Zinchenko knows this better than most, having fled Ukraine with his mother when war broke out in February 2014 – to Russia, of all places, where he signed for the unfashionable FC Ufa near the Ural mountains. The country really is at war, with the Crimean Peninsula having been annexed by Russia in 2014 and the eastern cities of Donetsk and Luhansk and the surrounding Donbass region under the control of Russian-backed separatists. Militaristic and warlike hyperbole isn't uncommon in football, but for Ukraine they're more than just words. "Today, we all looked each other in the eyes and went into the game as if we were going to war." Ukraine at war
"This was a victory of character and desire," said Zinchenko. "We only live once and we might never experience these moments again, so I encourage everyone to celebrate," Zinchenko said after his team's last-minute, extra-time win over Sweden, which saw Ukraine reach the quarterfinals of the European Championships for the first time. "U – KRA – I – NA!" they chanted, clapping in unison. Oleksandr Zinchenko led his teammates over to the small group of Ukrainian fans in the corner of Hampden Park in Glasgow and encouraged them to raise their arms in a Iceland-style Viking clap.
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