Andriy Shevchenko asked Italy to open its hearts to his Ukraine homeland in an emotional interview broadcast Sunday night on one of the country’s biggest current affairs TV programmes.
Speaking to ‘Che Tempo Che Fa’ on Italian public broadcaster RAI, Shevchenko held back the tears as he described the situation faced by his family near Ukraine’s capital city Kyiv.
He said “My mum, my sister and other relatives of mine are still in Ukraine, I speak to them every day. It was their choice to stay, I can’t look at what’s happening to my country without crying. They tell me the truth of what’s happening in Ukraine, bombed cities, children and old people killed. We need to try and convince Russia to a cease-fire, find a diplomatic solution and stop. When I arrived in Italy, the country opened its heart to me. You made me feel like one of you, and I feel like it’s my second home, now I ask you: open your hearts to my people, we need your help… make them feel like you made me feel.”