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| Full name | FC Shakhtar Donetsk | ||
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| Nickname(s) | Hirnyky (Miners); Kroty (Moles)[1] | ||
| Founded | May 24, 1936 | ||
| Ground | Donbass Arena (Capacity: 51,504) |
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| Chairman |  Rinat Akhmetov |
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| Head coach |  Mircea Lucescu |
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| League | Ukrainian Premier League | ||
| 2008-09 | Ukrainian Premier League, 2nd | ||
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History overview
The team has played under the following names: Stakhanovets (1936-1946), Shakhtyor (1946-1992) and FC Shakhtar (since 1992).
The club was originally formed in May 1936 and was initially named Stakhanovets which was the name of labor society and, in its turn, named after Aleksei Stakhanov, the Russian coal-miner in the Donbas, who became a propaganda celebbrity in 1935. The first team was based upon two other local teams, the participants of the All-Ukrainian Spartakiads: Dynamo Horlivka and Stalino. The first game was unofficial against Dynamo Odessa and took place on May 12, 1936 at Balitsky Stadium. The team of Donbas lost it 2:3 after scoring the first. Its first official game with Dynamo Kazan was even more disappointing, which they lost 1:4. Nonetheless, the selective job conducted constructively by the clubs administration allowed the club to compete successfully at the top level by the end 1930s. During the war championship of 1941 which was interrupted unexpectedly the club defeated the Soviet champions FC Dynamo Moscow and after about ten games was placing the fifth. The last game of that championship they played on June 24 two days after the start of the Great Patriotic War, [2] which they lost at home to Traktor Stalingrad.[3]
The All-Union coal mining society of Stakhanovet had changed its name in July of 1946 to Shakhtyor. The first success for the team was in 1951, under name of Shakhtyor when it took the third place in the USSR Championship.
In the 1960s, Shakhtar under Oleg Oshenkov’s coaching were three-time USSR Cup finalists, winning it twice in 1961 and 1962. The club was nicknamed "The Cup Team” due to Shakhtar’s success in vying for the trophy every year, however the Miners’ more notable achievements occurred later from the mid-1970s to the early 1980s.
In 1975, Shakhtar took 2nd in the USSR Championship and received the right to represent the Soviet Union in European competition. In 1978, Shakhtar finished third in the USSR Championship. A year later, the team finished second and its captain – striker Vitaliy Starukhin – was named the best player and the best forward in the USSR Championship (26 goals scored).
Shakhtar twice, in 1980 and 1983, brought home the crystal USSR Cup to Donbass and in 1983, it won the USSR Super Cup over then-domestic league champions Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk.
In 1996, Rinat Akhmetov took over as president and subsequently invested heavily in the club [4].
In the newly independent Ukraine, Shakhtar along with Dynamo Kyiv became perennial first place competitors. In 1999, a Shakhtar Football academy was opened and now hosts football training for roughly 3000 children.
Shakhtar have, to date, appeared in all three editions of the First Channel Cup, winning the 2006 edition and finishing runners up in 2008.
For the last several seasons Shakhtar has the highest home attendance in a league, averaging at about 20,000 per game.
In 2009, they became only the second Ukrainian team to win a European competition, and the first to win the UEFA Cup, beating Werder Bremen in the final, with goals from Brazilians Luiz Adriano and Jadson.[5]
[edit] Stadium
FC Shakhtar has been playing most of its games at the RSK Olimpiyskiy stadium. The construction of a new stadium, Donbas Arena has finished and was opened on 29 August 2009. The stadium has a capacity of 50,149 and has been awarded a UEFA five star rating.
FC Shakhtar's old home, the central Shakhtar Stadium which was built in 1936, and was reconstructed four times, is currently being used by FC Shakhtar Reserves. The stadium received some major renovations, including the installation of bench seats in 2000, when FC Shakhtar made it to the Champions League Group Stage.
A mascot mole (moles is a nickname for the club) will entertain spectators during the home matches[1].
[edit] Logo history
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The first logo of the club was designed in 1936, it featured a blue hexagon, with a red 'S' in the middle, crossed over by a jackhammer. In 1946, when the club was renamed, the logo was changed to black and white, with addition of club's name.
Later in the middle of the 60s logo depicted two crossed hammers and a writing Shakhtar 'Donetsk' in the circle. About the same time the crest was added to the kit and remained there since, except for several seasons, in the beginning of 1990s.
In 1989, an artist, Viktor Savilov, on the event of the club restructuring offered a draft variant of a logo with elements of the ball and a pitch. Some time later the logo was remodelled into the present one. The emblem was added to the kit in 1997.[6]
In 2008, during the presentation of club's new stadium Shakhtar's new logo was unveiled. For the first time in over 30 years, traditional symbols of the club "Crossed Hammers" were present on the crest.
[edit] Former uniforms
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[edit] Rivalry
Shakhtar's biggest rival is Dynamo. The match between them is called the Ukrainian derby . The stadiums in Kyiv and Donetsk are full for matches between the two teams. The other rivalry with Metalurh Donetsk is local and although not as significant as games against the rivals from the capital games between two Donetsk teams have been proclaimed as the Donbass Derby, named after the region that Donetsk is situated in.
Among the extinguished rivalries are the games against FC Spartak Moscow and FC Dinamo Tbilisi that took place at times of the Soviet Top League.
[edit] Club song
Lyrics by: K.Arsenev; Music: I.Krutoiy
- Glory to you, Shakhtar!
- Heavens of football stars
- Will always be on your side,
- And the light of your best dreams
- Is shining from above.
Refrain:
- Beauty of green fields, that's for you, Shakhtar.
- My fate is in your hands, you are the best, Shakhtar.
- And for you, Shakhtar, the medal of my love
- Will always shine on pitch where you are,
- And forever will protect you from defeat
- The brightest football star!
Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros have a song called Shakhtar Donetsk on the album Global A Go-Go.
[edit] Honours
[edit] USSR/Ukraine
[edit] Official
Winner
- 2002, 2005, 2006, 2008
- 1995, 1997, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2008
- 2005, 2008
- USSR Cup: 4
- 1961, 1962, 1980, 1983
- 1983
Runner-Up
- 1994, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2009
- 2003, 2007, 2009
- 2004, 2006, 2007
- 1975, 1979
- USSR Cup: 4
- 1963, 1978, 1985, 1986
- 1980, 1985
[edit] Europe
Winner
- UEFA Cup: 1
- 2009
Runner-Up
- 2009
[edit] Non-official
- 2006
- La Manga Cup: 1
- 2007
- Uhrencup: 1
- 2009
[edit] Non-football
On May 26, 2009 Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko decorated the FC Shakhtar players, coaching staff and the management with various Ukrainian honor titles.[7][8]
[edit] Current squad
As of 27 September 2009.
The Cyrillic-based names of players, although not in the accordance to the official decision of the Verkhovna Rada (Decision #9 of April 19, 1996)[9] for the Ukrainian-English transliteration, are transliterated in accordance to the official website of the FFU.
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