Author: Snizhana Palazhchenko

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On July 19, a friendly football match between the teams of mayors of Ukraine and Germany took place in the German town of Hofstetten. Prior to the game, the Ukrainian delegation received humanitarian aid collected as part of the “Hofstetten hilft!” initiative. In particular, firefighting equipment from German cities was handed over to Trostyanets and a school bus for children with disabilities was given to the Hnivan community.

The ball in the center of the field unites municipalities

The match was attended by about 50 representatives of communities from both countries - mayors, starostas, council secretaries and even members of the Bundestag. The match ended with a score of 4:0 in favor of the Ukrainian team.

It was an exciting game - but the main thing is that it united us not only on the field, but also off it. It was another step towards a deeper understanding between the communities of the two countries. After the match, at least four mayors started working on partnerships with the support of Cities4Cities within the “International Municipal Cooperation” sphere of the Polaris Programme "Supporting Multilevel Governance in Ukraine".

 

 

Experience for villages and towns in Ukraine

The host of the event is Martin Aßmuth, the mayor of Hofstetten, an incredibly active community in the Black Forest with a population of almost 2000 people.

Svitlana Blinova, coordinator and leader of Cities4Cities, believes that despite football, there is a lot to learn and adopt from the host community:

"The average age of the residents is 44, 90% work in neighboring cities, but choose Hofstetten to live in. There is a convenient infrastructure here: a new kindergarten with almost 200 children, an outdoor pool in the forest, sports clubs, convenient mobility and slow tourism, which brings more than 30,000 visitors every year.

The city has a very united community, and the dialogue with the city is two-way. I dream that as many Ukrainian mayors as possible will see this city."

It is under the leadership of the Mayor of Hofstetten that the “Hofstetten hilft!” initiative has been operating since 2022, thanks to which 650 tons of humanitarian aid has been sent to dozens of Ukrainian cities.

On that day, before the football match, he was presented with the honorary award “Ambassador of Cities Friendship”. This award was created by the Cities4Cities initiative to recognize leaders who help build municipal partnerships with Ukraine.

 

 

History of the Ukrainian Mayors' Football Team

The Ukrainian Mayors' Football Team has been in existence for over 15 years. It first gathered in 2008 to participate in the European Mayors' Championship in Austria.

"In Germany, this movement is well organized - there is a team, contacts, and established traditions. Such matches are not only about sports, but also a space for meeting and trust. We communicate with each other, meet foreign colleagues, and this often becomes the beginning of new partnerships," says Bogdan Kelichavyi, Mayor of Kopychyntsi and a member of the Ukrainian Mayors' Team.