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Since the start of the Ukraine conflict in February 2022, tens of thousands of Russians and Ukrainians who scrambled to safety in neighboring Georgia have clubbed together to form an amateur football league.
Footbilisi now includes around 700 amateur footballers from Georgia, Russia, Ukraine and many other countries. Regulars say the league's sense of solidarity has helped them cope with fleeing their homes.
"At first, football helped, and still helps, us to take our minds off things," said Ruslan, a tournament organizer originally from St. Petersburg.
"We found ourselves in new environment with unfamiliar language for most. A new society with its own ways, its own look on life."
Players from many countries have bonded on the football pitch in Georgia. /Reuters
On the pitches of a football academy in a leafy Tbilisi suburb, players can try to resolve national and cultural divides that have engulfed Georgia since the eruption of the conflict in Ukraine last year.
Offering visa-free entry to Russians, Ukrainians and other nationalities, Georgia became one of the top refuges for emigres escaping the troubles and conscription in Ukraine, Russia and Belarus.
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It is a tense time for some in Georgia, with the country's president recently backing a visa scheme to limit the number of new arrivals from Russia.
"We joke about the war, in a friendly way. It's easier to tackle the topic this way," said Vasily, a player from Moscow.
"Of course everybody understands why they are here. We support each other. And this draws us to this club. It's more than just football."
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Disinformation report hotline: 010-85061466