From the meeting point in Cologne, BVB team buses took the guests to Dortmund, where a surprise awaited them at the Signal Iduna Park. Roman Weidenfeller, 2014 World Cup winner and long-time BVB goalkeeper, welcomed the group with a selfie session and autograph signing. After lunch and a tour of Germany’s largest stadium, the girls and boys, dressed in new BVB sportswear, began training at the academy: passing, dribbling, shooting goals. Playing football offered the guests a piece of carefree normality. A Ukrainian-speaking coach interpreted when language barriers arose.

More than 6.8 million people from Ukraine are currently living in exile abroad, 40 percent of them are children. Most of them have suffered from traumatic experiences. Even in Germany, the youngsters are confronted with images of the war in the media. This makes it all the more important to give them a short break with activities such as the visit to BVB, where they can forget their worries and fears for a moment.

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