Welcome Through Football training with Shakhtar U19 players
Shakhtar youth team players took part in a training session for children involved in the Welcome Through Football project.
The session was held at the gymnasium A+ in Kyiv. As part of UEFA Solidarity Projects, Shakhtar U19 footballers Illia Hulko, Dmytro Kapinus, Anton Hluschenko, Kristian Bako, Andrii Buleza and Kyrylo Siheev presented 30 new balls to the project participants and took part in the training session.
“The joint event of Shakhtar Academy and Shakhtar Social within the UEFA Solidarity Projects was held in the UEFA Youth League context. The project goal is raising children’s awareness of the important social issues, involving them in such initiatives to increase their responsibility not only on the field, but also off it.”
Alexander Aleksieiev, FC Shakhtar Academy Director
The U19 team players accepted the idea of holding a joint training session with interest.
“It’s a great event. We played football and enjoyed it and, most importantly, the kids are happy. I remember myself at their age, and whenever there was an opportunity to play football with older guys, we did our best. It seemed as if we were playing with the stars!”
Anton Hluschenko, Shakhtar U19 player
The Welcome Through Football project is being implemented with the support of the European Football for Development Network (EFDN), the UEFA Foundation for Children and the EU Erasmus+ programme. The following football clubs also participate in it: Sheffield United Community Foundation, Fundação Benfica, Naoberschap United (FC Emmen), Werder Bremen, Everton in the Community, Apollon Limassol, AEK Athens, Big Hearts Community Trust, Newcastle United Foundation and KAA Gent.
