As Shakhtar Donetsk gear up for the most pivotal week of their season, they face challenges that go far beyond the pitch—challenges that would test even the world's top managers.
After hosting Crystal Palace in Krakow, Poland, for the first leg of the UEFA Conference League semi-final on Thursday, the Ukrainian Premier League leaders will embark on a grueling 18-hour bus journey back to Kyiv for a Sunday league clash against Dynamo Kyiv. With Ukrainian airspace closed due to the ongoing war with Russia, they'll then reverse course, bus back to Poland, and fly to London for the second leg.
"This is one case, and believe me, it's been like this for four years," said Darijo Srna, Shakhtar's sporting director and former captain. "You will not find in the world a head coach or medical staff who will understand and who has experience to recover players after 18 hours on the road."
The club's pre-match routine often includes hours spent in air-raid shelters and last-minute hotel changes due to rocket damage. Srna added, "If you bring even Pep Guardiola into Shakhtar now, or Jose Mourinho, or Jurgen Klopp, I don't know how he will manage this situation. Believe me, it's just mentality."
Shakhtar has led a nomadic existence since the 2014 Russia-backed annexation of Donetsk, playing home matches across Ukraine. Since Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022, the club has been forced to play European home games in Germany and Poland. These matches serve as a vital link for the estimated 10 million Ukrainians who have fled the war.
"We will have around 26,000 supporters, almost 90% Ukrainian people," said CEO Sergei Palkin of the Krakow fixture. "I am sure that they arrive not just from Poland, but from other countries. They spread over the world, everywhere. For those who stayed abroad, it's like a connection."
Under the management of former Atletico Madrid and Turkey midfielder Arda Turan, Shakhtar is chasing a second European trophy, having won the UEFA Cup in 2008-09. After finishing sixth in the Conference League league phase, they defeated Lech Poznan 4-3 on aggregate in the last 16 and AZ Alkmaar 5-2 in the quarter-finals to reach the semi-finals.
For those who remain in Ukraine, seeing their team compete on the European stage is a powerful symbol of resilience. Football may seem trivial in times of war, but for Shakhtar and its supporters, it represents an unbreakable spirit—a testament that they have lost their home, but not their identity.