Ukrainian football legend Andriy Shevchenko says President Volodymyr Zelensky is “unbelievable” and he is very proud of how his country and its people have been dealing with the war.
Shevchecnko, who played for teams including Dynamo Kyiv, AC Milan and Chelsea, is Ukraine’s record goalscorer and also managed the national team at last year’s European Championship.
He said on a recent visit to Kyiv he had a “very nice meeting with the president”, and they were positive they could defend their country and bring peace to Ukraine.
“At the most difficult time in our the history of Ukraine he has brought people together and sent a great message across the world,” he tells BBC Radio 5 Live. “Ukraine’s people must not give up, we want our democracy we fight for our freedom and that’s a massive message to everyone.
“I’m so proud how my country and the people united to stay strong and defend the country.”
This weekend Shevchenko will play in Soccer Aid – an annual football match involving former players and celebrities. It raises money for Unicef and this year the charity says some of the money raised will go towards helping those impacted by the war.
“This event is going to help a lot of people in Ukraine,” he says, “especially kids, we’re going to create a lot of great programmes to improve a lot of things for kids.”
