Chelsea will host a charity football match for Ukraine this summer, it has now been confirmed.
As exclusively reported by Standard Sport back in March, Stamford Bridge will be the venue for a celebrity fixture called ‘Game 4 Ukraine’ on August 5, a week before the 2023-24 Premier League season begins.
The initiative will raise money for the reconstruction of the Mykhailo-Kotsiubynsky Lyceum in Chernihiv Oblast, a school in northern Ukraine struck by missiles last year during the ongoing conflict with Russia.
The idea for the game was presented to Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky by Arsenal defender Oleksandr Zinchenko and Ukraine football legend Andriy Shevchenko, the former Chelsea striker, who will serve as team captains for the star-studded contest.
Zinchenko and Shevchenko are both ambassadors for UNITED24, the official fundraising platform of Ukraine.
Several Chelsea legends will be among the footballing royalty joined on the Stamford Bridge pitch by celebrity guests for the Game4Ukraine charity match. 🇺🇦
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) May 30, 2023
While the other footballers involved in the game have yet to be revealed, some of the world’s best players and coaches are expected to take part alongside Chelsea stars and a number of celebrities. The match will also be broadcast for free to the people of Ukraine.
“I support the initiative of Andriy Shevchenko and Oleksandr Zinchenko to hold a charity match in London,” said President Zelensky. “The Game4Ukraine at Stamford Bridge is an opportunity for the football community all over the world to unite, show solidarity, help Ukraine, and help our children return to their school desks.”
Shevchenko said: “We discussed a charity match for Ukraine with President Zelenskyy a year ago, when I became the first ambassador of UNITED24. It took time to arrange such an event.
“The game for Ukraine and for the sake of Ukraine will take place at a stadium that I know very well. It is Chelsea’s home stadium, Stamford Bridge. I am sure that both Chelsea and Arsenal fans will support this match, as well as everyone who likes football and wants to express their solidarity with Ukraine.”
Tickets for the ‘Game4Ukraine’ at Stamford Bridge go on sale on Wednesday morning (May 31) at 10am.
