Soccer During Wartime: The Situation in Ukraine

Soccer in Ukraine has never been truly detached from the political atmosphere of the nation (See earlier post). The current state of soccer in Ukraine proves to be no exception. The fighting between Ukrainian and Russian forces has indeed escalated into a full-blown war, which has affected players, fans, and everyone in-between. Due to war, teams within various divisions of Ukrainian soccer leagues have had to relocate. Some teams were affected more directly than others.  In particular, one team has quite a bit of attention in matters regarding war and soccer. That team is FC Shakhtar Donetsk. Shakhtar Donetsk is one of the most successful and most popular professional soccer clubs in the Ukrainian Premier League. Owned by oligarch Rinat Akhmetov, the club has been able to snag high-profile players that would have otherwise played with Western European teams due to their ability to afford the pricey transfer fees.

Although Donetsk is home to an impressive soccer team, it is also known for something more grim. Recently, Donetsk has come up very frequently in media coverage of the “Ukraine crisis,” as referred to by these news outlets. This Eastern Ukrainian city is currently controlled by pro-Russian separatists and the site of repeated shelling occurrences and continuous armed conflict. One might wonder how a team can continue to play in such a dangerous region. Interestingly, but not very surprisingly, Shakhtar Donetsk is finishing their season in the capital of Kiev and playing their away games in the city of Lviv.Shakhtar Donetsk’s home stadium, Donbass Arena, experienced a number of bombings at the end of last year. The first explosions came in August and then again in October, which left the eastern and western façade of the $400 million arena seriously damaged. A glass panel was knocked out of place and almost took the life of a young girl. This moment was captured on video by CCTV shown below:

Courtesy of Shakhtar Donetsk

Following the shelling in October, Vadyn Gunko, the Arena’s interim executive manager, warned Donetsk residents not to approach the stadium under any circumstance. Was this just another causality of war? Some may think so but there are other theories surrounding the shelling. Shakhtar Donetsk’s billionaire owner, Rinat Akhmetov, happened to flip-flop between his allegiances. He was thought to be pro-Russian side due to his financial support of the ousted president Viktor Yanukovych but he also showed support of the newly elected government in Kiev. Many believe that the attacks on the arena were in retaliation to the Akhmetov,’s actions.

Only two years ago, the stadium was home to various games during the Euro 2012 competition, including the semi-final between Spain and Portugal. At that time, fans from Ukraine and other parts of the world could be seen cheering on their favorite teams and sporting Ukrainian colors and waving Ukrainian flags. This small period of false optimism has seemingly been long forgotten in the war-torn nation ¹. On top of the explosions, which left the team homeless, Shaktar Donetsk’s headquarters were seized by armed men for and their training grounds were destroyed by shelling at the end of August. ²

Even before these events and the move to Kiev, many players expressed concerns regarding their safety within the club. “I like the club, the people, the city, but I’m afraid. We want to stay at the club, but we must have risk-free working conditions,” said, Douglas Costa, a Brazilian midfielder who is likely to move to Chelsea in the upcoming season.

The unsafe playing and living conditions is especially concerning to the team because it is comprised of many internationals. Shakhtar Donetsk is known for bringing in new talent from Brazil – a reputation that was may be at jeopardy. Currently, the squad has 13 Brazilian players, five of whom initially refused to return to Ukraine after a friendly with France back in July, following the MH-17 crash. Although the players have rejoined the team, this could prove to be an important factor in transfers.

At the moment, the team is playing with no immediate safety concerns. Kiev, the capital of Ukraine, is currently home base for Shakhtar Donetsk. The team’s headquarters, training, and home games are all located here. The atmosphere surrounding these games, however, is quite different than what the players and fans are used to. Donbass Arena had a capacity of 52,000 people while Kiev’s Bannikov Stadium, only has a 1,678 person capacity. These home games are generally never sold out as most Shakhtar Donetsk fans aren’t able to make the trip to Kiev. Trains aren’t running between Kiev and Donetsk so those who wish to attend the matches have the take buses and go through potentially dangerous roads and checkpoints. After a Shakhtar Donetsk game against Olimpik Donetsk, a fan remarked, “I don’t know how I’ll get home. Maybe I’ll hitch a ride on a tank” ³ Die-hard fans, calling themselves the “Ultras,” often make the grueling trip to other cities to see their team play. For many fans, football is a good distraction from the fighting occurring in Donetsk.

