April 25 – Germany are set to turn their 1,000th international match in June into a charity fixture against Ukraine.
All the proceeds of the June 12 match in Bremen will go the war-torn nation.
“The 1,000th international match of the German senior men’s national team is a very special event. We want to use it to send a clear signal for peace and international understanding and against war and destruction,” German FA president Bernd Neuendorf said in a statement.
“That’s why we are very happy that we can play an international match with and for Ukraine on such an occasion.”
With Germany hosting the European Championship next year, they are not involved in the qualifying campaign and will be playing friendly matches instead in the build-up to the tournament.
The Ukraine game will be followed by a match against Poland in Warsaw on June 16 and finally against Colombia on June 20 in Gelsenkirchen.
“The Weserstadion (in Bremen) offers just the right setting for this special anniversary match, with which we can not only show our support for Ukraine, but also provide very specific help and collect donations,” said DFB Sports Director Rudi Voeller.
Ukraine’s FA president Andrii Pavelko, a member of the UEFA Executive Committee, welcomed the initiative.
“The football community of Ukraine is grateful to our German friends for this match to have charity status…to support Ukrainians who suffered from Russian military aggression,” he said.
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