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During Ukraine’s deciding EURO 2024 match against Belgium their fans displayed a banner with a special meaning.
It featured the portrait of Nazariy Hryntsevich, a fallen soldier codenamed "Hrienka,” who was a huge football fan.
The image was generated by artificial intelligence from the photos of 182 fallen Ukrainian soldiers, who, in civilian life, were part of fan movements supporting Ukrainian clubs.
Hryntsevich, who was from Vinnytsia in central Ukraine, was a fan of the local team, Nyva.
He spent his 19th birthday defending in the siege of Mariupol - during which Ukrainian troops held out in the steelworks for almost 3 months despite being surrounded by Russian forces.
Nazariy endured 4 months in Russian captivity, and after his release, he returned to the front.
Together with his comrades, he founded a unit where he commanded a platoon of optical observers.
He died in battle on May 6, 2024, at the age of 21.
The goal of the Ukrainian fans’ campaign is to remind the world that thousands of football fans are defending Ukraine on the front line.
They could be cheering for the national team in the stands, but instead, they are protecting their country, and sacrificing their lives for peace in Europe.
Sadly, despite pundits calling Ukraine the “better team” when playing Belgium, the 0-0 draw was not enough to take them through - as all teams in Group E finished on 4 points - with Ukraine finishing bottom due to their inferior goal difference.
They became the first team to finish bottom of a European Championship group after winning 4 points.