母国ウクライナの荒廃に涙…シェフチェンコ氏が心境を吐露

【パリＡＦＰ＝時事】サッカー元ウクライナ代表のレジェンドであるアンドリー・シェフチェンコ氏がＡＦＰのインタビューに応じ、ロシアの支配から解放された首都キーウ近郊のイルピンで、「ミサイルが着弾した跡でいっぱいの平地を子どもが駆け抜ける様子を目にして」涙が出たと明かした。（写真は、アンドリー・シェフチェンコ氏）
　２００４年にバロンドールを受賞したシェフチェンコ氏はまた、周囲の惨状にもかかわらずサッカーをプレーしようとする若手選手の決意に圧倒されたと述べた。
　「人生を通して戦争に反対」していた「軍人」を父に持つ４６歳のシェフチェンコ氏は２月、ロシアの侵攻に大きな怒りを募らせ、「息さえできないほどの耐えがたい苦痛を感じた」という。
　シェフチェンコ氏は「民主主義にある欧州の中心で、爆弾が投下されたりロケットが飛んでいたりする事実を理解することができなかった」と語った。
　「それらは私の家や、私が愛するあらゆる物に向かって飛んでいる。母国を助けるために何をすべきなのか、すぐに決断しなければならなかった」
　「私にできることは何か、どうすれば自分が最も力を発揮できるかいろいろと考えた。そして、自分の知名度を生かして、ウクライナのために公に戦うべきだと気づいた」
　武器を手にした同国の他のスポーツスターとは異なり、シェフチェンコ氏は母国の窮状を訴える大使としての役割に就く道を選んだ。
　２００２－０３シーズンにイタリア・セリエＡのＡＣミランで欧州チャンピオンズリーグを制したシェフチェンコ氏と、女子テニスのトップ選手であるエリナ・スビトリーナは、ウォロディミル・ゼレンスキー大統領が開設したクラウドファンディングサイト「Ｕｎｉｔｅｄ２４」の大使就任を要請する招待にすぐさま応じた。
　５月１８日にキーウでゼレンスキー大統領と面会したシェフチェンコ氏は「２月２４日以降でウクライナに来たのはそのときが初めてだった。戦争はすでに２か月半も続いており、ロシア軍は街から撤退したばかりだった」とコメントした。
　「空虚ながら不屈のキーウを目にした。大統領との面会同様、それは非常に感情に訴える瞬間だった」
　Ｕｎｉｔｅｄ２４は防衛や地雷除去、医療といった急を要する必需品をまかなったり、侵攻後に荒廃した国を復興するための寄付金を集めたりすることを目的に、大統領によって立ち上げられた。
　医療や復興に向けた資金集めを重点的に行っているシェフチェンコ氏によれば、支援してくれた古巣クラブには恩義があるのだという。
　「ウクライナを支援するため、ＡＣミランが私の背番号が入った特別なＴシャツを販売すると発表したときの気持ちは言葉では表せない」と述べた。
　このＴシャツの販売で集まった２０万ユーロ（約２９００万円）は、ロシアのミサイル攻撃で荒廃したイルピンにある子ども用サッカーグラウンドの再建に充てられる。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2022/11/15-17:07）

Ukrainian football legend Andriy Shevchenko has admitted in an interview with AFP he cried when he saw children running through a field strewn with missile craters in Irpin, a commuter town outside Kyiv which was liberated from Russian control.
The 2004 Ballon D'Or winner said he was overwhelmed by the youngsters' determination to play football despite the carnage around them.
Shevchenko, 46, the son of a military man who despite his upbringing stood against wars all his life, was so angry at the Russian invasion in February he felt such excruciating pain I couldn't even breathe.
I couldn't comprehend the fact that bombs are falling and rockets are flying in the centre of democratic Europe now, he said, speaking this week.
They fly towards my home, towards everything I love. I had to decide on what I should do to help my country quickly.
I thought about everything I'm capable of and where I can be most effective.
And I realised that I have to use the power of my name, to fight for Ukraine publicly.
Shevchenko, unlike some Ukrainian sports stars who took up arms, chose an ambassadorial role to showcase his country's plight.
The 2003 Champions League winner with AC Milan and top tennis player Elina Svitolina immediately accepted an invitation from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to become ambassadors for a charity called United24.
He met the president in Kyiv on May 18.
It was the first time I came to Ukraine since February 24, the war had been going on for two and a half months already, and Russian troops had only just retreated from the city.
I saw an empty, and yet indomitable, Kyiv. It was a very emotional moment for me, as well as my meeting with the president.
The charity was launched by Zelensky to collect donations to cover Ukraine's most pressing needs: Defence and de-mining, medical aid and to rebuild the country which has been devastated since Vladimir Putin launched the invasion.
Shevchenko has focused on raising funds for medical aid and reconstruction.
We are about to announce the first project this week. In total, over $200 million were collected in five months, and people from 110 countries joined in.
I think I made the right decision.
- 'Sympathy and admiration' -
Shevchenko, whose mother and sister were able to leave Kyiv around six weeks after the invasion, said he never ceased to be amazed at the resilience of his compatriots on his visits back home.
The people I met in Borodianka, in a temporary house built for 22 families, have already arranged the living space there and met us with smiles on their faces, he said.
Despite the fact that these people lost everything they had, they keep enjoying their lives.
And this is such a typical trait for Ukrainians. To raise from the darkness, always looking for the best in everything and supporting each other.
Ukrainians evoke not only sympathy, but also admiration from the whole world.
He says he is indebted to his former club for their support.
There are no words to describe how I felt when AC Milan announced they were releasing a special t-shirt with my number in support of Ukraine, he said.
Sales of the t-shirt raised 200,000 euros ($196,000) which will help reconstruct a children's football pitch in Irpin, destroyed by Russian missiles.
Shevchenko -- who has also been touched by the great, constant support from Barcelona's Polish forward Robert Lewandowski -- said despite recent Ukrainian battlefield successes he was reminded only last week of Russia's ability to strike.
A week ago, I left Kyiv by train, on the day when the most devastating strikes since February 24 hit Ukraine, he said.
Today (he spoke to AFP on October 17), Russia attacked civilians again.
A residential house is on fire in the very centre of Kyiv, a family expecting a child was killed.
However, even amid the loss of innocent lives Shevchenko saw something to hearten him.
Among all this horror and pain, I saw a photo of a rescuer taking a small kitten out of the rubble.