By Andrew Warshaw
September 30 – Spare a thought for Shakhtar Donetsk who play their first ‘home’ Champions League game of the season tonight – 600 miles away.
The nine-time Ukrainian champions, who take on Porto, are currently homeless because of the ongoing conflict in the east of the country, unable to play in the state-of-the-art Donbass Arena, their home since 2009 but which suffered damage from two missile strikes last month.
League games are being played in Kiev but for European fixtures the team are travelling to the far western city of Lviv where, remarkably, 32,000 tickets have been sold for the tie against Porto.
Donetsk is currently controlled by pro-Russian rebels, with the Ukrainian army attempting to regain control of the war-torn city. Shakhtar captain, Croatian international Darijo Srna, admits it’s not easy. “It is currently impossible to play in Donetsk,” he told the BBC. “We are worried for the city, for the stadium, for all people who live there. We just have to play for our fans to show our character.”
Shakhtar’s billionaire owner Rinat Akhmetov says the damage to the club’s ground is nothing compared to the lives lost in the conflict. “If I was asked whether I’m ready to see our stadium smashed into small pieces and lose my business, but instead see peace in Donbass, I would agree without any doubts,” Ahmetov said.
“The most important thing is to stop the war and save the lives of children, women, older people and all residents of Donbass.”
Shakhtar’s general director Sergei Palkin told the BBC: “We live on wheels. Naturally, it is difficult mentally and psychologically, but we have no other options. We do what we can. Atmosphere in the team is normal, the spirit is fine. It takes decades to create a club, and you can lose it just in two months.”
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