NYON, Switzerland (AP) — Ukraine must modify its team shirt for the European Championship after UEFA on Thursday upheld part of a Russian complaint about slogans and a map that included Crimea.
The yellow-and-blue shirt design unveiled on Sunday angered Russian officials by including an outline of Ukraine’s land territory with the Crimea region which Russia annexed in 2014.
The fresh UEFA ruling allows the map to stay on the shirt, in line with international law which recognizes the Russian annexation as illegal.
However, one of the two slogans woven into the inside of the shirt collar — “Glory to the heroes” — must be removed. “Glory to Ukraine” can remain visible on the back of the shirt’s neck.
Russian lawmakers linked the two slogans together as being used by Ukrainian nationalists, some of whom fought with the Nazis against the Soviet Union in World War II.