Spaniard Liles Cortes is waiting in Kiev to leave Ukraine

Mathematical Writing, Feb. 24 (EFE). Spain’s Luis Cortes, coach of the Ukrainian women’s soccer team and former coach of FC Barcelona women’s soccer, is in a hotel in Kiev with his partner Jordi Escora, the team’s physical coach, waiting to be able to leave the country.

In a phone conversation with EFE, the former Barcelona coach confirmed that they are in contact with the Spanish embassy and the Ukrainian Football Association to make the best decision, although he admits that one option would be to drive to the city of Lviv, in the west of the country to cross the border with Poland.

Cortes and Escora, both residents of Spain, arrived in Kiev on Wednesday to settle a banking deal just hours before Russia launched a large-scale military operation against Ukraine.

“At six in the morning we heard the noise of the bombs and the sirens started going off,” explains Cortes, who is in a hotel near the Dynamo Kiev stadium with Eskora and his Ukrainian agent.

According to the testimony of a technician from Lida, this morning in Kiev “there is little movement in the streets”, an image that contrasts with what they experienced yesterday before the start of the armed conflict.

“We had dinner last night and walked the streets normally. It was normal,” said coach Balaguer, who said it was “calm” because, in his opinion, “attacking civilians would not be a good decision”.

Cortes coached the Barcelona women’s team until last summer, when he left FC Barcelona after winning the La Reina Cup, La Liga, and the Champions League. After her successful performance, last November she agreed to take charge of the Ukrainian women’s team. EFE

vmc / fa / og