Goodison Park hosts a very special fixture a week today with Everton playing Dynamo Kyiv in the ‘Match for Peace’. But as well as being a fundraiser for humanitarian charities in Ukraine, the game is also a platform for both sides to step things up ahead of a return to competitive action.
As well as being the final friendly of Frank Lampard’s first pre-season as Blues boss, before the visit of his previous employers Chelsea in Everton’s Premier League opener eight days later, Dynamo will be glad of such a test as they look to finally resume a top-flight schedule in their war-torn homeland.
Dynamo have previously participated in games in Poland, Turkey, Croatia, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France and Belgium since the start of the war, as part of their ‘Match For Peace’ initiative. However, this will be the first such occasion on British soil.
TRANSFER RUMOURS: Everton tipped to make 'bargain' transfer move for Arsenal forward Nicolas Pepe
TRANSFER RUMOURS: Everton to 'explore move' for Wolves star Leandro Dendoncker
Russia’s military invasion on February 24 ensured that a 1-1 draw at home to Zorya Luhansk back on December 12 remains their last Ukrainian Premier League fixture to date. But since then, Dynamo have been travelling across Europe to play no fewer than 25 friendly matches on what has been a busy schedule. Looking forward to their return to Goodison Park, where they lost 2-1 in a Europa League last-16 tie in March 2015 (but subsequently going through against Roberto Martinez’s side after an emphatic 5-2 victory in the second leg), Ukrainian football journalist Andrew Todos, founder and editor of Zorya Londonsk, told the ECHO: “Half of Dynamo’s friendlies came before the full scale invasion in February.
“Dynamo was preparing for the second half of the 2021/22 Ukrainian Premier League season but then it was suspended. Most of the players then spent a month and a half in bomb shelters and hiding from Russian strikes before Ukraine’s Army managed to push the Russians out of Kyiv and surrounding regions.
“It was at this point the club received special permission alongside Shakhtar Donetsk to go on a charity tour around Europe and play matches for awareness and raise funds for humanitarian aid too. These also helped maintain fitness ahead of the international break in June.
“On the whole the ‘Matches for Peace’ have been well attended across the continent. There were big turnouts in particular in against Legia Warsaw and Borussia Dortmund. The matches have been low in intensity of course with Dynamo looking the more motivated in most matches but still has been good to see them get some good results in them ahead of the upcoming 22/23 season.”
Indeed, despite the war continuing, plans are now afoot to start a new domestic season next month although the matches will be played in very different circumstances to normal. Todos said: “The UPL is expected to return on August 23 for the new 2022/23 season and 16 sides are committed to playing in the new campaign.
“The Minister for Sport has confirmed the date and says he’s currently working with all related parties to ensure matches can take place as safely and securely as possible on the territory of Ukraine. The matches are expected to be played in Kyiv and Western Ukraine close to the EU border.
“They will be played behind closed doors and matches will be paused if there’s an air raid siren mid game to allow personnel and players to go to shelters. We are still waiting on final details in the coming weeks but the authorities seem confident it will start as planned.”
After more than six months of friendlies, Dynamo finally played their first competitive match of the calendar year this week when they had a Champions League qualifying ‘home’ game against Fenerbahce in Lodz, Poland. The game finished goalless and Dynamo will travel to Istanbul for the second leg, which takes place just 48 hours before their trip to Merseyside and will be a pivotal fixture for their season.
Todos said: “The Fenerbahce game was a big occasion for the club and supporters. Dynamo may have played a whole host of friendlies in recent months but the return to competitive action signalled the restoration of some normality from a sporting sense.
“It wasn’t necessarily a highly emotionally charged occasion as the club have played in front of fans across Europe in previous charity games and large part of the squad also represented the Ukraine national team this summer as well.
“Making the Champions League group stages would be huge for Dynamo. While they’ll probably have better chances of getting into the knockouts in either the Europa or Conference League, the revenue the group stages brings and the visibility of the club and Ukraine across the autumn is very important.
“There has been talk that Shakhtar and Dynamo’s Champions League prize money may be divided in part among other Ukrainian Premier League clubs to help them stay afloat during these dangerous and unpredictable times. Similarly being drawn in groups against the giants of Europe would help boost the awareness about the war to show through a sporting viewpoint that the country is still fighting, existing and surviving to people who follow football and may not pay attention to news or politics in their day to day lives.”
The game at Goodison Park will of course reunite Everton’s Ukrainian international Vitalii Mykolenko with his former club from whom he joined the Blues for £17million back in January. Although circumstances both on and off the field made it a difficult beginning for the left-back in English football, Todos explains that the folks back home have been pleased with his progress.
He said: “It’s been overwhelmingly positive. Many are pleasantly surprised at how quickly Mykolenko adapted to the Premier League so quickly and was vital in the survival run in towards the end of the season.
“Once he got the consistent run of starts in the team and Frank Lampard showed the faith in him, he’s been the player that people know. That’s someone who is reliable, consistent and ready to give his all for the team.
“The Premier League experience is helping him improve as a player which is providing its advantages to the national team as well. Hopefully his first full season can follow suit and Everton can have a bit more of a stable campaign despite their shaky pre-season so far.”
Given that Dynamo are a team with aspirations of competing in European football’s top competition in the coming months, who should Evertonians look out among the visiting side when they come to Goodison Park in seven days’ time? Todos said: “There’s a whole host of young Ukrainian talent in the Dynamo team. Mykola Shaparenko in midfield is a bright, creative box-to-box midfielder with a good eye for a pass and he drives with well with the ball.
“Viktor Tsyhankov has long been the talisman of the side out on the right wing and he’s been pushing for a move for a few years now, and would ideally like to depart this summer, but the club’s owner has stated he’s yet to receive any real offers for the player. He’s an inverted winger who’s rather direct, comfortable dribbler and has a great strike on him when he cuts inside.
“Finally, the one that is probably causing the most excitement and interest from sides in Western Europe is Illya Zabarnyi, who was previously linked to Tottenham Hotspur. He’s a 19-year-old centre-back who has already got over 20 caps for Ukraine’s senior side and has been a stalwart in defence for Dynamo since his debut back in 2020. He’s built like a train, reads the game well and has all the potential to become one of Europe’s top defenders if he continues to develop in the coming years.”
- Tickets are now on general sale, priced at £15 for adults (18 to 64-year-olds) and £5 for concessions (under-18s and over-65s). Supporters have the option to add a donation of £1, £5 or £10 at the point of purchase, with the money raised bolstering the total raised for charity through ticket sales and other matchday activities.
READ NEXT:
Lampard is right about Everton transfers as fears over Moshiri pledge linger
Gordon opens up on ambitions, what's left him feeling 'old' and Minnesota defeat
Lampard issues 'relegation battle' warning and clear transfer message
Lampard's formation call gives Everton fans awkward answer to long-held question
Minnesota hammering leaves Lampard and Everton facing familiar blunt truth
