Bayern Munich begin their Champions League round of 16 tie against Shakhtar Donetsk on Tuesday, but the first leg was moved to Lviv, a Ukrainian city 750 miles away from Donetsk. The decision to move the match came after Shakhtar’s Donbass Arena was damaged by artillery fire amidst the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
Damage to a stadium is inconsequential compared to the thousands who have been injured or killed by the violence in the region, though. And with that in mind, Bayern are trying to help by funding the medical care of children in Ukraine.
From Bayern’s official site:
The donation from FC Bayern Hilfe eV has enabled a volunteer German doctor to perform 60 operations. FCB have also donated anaesthesia equipment for the intensive care unit after the hospital’s previous equipment recently broke down. The charity event was set up by the Big Shoe organisation founded by an FC Bayern member in 2006. 900 operations have been performed worldwide to date.
Sadly, Thomas Muller was not donated to the hospital as a Patch Adams type physician to keep the children smiling.