UKRAINE

Away 2018/19

Manufacturer: Joma

Source: Karpaty Lviv Fanshop

---

THE COUNTRY

Did you know that Ukraine invented masochism? Well, kind of:

Leopold von Sacher-Masoch, after whom the term was coined, was born in Lviv, then part of the Austrian Empire.

The most masochistic the Ukrainian national team has ever been, was probably their recent 7-1 defeat against world champion France. If this caused great sexual pleasure among the players is not documented, head coach and Ukrainian football legend Andriy Shevchenko, however, didn’t look too aroused when the game was finished…

Apart from this shattering defeat, the Ukrainian team is actually the most successful former Soviet country after their Russian neighbors. Despite only qualifying for a single World Cup in 2006, where the team reached the quarter finals, they have now clinched their third consecutive EURO participation.

THE SHIRT

I love buying shirts when I’m in a country. Exploring the city, having some nice food and casually looking for a football shirt.

This Ukraine shirt was actually more difficult to find than I imagined. Since football is really big in Ukraine, I was expecting to be able to buy a shirt in every sports shop. However, the only shop I could find in the whole city of Lviv that stocked national team shirts was the fan shop of local club Karpaty Lwiw.

After being supplied by Umbro, Puma, Lotto and Adidas, the team switched to Spanish manufacturer Joma. In the tradition of great Ukraine shirts, Joma set out to create a lovely design, embodying typical Ukrainian design elements, such as the traditional pattern in the shape of a sash.