Jean-François Pérès, edited by Romain Rouillard 06:20, February 23, 2023
While Nantes will try to achieve the feat against Juventus Turin and Monaco will want to confirm their victory in the first leg against Leverkusen (3-2), Stade Rennais will host the Ukrainians of Shakhtar Donetsk with a goal to catch up.
A far from trivial meeting, at the dawn of the first anniversary of the Russian invasion.
For Stade Rennais, this round of 16 second leg of the Europa League against the Ukrainians of Shakhtar Donetsk is not a meeting like any other.
The Bretons will naturally want to catch up with their one-goal deficit (2-1 defeat in the first leg) and climb to the next round, but their thoughts will go well beyond the field.
"Before being a coach or a player, we are citizens. People with a heart. And we can only be very touched by what Ukraine is going through. These are things that we would no longer like to see in 2023," coach Bruno Genesio said.
A highly symbolic meeting since it will take place on the eve of the first anniversary of the Russian invasion and the outbreak of the conflict in Ukraine.
"When we play, we play for the Ukrainians"
Last week, Rennes played in Poland and lost the first leg.
Since 2014 and the start of the conflict in Donbass, Shakhtar no longer has a stadium or a training center.
The club lives according to the bombardments and random accommodations and has erected itself as the symbol of a bruised but proud Ukrainian football.
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"When we play, we play for the Ukrainians," says Igor Jovičević, the Croatian coach of Shakhtar who left the country at the start of the war before returning.
This Thursday, during this fundamental meeting for the rest of their season, the Rennais will play against 11 opponents but also and above all against a huge extra soul.