Try GOLD - Free
'My friends fighting are - it is hard to focus on football'
The Guardian
|August 21, 2024
Shakhtar Donetsk playmaker Georgiy Sudakov on the 'fear and grief' of Russia's invasion and why he is learning English
The compact surroundings of Arena Livyi Bereh in Kyiv's Osokorky district is not Camp Nou or any of Europe's other historic arenas, but it didn't matter to Georgiy Sudakov on Sunday. The 21-year-old playmaker, who more than two years earlier had been forced to take cover from falling Russian bombs in a makeshift bomb shelter with his pregnant wife, was named captain of Shakhtar Donetsk for their second league game of the new campaign.
"2012, this boy dreams of playing for Shakhtar Donetsk ..." Sudakov wrote on Instagram after the 1-0 victory against the team they will share their 4,700-capacity stadium with this season. "It's 2024, this guy is wearing the captain's armband for Shakhtar Donetsk! Dream, work, believe. After all, dreaming is not harmful. Dreaming is so important. Everything in life is possible!"
This story is from the August 21, 2024 edition of The Guardian.
Subscribe to Magzter GOLD to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 10,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
MORE STORIES FROM The Guardian
The Guardian
Alive and kicking Haaland fires City ahead as Doku seals statement win
Guardiola thanks players for 'present' in 1,000th match as Slot admits Reds struggling
1 mins
November 10, 2025
The Guardian
BBC director general Tim Davie steps down over Panorama row
'It feels like a coup,' says one BBC source as head of news also quits
4 mins
November 10, 2025
The Guardian
It's a dangerous moment - the BBC must retain public trust so it can hold off political attacks
There is a joke regularly deployed by BBC staff that “deputy heads must roll” over major mistakes that rarely appear to have any impact on those at the top of the organisation. That all changed yesterday, when Tim Davie and Deborah Turness quit their jobs.
2 mins
November 10, 2025
The Guardian
Zelenskyy: I am not afraid of Donald Trump
Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that unlike other leaders he is not \"afraid\" of Donald Trump and dismissed reports that their last meeting in Washington was volatile, adding he had good relations with the US president.
4 mins
November 10, 2025
The Guardian
The bond market is wrong. The chancellor should not make welfare cuts to placate the City
There are less than three weeks to go. In the lengthy wait for Rachel Reeves's autumn budget, the chancellor will today get the first verdict on her tax and spending plans from the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR).
3 mins
November 10, 2025
The Guardian
Amid the squabbles, bombast and competing interests, just what can Cop30 achieve?
“It broke my heart.” Surangel Whipps, president of the tiny Pacific nation of Palau, was sitting in the front row of the UN’s general assembly in New York when Donald Trump made a long and rambling speech, his first to the UN since his reelection, on 23 September.
8 mins
November 10, 2025
The Guardian
Bar Council backs legal aid for all domestic abuse cases in family court
The Bar Council has called for all family court cases involving domestic abuse to be brought within the scope of the Legal Aid Agency for both parties, and for means testing to be scrapped for alleged victims and survivors of domestic abuse.
1 mins
November 10, 2025
The Guardian
Hear no evil Leader ignores his critics as he closes on glory
A punchy Lando Norris has insisted he would ignore critics \"talkingcrap\" and attempting to bring him down as he focused only on himself as he attempts to close out his first Formula One world championship, after victory at the São Paulo Grand Prix.
1 mins
November 10, 2025
The Guardian
Russian activist held in Poland admits he worked as FSB agent
A Russian opposition activist arrested in Poland has admitted he worked as an undercover agent for Russia's FSB security service and informed on other opposition figures, court documents claim.
3 mins
November 10, 2025
The Guardian
King-boks South Africa send an ominous message with 14-man victory over stunned France
Some wins count double in terms of the message they send. And amid the blizzard of weekend Tests it was Saturday's result in Paris that will resonate the longest in both hemispheres. Not only the outcome, either, but the manner of it. To say South Africa exploded a few cosy theories would be the understatement of the rugby year.
3 mins
November 10, 2025
Listen
Translate
Change font size