 2000.

Since 2014 the city of Donetsk is temporarily occupied by russia and included to the so-called Donetsk People's Republic (DPR), which was not recognized by the international organizations (EU, UN, NATO, OSCE, vast majority of the UN member states and non-UN states). Also UEFA's position on the occupied Ukrainian territories since 2014 and by now has been the same and unequivocal.

We presume that the situation we described above was just a regrettable and unintended mistake, however, at the stage of the 3rd year of the full-scaled military invasion of russia into Ukraine with particularly violent and predatory aim to destroy our country and take the lives of Ukrainian people and children, we need to emphasize that such kind of miscommunication is crucial and completely unacceptable. 

Due to this, on behalf of the Ukrainian nation, we ask you hereby to check the circumstances of the described case and take the measures to prevent such or similar cases in the future" the letter states.

UEFA has demonstrated a swift response to this UAF appeal by promptly correcting the mistake.