The chief executive of Shakhtar Donetsk, Sergei Palkin, has spoken about the situation in the country, insisting Ukrainians will “withstand” the Russian invasion and win the war.
The Ukrainian Premier League club have been on the move since the Russo-Ukrainian war in 2014, having to play their home games in Lviv, Kharkiv and Kyiv. Palkin, who has been CEO of the successful club since 2004, said at the weekend that the country needed “maximum support” from clubs in Europe and beyond.
“The country is at war,” he said. “Russia has carried out a massive invasion of Ukraine. People are getting killed. There are no words to describe what is happening. The global community must stop this as soon as possible. I call upon the clubs we played – those are the majority of Europe’s top teams, as well as Uefa and tens of millions of fans, to provide maximum support to Ukraine.
“This war concerns every European. Only by joining forces can we defeat this madness. I believe that together we will withstand it and win. I experienced a lot of bright moments with Shakhtar, but for me personally, the biggest victory in my life will be winning this war for Ukraine’s independence.”
The 47-year-old said that he was still in Kyiv – and so are most of the club’s staff and players. He added that the club were trying to help their foreign players to get out of the country.
- Download the Guardian app from the iOS App Store on iPhones or the Google Play store on Android phones by searching for 'The Guardian'.
- If you already have the Guardian app, make sure you’re on the most recent version.
- In the Guardian app, tap the yellow button at the bottom right, then go to Settings (the gear icon), then Notifications.
- Turn on sport notifications.
“The club staff stay at their homes, in bomb shelters, basements, down in the tube stations. Just there where it’s safer. At the moment, according to the data available, there are no casualties among the staff and their families. We try to maintain the internal communication, exchange information, support each other.
“All our thoughts today are about the end of this crazy war. About the Ukrainian soldiers, about those who defend our country and its right to sovereignty and independence. I believe that together we will win!”
