'We lost our home, not our identity' - Shakhtar eye European glory

It may sound trite to say that football is more than a game, but for those who remained in Ukraine, it is important to see representatives of their country succeed on the international stage.

"It's almost [always] negative news, and Ukrainians are living under big emotional pressure," said Palkin.

"For us to go to a semi-final, it means we can give them some kind of positive emotion, to understand that we are alive, Ukrainian football is alive, and we can continue to compete on this high level.

"It's very important because we give some kind of belief to our people that Ukrainian guys can reach and do something crucial in life."

'We are not selling them comfort'

Image caption,

The Shakhtar XI that beat AZ Alkmaar 3-0 in the first leg of their quarter-final tie contained seven Brazilians

Running a successful football club in a country at war is no easy feat, never mind one with the history and prestige of Shakhtar.

Over the past 20 years the club's model has been to buy promising young Brazilian talents, develop them and then sell them to Europe's top clubs for profit.

Fernandinho, Douglas Costa, Willian and Fred are just a few who used Shakhtar as a stepping stone to Europe's elite.

Shakhtar have always blended South American flair with homegrown talents from their academy - the £89 million sale of Mykhailo Mudryk to Chelsea in 2023 showed that can be a profitable avenue as well.

However, Fifa's decision in 2022 to allow both foreign and homegrown players to leave Ukrainian clubs for free because of the war left Shakhtar in a difficult position.

"It was a big problem because we lost top talents. We lost 14 players and coaching staff," said Palkin. "So we started to build a new Ukrainian team."

Thanks to the relationship they had built up with clubs and players in Brazil, Shakhtar have gradually returned to their model.

Turan has 12 Brazilians in his squad, with more expected to arrive in the summer. Even with the uncertainty of war, Brazilians jump at the chance to join them.

"We are not selling them comfort, because everybody understands the war, it's not comfort. We are selling them their career pathway," Palkin said.

"We lost our home, but we didn't lose our identity. We follow our procedures, we follow our model, what we are building."

Palkin is aware that European success for Shakhtar can help keep his people's struggle in the wider public consciousness.

"I understand it's difficult, but it's not possible to close your eyes on what's going on here in Ukraine," he said.

"Can you imagine what this means for Ukraine, also for President Zelensky, for all the people, for all the fans, also for the other clubs?

"I am proud of this team. We are still strong. We are still united."