after two years of war, Shakhtar Donetsk still forced into exile to host OM

Forced to play its European Cup matches away due to the Russian invasion, the Ukrainian club will host OM in Hamburg, Germany, on Thursday.

Almost two years after the start of the Russian invasion in Ukraine, Shakhtar Donetsk faces Olympique Marseille on Thursday February 15 in the Europa League play-offs “at home”, at the Volksparkstadion stadium in Hamburg (Germany). Already exiled in kyiv since 2014 and the start of the conflict in Donbass, the Minors continue to play football as best they can, between a Ukrainian championship under high security and complex trips to compete in the European Cup.

“In the league, we do most of our trips by bus, because Ukrainian airspace is still closed due to the war”, explains Oleksandr Zubkov, Shakhtar winger and Ukrainian international (29 caps). The Premier-Liha, the name of the local championship, resumed in August 2022, six months after the first bombs sent by Vladimir Putin to Ukrainian territory. Matches played without an audience, with clubs often forced to relocate their matches depending on the battles and very strict protocols for the slightest bombing alert.

A daily life near the bombs, far from loved ones

Shakhtar Donetsk had to leave the Olympic stadium in kyiv to settle down in Lviv, in the far west of the country, where bombings are becoming rarer and where the proximity to the Polish border allows the club to travel for European meetings. “Because of the war, almost all players live in hotelsdescribes Zubkov. It’s as if we were in training camp every day, with the same program, the same activities every day. It’s quite boring.”

The Ukrainian international left his wife and daughter in Warsaw and can only find them during European Cup matches, when they travel for each match. He is not allowed to leave Ukraine due to martial law. “Sometimes they come to spend just a week here, when it’s quiet. But we don’t want our girl hears the rockets.” European evenings therefore take on a very special character for him and the other players who have made the same choice for their loved ones.

Shakhtar is forced to play its Europa League matches far from the Ukrainian borders. Last season, it was Legia Warsaw who hosted the Minors in their enclosure. This season, it’s HSV. “Hamburg has become our home, we have had good results here in the Champions League and we have a great crowd, who shout, who sing, who encourage us”smiles Oleksandr Zubkov, who still reminds that he and his teammates must do “eight to ten hour journey” to play “at home”.

The return of the Brazilians to Shakhtar

Before facing Marseille, Shakhtar will take a little less time to reach the northern German city. The Ukrainian club, which played its last match in official competition on December 13, 2023 (5-3 defeat against FC Porto), has since been in preseason in Turkey and will travel directly by air. Without having to go through checkpoints by bus to leave Ukrainian territory and reach the nearest Polish airport. The Ukrainian championship will not resume until February 26.

“Our season is a bit special, we have experienced almost two or three different periods. We have had three different coaches. Since Marino Pusic arrived, we like the way we play and we have taken a lot of points”, defends Oleksandr Zubkov, while Shakhtar, accustomed to first places, is in 4th position. With reasons for hope since this winter, the club owned by the extremely wealthy oligarch Rinat Akhmetov spent 24 million euros on two very promising Brazilians: Kevin and Marlon Gomes. Its biggest spending transfer window since the start of the invasion.

“During pre-season this winter, we all said to ourselves that our goal was the semi-finals of the Europa Leagueoutbid the decisive passer against FC Barcelona during Shakhtar’s historic victory (1-0). We have done good preparation, we are optimistic. Brazilian players always bring unusual things, whether it’s incredible technique or a smile in training. So I hope they help us.”

A call for international support

Beyond the stakes of the decisive double confrontation against Olympique de Marseille (February 15 and 22), Oleksandr Zubkov is aware that this type of meeting is also an opportunity to bear witness to the reality of a war which hard : “In 2014 I lived in Donetsk and had to leave [à cause des Russes]. I was never able to go back there. Then nine years later, I have to move again. Let them leave us alone. People need to know that we continue to struggle against a very mean neighbor.”

Conflict is omnipresent in the life of the locker room, which “spends his time reading news loops on Telegram”. “Today we all know a friend, a family member or a loved one who went to defend Ukraine, explains the 27-year-old winger. Thanks to them we can continue to play football, so we help them as best we can.” Against Marseille, the victory would also be a bit for them.