“At this stage, we don’t just represent Shakhtar Donetsk. We represent the whole country,” Palkin said, ahead of four matches in London this fall and winter. “For us, it’s also about supporting Ukrainians who left their homes and moved to London, England. And so, these games completely change the context. It’s very important every time to send messages to support Ukraine.”
Shakhtar’s survival among Europe’s elite is emblematic of Ukraine’s resilience in the face of Moscow’s bombardment. Forced to leave Donetsk in 2014, the club spent more than a decade moving between temporary host cities while maintaining their Champions League ambitions throughout the war, despite the difficulty of attracting top European recruits while based in a war zone.
Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, Shakhtar Donetsk has played “home” matches in Poland and Germany. The club’s management are delighted to be based in England for this season’s matches against AEK Athens in Greece, Sporting CP in Portugal, Fenerbahçe in Turkey and Real Madrid in Spain. “(London) is the football capital of the world,” Palkin said.
“We don’t have pressure. We want to play football. We are under pressure 24/7 in Ukraine. And we just want to go out and play for our fans, for Ukraine,” added Srna, a former star defender for Shakhtar Donetsk and the Croatian national team.
Invest in Ukraine
Large white letters adorn Shakhtar Donetsk’s orange and black jersey bearing the name of SCM, the country’s largest private financial and industrial investment company, owned by Ukraine’s richest man and club owner Rinat Akhmetov.
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s relentless assaults have cost tens of thousands of lives in Ukraine and also caused hundreds of billions of dollars in damage to infrastructure across the country. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has crisscrossed the world in recent months trying to maintain Western support for kyiv as the country lacks cash and essential air defenses.
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