Brno Hosts Eurofanz Football Tournament In Solidarity Against Russian Invasion
https://brnodaily.com/2022/07/07/events ... -invasion/
Brno, July 7 (BD) – Football fans are on their way to Brno from England, the Netherlands, Slovenia, Wales, and Hungary, among other countries. The Moravian capital is this year hosting the Eurofanz tournament for fans of European countries and clubs, traditionally organised in the Ukrainian city of Lviv. Due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, football fans in Brno have decided to take over the popular tournament, with all proceeds going to help Ukraine.
The Eurofanz football tournament was founded by a group of enthusiasts in Lviv in 2007. Every year since, football fans from over 20 countries have met in the western Ukrainian city at the start of June and July. The tradition was only interrupted by the coronavirus pandemic outbreak and associated travel restrictions. After a two-year pause, the organisers planned to continue the traditional event this year. Unfortunately, their country was invaded by the Russian army in February.
Fans of Zbrojovka Brno, Newcastle United, SC Heerenveen, Ferencváros FC and Zimbru Chisinau will introduce themselves one by one. The national colours will then be represented by fans from Czech Republic, Slovenia, Netherlands, Wales, Mexico, Ukraine and Belarus.
Especially for the participants from Belarus, this will be a symbolic and very important participation. “We want to send a message to the world that the Belarusians stand behind Ukraine,” said Dzianis Kuchynsky, head of the Belarusian expedition and an advisor of the Belarusian exile politician Sviatlana Cichanouvska. “We would like to thank the Lithuanian Ambassador in the Czech Republic for giving us the opportunity to participate in this event,” said Kuchynsky.
The Belarusian team will represent their country in historic white and red colours, and will come to Brno from Vilnius, Lithuania, where a large community of Belarusians live, fleeing from the repressive regime of Belarusian dictator Aleksandr Lukashenko. “We can only admire the Belarusian struggle for freedom,” commented Laimonas Talat-Kelpša, the Lithuanian Ambassador in the Czech Republic. “It is necessary to make them heard, provide a platform to become visible and represent the white-red colours of free Belarus. And the Eurofanz tournament is exactly such a platform.”
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The Belarusian team is being put together by Alexander Kozlovski, who was sports director of Hearts Football Club and assistant manager to Eduard Malofeev, when the club was under the ownership of Russian-Lithuanian businessman Vladimir Romanov.