It's futsal but it's still a nice gesture in the face of UEFA's stupidity
Before the UEFA Futsal EURO 2026 qualifying match between Romania and Ukraine, held in Poland, the Romanian team defied UEFA's directive by observing a moment of silence to honor the victims of a recent Russian attack in Sumy, Ukraine.
Despite UEFA's firm refusal to permit a minute of silence, the Romanian players, led by forward Darius Nastai, initiated an impromptu tribute. As soon as the referee signaled the start of the game, Nastai stopped the ball at the center circle, and all players, along with coaches and spectators, stood motionless in silence. The official game clock was halted at 13 seconds, and an explanatory message was read over the public address system.
On Palm Sunday, Russian rockets hit the city of Sumy directly, where more than 30 civilians were killed, many of them children (in addition to over 100 injured).
It was the second major bombing in April, after the one in Kryvyi Rih, where 19 people lost their lives, including nine children
This act of solidarity by the Romanian team was widely praised, especially in light of UEFA's initial prohibition of the tribute.