Darijo Srna has lived through three wars, and in the latest cheapening of human life he helped to organise 100 children's evacuation from Ukraine.
The kids – from the academy at Shakhtar Donetsk, where Srna is director of football – are now safe in the Croatian resort of Split, many of them with their mothers, after being rescued from Russian bombs and missiles.
All this after his exhausting, and dangerous, 36-hour car journey to escape besieged Kyiv and reach his homeland. Srna's motives for his humanitarian mercy mission are simple: Life is precious, and football must always prevail over war. “This is the third war I have been through in my lifetime – Croatia in 1991, then in 2014 when the Russians chased Shakhtar out of Donetsk, and now they go to war in all of Ukraine so we have to leave Kyiv.
“I have no respect for the man who ordered this war. I don't even want to say his name, it doesn't deserve any space or oxygen. He stands for everything bad in this world. He did not deserve to stage the World Cup in his country, and Russia bidding to stage the Euros in 2028 must be some kind of joke. They will not get one vote. No normal country will vote for them.”
An accomplished right-back who was awarded 134 caps by Croatia, as an adopted Ukrainian Srna helped Shakhtar to win 10 league titles and the UEFA Cup. They were forced to leave the 50,000-capacity Donbass Arena, built for Euro 2012, after warmonger Vladimir Putin's troops annexed the region.
Now, after being forced to relocate to the NSC Olympiyskiy in Kyiv, the club's 85-year history is in suspense. It is the equivalent of Manchester United fleeing to London for their safety – and then being made to run for their lives.
Srna, 39, said: “When we were advised to leave Kyiv, there were so many people leaving the city it took three hours to go past our training facility – a journey that normally took 20 minutes. I was with two friends from Croatia and we made it back to our home country, but this is not about me.
“I cannot compare myself with the people of Mariupol or Kharkiv. They are living through a nightmare, they are the real heroes and I'm so frightened for them. In a war, human life is too cheap. But football always survives wars. Although Ukraine should have been playing in a World Cup play-off this week, war cannot destroy football.
“Shakhtar have won the Ukrainian Premier League 13 times this century, and we have lost our home for the second time in eight years because of war. Can you imagine the champions of England being forced to leave their home because of war? It is not an easy situation, but the players of Shakhtar are ready to train and ready to play. We are always ready.”
Srna's rescue mission, in partnership with politicians, puts to shame all the paperwork, visas, security checks and nit-pickery of the UK government's response to five million people being displaced from their homes in Europe. He said: “We are doing what we can to help. In Split, we have mobilised 100 children from the Shakhtar academy, they are in hotels with their mothers and Hadjuk Split, where I began my career, and we are trying to organise some training sessions for them.
“They are living in hotels near the sea, and the government of Croatia has helped me a lot already. For 19 years, mainly as a player, Ukraine welcomed me with open arms from the first day and now I am trying to do what I can to help them in a humanitarian crisis.
"The foundation of Shakhtar president (Rinat Akhmetov) has shown great leadership by providing water, food and medicine to the people of Ukraine. His businesses support the army and territorial defence forces to protect Ukraine's sovereignity, freedom and independence.
“These people are innocent, they are the best people. I'm proud that I lived there 19 years. Whatever happens, I will be with Shakhtar to the end. We are one big family and I am proud of the club, proud of my president. But we can't be alone in this situation. The rest of the world must help Ukraine to find a way to stop the bombs, stop the killing, stop the war.
“When you are facing a monster, peace is not something you can buy. You have to fight for it. But we will not forget who helped us in these difficult moments.”
