FC Shakhtar Donetsk

FC Shakhtar Donetsk is the biggest rival of Dynamo Kyiv and the only Ukrainian club to win a major European competition. Founded in 1936 in the industrial region of Donetsk, the club is a reference for the use of Brazilian players in European football. Due to the conflict in eastern Ukraine, the club currently plays away from its home city, using other stadiums in the country.

History

Shakhtar Donetsk won the UEFA Cup in 2009, defeating Werder Bremen in the final held in Istanbul, which remains the club's greatest title. Under the command of coach Mircea Lucescu, the club dominated Ukrainian football and built an innovative model for integrating Brazilian talents such as Willian, Fernandinho and Douglas Costa, who later shone at the biggest European clubs. The war in eastern Ukraine forced the club to relocate from Donetsk in 2014, and the intensified conflict in 2022 brought new challenges. Shakhtar continues to participate in European competitions and is a symbol of Ukrainian resistance.