FC Shakhtar Donetsk (Ukrainian: Шахтар Донецьк) is a Ukrainian professional football club, playing in the city of Donetsk, the capital of Donetsk region. The club won the 2009 UEFA Cup Final defeating the German team Werder Bremen 2-1 after extra time.

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 after Aleksei Stakhanov, a coal-miner in the Donbas. The first success for the team was in 1951, when then-renamed Shakhtar took 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.

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 the first team from Ukraine to win an European competition, the UEFA Cup, beating Werder Bremen in the final, with goals from Brazilians Luiz Adriano and Jadson.

Stadium

FC Shakhtar has been playing most of its games at the RSK Olimpiyskiy stadium. The team has started construction on a new stadium, Donbas Arena which will have a capacity of 50,000 and will be a UEFA five star venue.

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 Metalurg Donetsk. 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.

New home stadium FC Shakhtar is Donbass Arena.

Logo history

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.

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.

Rivalry

Shakhtar's biggest rivals are Dynamo. 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.

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.