Spurs to honour Kiev victims

20 February 2014 14:32

A minute's silence will be held before Tottenham's Europa League tie against Dnipro in the Ukrainian city of Dnipropetrovsk on Thursday night as a sign of respect to the victims of anti-political protests in Kiev.

The game will take place 220 miles away from the unrest in the country's capital, where bloody clashes between police and protesters have been beamed around the world in recent days.

Ukraine's president Viktor Yanukovych, who announced on Wednesday a truce had been called - although the battles have since continued - declared Thursday as a day of mourning for those who have lost their lives.

That originally put Tottenham's opening leg of their round-of-32 tie against Dnipro, managed by former Spurs boss Juande Ramos, in doubt - although UEFA announced on Wednesday it anticipated the fixture would go ahead.

Dynamo Kiev have had their Europa League tie with Valencia moved to Cyprus but, with no large-scale protests in Dnipropetrovsk, the Spurs game should be unaffected with the Barclays Premier League side announcing the marks of respect that will take place at the Dnipro-Arena.

"There will be a minute's silence before kick-off and both teams will wear black armbands during the game as a mark of respect to those who have lost their lives as a result of the unrest in Ukraine," a statement on Tottenham's official website read.

"In addition, we have been asked to request that our fans do not display any banners this evening as a mark of respect.

"The club would like to remind supporters travelling to the match to take extra care when journeying to and from the stadium.

"Once again travelling fans are advised to avoid gatherings and areas where demonstrations could occur such as public squares and administrative buildings.

"For those fans travelling via Kiev, the Metro in Kiev is currently still not operating.

"We remain in contact with the British Embassy in Ukraine and will continue to convey any relevant new information to supporters via this website throughout the day."

Spurs head coach Tim Sherwood said in his pre-match press conference on Wednesday that he is keen to keep his players focused on their match whilst in Ukraine.

"No security travelled on the plane or at the hotel, we feel comfortable," he said.

"We just concentrate on the game. It is never great to see violence in any country at any time but it is something we are not concentrating on. We will do our job. Hopefully when we leave tomorrow we will be happy."

Captain Michael Dawson echoed his manager's comments as he looks to guide Tottenham to a first-leg lead ahead of next week's match at White Hart Lane.

"We have come over here to play football," he said.

"It is not for us to comment what is happening in Ukraine. We are here to concentrate on football. Ukraine is a tough place to come but it is about us."

Source: PA