Dynamo Kyiv - Fenerbahce

July 20, 2022

Champions League 2nd Qualifying Round
Stadion Miejski im. Władysława Króla, Lodz

The season in Ukraine was not completed due to obvious reasons. The league was stopped with

Shakhtar on top by goal difference and that effectively meant that Dynamo would be playing Champions League qualifiers to get into the group stage. Soon it was revealed that home games would be played in Lodz at LKS stadium. When Dynamo drew Fenerbahce, I decided to head to Lodz to see the game. Even though the distance between Lodz and Krakow is not that large, there is a lack of direct trains that makes the journey somewhat complicated. Fortunately, there was a direct train around the time that I needed, and I got a 4h night bus for the trip back.

Lodz is a big city. It’s still a 3rd or 4th largest city in Poland. However, it’s been suffering a decrease in population and it’s very visible. It used to be a big manufacturing centre but all those formerly prosperous cities got into decline. Lodz is not pretty, it’s very different from Krakow. There is a great deal of neglect and urban decay. They say it’s way better now, but Lodz is still one big grey mess and ruin. But I was in Lodz not for urban exploring, I was there for a football game. 

LKS stadium is located not far from the city centre and there is a direct train from Widzew railway station, where trains from Krakow arrive. LKS ground is very new, the old typical Eastern European oval was demolished and a new stadium got gradually built in its place. It is connected to another railway station and the whole are is very grey, brutalist and concrete. Right next to the ground is an indoor Atlas Arena that will soon host one of the two The Cure concerts in Poland, so I will need to visit Lodz again. Overall, I liked the stadium, even though it does not have any outstanding features and is too big for the team. Currently, LKS is playing in the second level of Polish football.

I knew what to expect in terms of support. It was always going to be just another Ukraine National 

team game. Most spectators were women with children and people just like me – those who moved to Poland a while ago. There were also quite a few Poles who decided to come and see CL Qualifier in Lodz. Turkish fans were also quite prominent. Some of them came from Turkey but majority were either living in Poland or in Germany and other European countries. Lots of Turks spoke German amongst themselves. There were no troubles whatsoever and no segregation was needed – Ukrainian and Turks with respective flags sat calmly next to each other. There were also plenty of Turkish fans wearing other Turkish teams’ shirts. I saw people in various colours and not just Besiktas and Galatasaray. It was very weird for me but then I heard somewhere that Turkish teams have some kind of truce for European games and just support any team from their country. Not sure if it’s true or not but it was very weird to see mortal enemies together.

I spent the first half on my ticket seat but then moved to an improvised ultra section that had a few of  us trying to raise the atmosphere. It was hard as most of the stand behind the goal was occupied by young women wearing traditional Ukrainian dresses and blue-yellow ribbons. They tried to join a few chants but overall the atmosphere was understandably sub-par. A few times there was a call to chant Bayractar to thank the turks for their drones. While the drones greatly helped our army, I’m still not sure Turkey deserved any special thanks at the football game, especially considering the fact how Fener fans behaved the next game and the game in the group stage. Oh, and they were completely neutral and silent throughout the game. I think the loudest they were just before the game on the parking lot.

The game was just dull. I was expecting much worse from Dynamo as this was essentially their first

competitive game since the start of the war. Fenerbahce thought the same and started with a bang,

pressing, and creating chances. However, it soon became clear that they would not be able to maintain the pace and were equally as average as current Dynamo side. Overall, 0-0 was a very fitting outcome of such a drab game. It was one of the last games for Benjamin Verbic. He came to us after he was subbed during the second half and thanked the fans. Too bad his form dipped considerably during the later stages of his Dynamo career. Nevertheless, he was one of the best and you could always tell he cared for Dynamo and Ukraine. I will always remember him fondly and he will always have a special place in Dynamo history.

I walked to the centre of Lodz after the game. The city seemed way livelier in summer and there were

lots of people enjoying warm summer night on the outside terraces of multiple cafes. I had a few

hours to kill before my night bus home to Krakow. There were a lot of turks lining to one particular kebab place and I thought they should know better than us. I stood in the line for a good half an hour before my order was ready. Funnily enough, the kebab was absolute shit and I still have no idea why they all chose that place. Macdonalds was closed and I could not buy coffee anywhere to keep me up. Finally I found a working coffee machine inside the station. The bus was full with fans coming back and I was home early in the morning.