By Jaroslaw Adamowski
November 7 – Rinat Akhmetov, the owner of Shakhtar Donetsk, is considering buying Arena Lviv, where the Ukrainian club is currently hosting its home matches, according to local authority representatives.
Since the outbreak of the military conflict in Ukraine, Shakhtar has been exiled to Lviv, in the country’s western part. This October, the side’s Donbass Arena suffered major blast damage, as fights between pro-government forces and separatists are continuing in eastern Ukraine despite a ceasefire agreed by the Ukrainian government and Russia.
Local media report that the club is in the process of arranging permanent accommodation for its players in Lviv, and Shakhtar’s owner is negotiating with municipal authorities to purchase the Arena Lviv.
“This is true, such talks are ongoing,” an unnamed official from the city’s authorities told Polish daily Gazeta Wyborcza.
The amount of the potential deal was not disclosed. Local club FC Karpaty Lviv also plays its home matches at the stadium.
Last July, Shakhtar’s coach Mircea Lucescu announced that his squad will train in Kiev and use Arena Lviv to host its home matches. The move came after a number of the team’s top players declined to return to Donetsk following the outbreak of the military conflict.
Shakhtar’s sports facility in Donetsk has a capacity of 52,187, while the stadium in Lviv can accomodate 34,915 spectators. In the 2013/2014 season, the side won the Ukrainian championship.
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