KV Mechelen played a benefit friendly against FC Karpaty Lviv on Saturday evening. The proceeds from the gala match will go to a centre in the Ukrainian sister city for people who have survived captivity and torture.
Over 4,000 tickets were sold for the friendly encounter during the international break. The expected revenue is between 30,000 and 40,000 euros. The KV Mechelen players wore green and white kits, the colours of city rivals Racing Mechelen.
Humanitarian convoys
The match is part of a broader aid effort. A humanitarian convoy already left Mechelen for Lviv on Monday. A second convoy of eleven vehicles departed after the match, on Monday 5 October. The Rivierenland police zone provided eight police cars and two motorcycles, the fire brigade zone supplied a truck with a hook arm and a container. All vehicles were loaded with goods including bulletproof vests, fire hoses and more than 21,000 medical items.
Initiator and KV Mechelen stalwart Piet den Boer explained why this effort is so important. "I have been to Lviv myself with a Mechelen aid convoy," he said. The situation in Ukraine stands in stark contrast to the 90 minutes of uninterrupted football in Mechelen. In Lviv itself, matches are stopped when air raid alarms sound, after which players and supporters go to shelters. The number of spectators allowed depends on the capacity of those shelters, a reality football there has lived with for four years.
Solidarity
The special evening brought supporters from both clubs together. KV Mechelen fan Glenn, who is friends with Ukrainian war refugees, hoped for a fitting result. "A draw would be nice," he said. Supporter Tara brought children to the match. Ukrainian supporters also travelled specially, like Roman who came from Amsterdam and Sergy, Andriy and Katia who came to cheer for Karpaty.
For manager Fred Vanderbiest and his team, the match provided a break from a difficult league campaign. KV Mechelen currently sit 18th in the Jupiler Pro League with three points from seven games. The team has scored five goals and conceded fourteen. They now look ahead to the next league fixture, a home match against St. Truiden on 10 October. The full schedule and current standings can be found on our site.
The humanitarian effort is separate from the sporting schedule, but shows the bond between the sister cities. The latest convoys are on their way to Lviv with critical supplies for the region.