While trip to Kiev is only about 360 miles from Donetsk, Lviv is over 650 miles away. Although the trip to Kiev is more doable, Lviv Arena hosts Shakhtar Donetsk’s Champion’s League matches. This is only the 3^rd time Shakhtar has appeared in the Round of 16, with a thrilling two matches coming up against Bayern Munich. Lviv Arena is also more appropriate for the occasion as the stadium is able to seat over 30,000 people.

Lviv’s location adds an interesting twist to Shakhtar Donetsk’s residency. Lviv is almost as far west as one can possible go within Ukraine. It is a pro-Ukrainian and pro-European city, quite different than the separatist-controlled city of Donetsk. Given that the move to Lviv is completely legal, most residents do not mind the team’s presence in the city. Additionally, many players have not been vocal about the situation in Ukraine, most likely due to the wishes and demands of Shakhtar Donetsk’s ownership. However, not everyone in Lviv is completely content with the presence of Shakhtar. In some instances, some spectators have hung up banners saying “Get out of Lviv!” during matches ⁴

Indeed, as the need for aid increases, so do the overt, politically driven actions of soccer fans.A common occurrence during many Ukrainian Premier League matches has been the singing of “Putin huylo” as a way to show the disapproval and general hatred of Putin and his intervention in Ukraine.

Fans of FC Dynamo Kiev, FC Karpaty Lviv and FC Shakhtar Donetsk during the March of Unity in Lviv  AFP Photo/Yuriy Dyachyshyn

In July, fans of FC Dynamo Kiev, FC Karpaty Lviv and FC Shakhtar Donetsk united during the “March of Unity” in Lviv to show their supported of a united Ukraine region and protest the actions of Russia and more specifically, Vladimir Putin. As previously mentioned, these fans are referred to as ultras, which are the most radical and passionate soccer fans. Each of the premier league teams has their own ultras organization. Many of the ultras have now joined the Azov Battalion, a far-right paramilitary group. The Azov Battalion is composed of ultras from all over, all having the same general ideology and desire for a united Ukraine. Paramilitary groups like the Azov Battalion are crucial on the pro-Ukrainian side since so-called “pro-Russian separatists” are backed by Russia, giving them a significant advantage. This is uniting many soccer fans from all over on the pro-Ukrainian side:

“We used to have a longstanding war with the Donetsk ultras, but after many of them had to flee Donetsk [because of the war], we helped them find apartments and jobs in Kiev,” Artem, a Dynamo Kiev ultra, said. “I miss [the fighting], but during the war there’s no place for it.” ⁵

Another ultra expressed a similar sentiment: “The ultra movements used to be completely separate and had conflicts with each other. Now they are standing shoulder to shoulder because of the situation. Those of us who are still here in the West are doing everything we can to support Azov before we join them in the East.” ⁶

Although the majority of the action of the Azov Battalion happens in armed conflict, many members still come to soccer games. Dressed in all black topped off with a balaclava, Azov Battalion members come to games in order to collect monetary donations from fans. Although the actual outcome and enjoyment of the game is not the priority of some, it is a source of leisure and distraction from the hardship and turmoil within the nation. In either case, the coming together of fans to support one cause is truly symbolic and a small glimpse of hope in an otherwise pessimistic time for nationalists.

“It’s an excellent opportunity to unite the nation, to ensure dialogue between different parts of the country and to help people forget hate against each other. Still, I want Shakhtar to return to Donbas Arena as soon as possible, as it will mean that the war is over” Oleksandr Sashnyov, a 21-year-old student from Donetsk commented ⁷

Whether soccer is seen as a positive means of change, a distraction, or a place for release and leisure, one cannot deny that the politics of the nation is intrinsically intertwined with the sport in Ukraine. Just as the student from Donetsk remarks, the fate of Shakhtar Donetsk, among other teams, depends on the outcome of the war. For now, the only thing we can do is keep watching. ^{8 9}