When Latvia take to the field at the KNVB campus in Zeist for the Unity EURO Cup this Wednesday, they will do so not only as defending champions but as a living testament to football’s ability to rebuild lives.
The annual tournament, organised by UEFA and the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), brings together mixed teams of refugees and local amateur players from across Europe. For Latvia’s side – composed of seven Ukrainians and four Latvians, including three women – this year’s edition represents both a title defence and a powerful reminder of what sport can mean to those who have been forced to start again.
Last year’s captain turned head coach Oleh Lazyrka knows that story better than anyone. A former player from Starobilsk in Ukraine’s Luhansk region, Lazyrka fled the war with his family in early 2022. “We left our home after the invasion began,” he recalls. “The front line moved quickly, and the only way to reach safety was through Russia. We thought it would be for a few months, maybe a year. It’s now been more than three.”
In Latvia, his family was taken in by a local couple – “a wonderful Latvian-French family,” as he describes them – with whom they still share close ties. “They helped us, and we still visit each other. My daughter now goes to school here. We are learning the Latvian language together. It’s not easy, but it’s beautiful.”
Football has been the bridge that turned survival into belonging. Lazyrka, who had spent his life in the game and graduated from the football academy in Luhansk, found a new community through the Latvian Football Federation (LFF).
“Thanks to the Latvian Football Federation, I could play again, meet friends, and join tournaments. Football connected us with people and families. It gave us a sense of home,” he says.
Last year, as captain, Lazyrka led Latvia to their first Unity EURO Cup triumph in Nyon, Switzerland under the guidance of head coach and former national team star Jurijs Žigajevs. This year, Lazyrka returns as coach, guiding the same blend of Latvian and Ukrainian players who train weekly under the LFF’s social responsibility programme. “We’ve grown close,” he smiles. “It’s a very friendly, very united team. We’ve trained hard and we’re ready.”
LFF’s head of social responsibility, Ilvars Koscinkevičs, sees in this project something far beyond footballing success. “These players have been training together since May. The friendships are genuine – almost family-like,” he said. “For Ukrainians, it’s an honour to represent Latvia. Sport is only one side of the medal; the other is human connection.”
This year’s tournament features 18 teams, the largest field yet, including newcomers from Ireland, Northern Ireland, and an EU representative side. Matches are played in a 7-a-side format, with group games leading to a 12-team knockout round.
For hosts the Netherlands, the event is also symbolic. KNVB general secretary Gijs de Jong described it as “an opportunity we didn’t want to miss”, highlighting football’s role as an embodiment of equality. “When you come to the Netherlands as a refugee, joining a club can help you find your place in society,” he said. “Everyone is equal on the pitch.”
Now in its fourth edition, the Unity EURO Cup stands as one of UEFA’s flagship social inclusion projects – a collaboration with the UNHCR that underscores sport’s power to break down barriers. For Latvia, however, its meaning is more personal. “Football found me again here,” Lazyrka reflects. “It gave me purpose, friends, and now a team to lead. That’s what this tournament is about – not just playing, but living again.”
