The international organisation Sports for All offered the football federations of Russia and Ukraine to play a friendly match between the two sides in a neutral country.

But Ukraine, who has an ongoing conflict with Russia, harshly declined the very idea. "A friendly game Ukraine vs. Russia? Under the current circumstances, it can take place only after a friendly game Ukraine vs. Mars!" said the official Facebook account of the Ukrainian Football Federation.

They attached the video of Andriy Shevchenko's goal against Russia in 1999, scored after after Russian goalkeeper Alexander Filimonov's blunder in the EURO 2000 qualification. That was the last time Russia and Ukraine actually faced each other.