Euro 2022 final’s Ukrainian referee Kateryna Monzul spent five days living in bunker in Kharkiv
TODAY’S Euro 2022 final referee is Ukrainian – and spent five days living in an underground bunker after the Russian invasion.
Kateryna Monzul will step out at a sold-out Wembley this afternoon to oversee England vs Germany.
But just months ago, she was in hiding with her family in her hometown of Kharkiv as Russian forces raided the country.
Monzul headed to her parents’ home and took shelter before fleeing Ukraine with her two sisters and their three children, eventually settling in Italy.
They drove through Moldova, Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic before arriving in Germany and then Italy, continuing her refereeing.
Reflecting on the journey from Ukraine to Italy and then to the Euros in England, Monzul said: “When the war started, nobody could believe it.
“My family went to my parents’ home. We were [living] underground – a special place in the house.
“It was stressful and difficult.
“When we left Ukraine, we didn’t have any ideas what the next step was for us.”
