Shakhtar Donetsk’s European odyssey continues as they prepare to face Crystal Palace in the Conference League semi-finals, with the Ukrainian club still reeling from the effects of war. The first leg takes place in Krakow on Thursday, marking another chapter in a marathon campaign that has seen Shakhtar play 15 European matches since July.
Arda Turan's Bold Move
Serhii Palkin, Shakhtar’s chief executive, wasn’t sure whether Arda Turan would be interested in managing a club exiled from its home stadium since 2014. The former Turkey international had just left Eyüpspor after two years but was eager to join. “Arda is a special guy,” Palkin said. “He doesn’t care about the war, he’s not afraid. He runs three to four kilometres every game on the touchline.”
Unprecedented Travel Challenges
Shakhtar’s “home” fixtures are played in Krakow, almost 1,000 miles from Donetsk and a 10-hour drive from their Kyiv training base. Their journey to Alkmaar for the quarter-final second leg took nearly 24 hours. Sporting director Dario Srna highlighted the grueling schedule: “After the Palace game, we go by bus for four hours, then train, then travel at 4am to Kyiv. Saturday training, Sunday derby against Dynamo Kyiv, then back to London. It’s been like this for four years.”
Resilience Amid Adversity
Despite the challenges, Shakhtar have scored 59 goals in 25 league matches under Turan, closing in on the title. The club lost 14 foreign players after Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022 due to special Fifa regulations. “Fifa killed us,” Srna said. “We started building a new Ukrainian team with 99% Ukrainian players. Now we’re buying Brazilians again.”
Brazilian Talent Pipeline
Shakhtar have 14 Brazilians on their books, including teenage playmaker Isaque Silva. The sale of Kevin to Fulham for a club-record £35 million last summer underscored the success of their model. “We believe in our model,” Palkin said. “We lost our home, but not our identity. Brazilian players see Shakhtar as a bridge to top European leagues.”
Local Development and Hope
Despite losing academy players after the invasion, Shakhtar have developed talents like Viktor Tsukanov and Denys Smetana, following in the footsteps of Georgiy Sudakov and Mykhailo Mudryk. Srna initially doubted the Conference League but now embraces it: “When you reach the semi-final, you realise you did an amazing job for our players and our country. The whole of Ukraine will watch.”
A Message to the World
Srna said President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will be invited to the final in Leipzig if Shakhtar advance. Palkin sees the tie as a chance to remind the world of Ukraine’s plight. “People may be tired of the war, but we cannot ignore it. We need to resolve this together and conclude a fair peace.”
