Darijo Srna expects Ukraine to unite behind Shakhtar in Conference League semi

Shakhtar Donetsk sporting director Darijo Srna expects every television in war-torn Ukraine will be tuned to his team’s Conference League semi-final against Crystal Palace on Thursday evening.

Krakow’s Synerise Arena is the latest stop on Shakhtar’s exile tour – one that, on Saturday, will be marked by the 12th anniversary of their final match at the Donbas Arena, played just weeks after heavily armed pro-Russian separatists seized the city and swathes of the surrounding region.

Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Srna’s young Shakhtar team have become not just footballers but purveyors of rare hope, using their European campaign as an opportunity to remind the rest of the world of the plight at home.

“I think the whole of Ukraine will watch our game because it’s something positive in our country,” Srna said.

“Our players will give their best for 90 minutes to show some positive emotion to our country, to our citizens, to our army. I believe that we have the full support, not just in Krakow.

“A lot of army soldiers will be with Shakhtar Thursday evening, but we can promise we can fight until the end, for Shakhtar, for Ukrainian fans, and for all Ukrainian citizens.”

Shakhtar chief executive Serhii Palkin believes about 11,000 professional footballers left Ukraine after the 2022 invasion, including many “top talents” from their own academy.

Course set for Kraków!