Saša Balić, a former member of the young and occasional "A" football team of Montenegro, who has been playing in Ukraine for two years, says that the situation in that country is not quite as dark as someone who follows political events through the media might conclude, and points out that did not feel threatened for a single moment.
"In Zaporizhzhia, where I currently live and play, life goes on completely normally and if I didn't watch television and read newspapers, I wouldn't even know that there are problems in Ukraine. At no time did I feel threatened in Zaporizhzhya. My friends who play in other cities throughout Ukraine also feel safe, so I don't think there is any room for big panic," Balić told "Vijesti".
Recently, the media reported that several thousand demonstrators protested in Zaporizhia on March 2.
"I didn't see those demonstrations, nor did I hear my teammates or anyone talking about them," says the footballer who started his career in Ukraine in "Krivbas" in Kryvyi Rih, and now plays for "Metalurg".
It is true that the people in Ukraine, says Balić, are divided, that some want changes and rapprochement with the EU, while others believe that Russia is their "ideal partner".
"I came to Ukraine at the beginning of March 2012 and my first impression of this country was not very good. Everything looked gray to me, especially the buildings and houses that were built in the 60s and haven't been renovated since then. I was also welcomed by a temperature of -22 degrees," says Balić.
But, he notes, not everything in Ukraine is gray. There is Odessa on the sea, Kiev, which is a world metropolis, Dnipropetrovsk, Lviv. However, given the wealth and potential that Ukraine has, Balić believes that the country can and deserves much more than what it currently has.
"Zaporožje has one main street several kilometers long where all the events, restaurants, cafes are, but as soon as you turn off that street, everything is like in most cities: gray, outdated and not safe. The main problem for both Ukrainians and Russians is alcohol, so they advised me to spend the evening in well-known circles, cafes and restaurants that are known to be safe," says Balić.
It is true that the people in Ukraine, says Balić, are divided, that some want changes and rapprochement with the EU, while others believe that Russia is their "ideal partner".
"As far as I could see, the people here live quite badly. The standard is very low and in a conversation with friends I learned that their salaries are from 200 to 250 dollars, which is below any norm. Of course, politicians and businessmen close to them live best. I am not surprised by their anger and what is happening now is only a consequence of everything that the people are going through. It is their cry with which they tried to change things, above all the future of their children. I'm not sure that the EU will change much for the better, but it can't be worse than the current situation, so I share their opinion that it's worth a try," says Balić.
Other football players from the region do not fear for their lives either
Recently, Serbian footballers who play in Ukraine have evaluated the situation in that country similarly to Balić.
"Everything is OK. The situation in the city is absolutely normal and everything is working. There's no reason to worry, we're all fine," former Red Star goalkeeper Vladimir Dišljenkovic, who has been living and working in Ukraine for nine years and plays for Metalist from Kharkiv, told SPORTAL.RS.
"There is nothing we should worry about for security. There are some events 10-15 kilometers from us, but everything is completely calm and I believe it will stay that way. I didn't even see any soldiers on the street," Igor Duljaj, former Partizan football player and now Sevastopol player, told the same portal.
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