Our football club FC Shakhtar Donetsk has published its 20th annual report, covering the 2025/26 season. The report marks 30 years since our shareholder Rinat Akhmetov became president of the club on 11 October 1996. In his foreword, Mr Akhmetov writes that, despite the war and 12 years of playing away from home, Shakhtar continues to represent Ukraine with dignity on the international stage. He also looks ahead to the day the club plays again at Donbass Arena in a free Ukrainian Donetsk.
What does FC Shakhtar's 20th annual report include?
The report describes FC Shakhtar's activities and achievements in the 2025/26 season, with statistics for the first team, the women's team and the Shakhtar Stalevi amputee football team. It also covers the club's Academy and franchise school programme, the work of the Shakhtar Social foundation, humanitarian projects during the full-scale war, and key financial figures, including revenue and taxes paid.
For the 2025/26 season, the club reported total revenues of approximately €104 million, demonstrating that the club continues to have a uniquely sustainable financial model driven primarily by €80 million in player transactions alongside UEFA, FIFA, and commercial income. By contributing approximately €15 million to the state budget across all levels, the club also remains a significant taxpayer in Ukraine.
What has FC Shakhtar achieved since 1996?
Since Rinat Akhmetov became president on 11 October 1996, FC Shakhtar has won 40 trophies, including 16 Ukrainian league titles, 14 Ukrainian Cups and the UEFA Cup. The club is one of the best-known football brands in Eastern Europe and is playing its 20th season in the UEFA Champions League.
In September, UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin presented Rinat Akhmetov with a commemorative award at UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland marking the 30 years of his club presidency and Shakhtar's 90th anniversary.
How has the war affected FC Shakhtar?
The war has kept FC Shakhtar away from its home in Donetsk for 12 years. In his foreword, Mr Akhmetov writes:
"Despite the terrible war Russia has unleashed against us and the immense trials our country is going through. For 12 years, the team has been forced to play away from home."
He adds:
"Over these years, we have proved that nothing can take away our history, our ambitions or our love for the club. I am proud that, in the most difficult times, Shakhtar continues to represent Ukraine with dignity on the international stage."
What does Rinat Akhmetov want for the future of FC Shakhtar?
Mr Akhmetov's aim is to build the strongest Shakhtar in the club's history. "Thirty years ago, I dreamed of building a strong European club. Today, my ambition is even greater," he writes. He wants the club's Academy to develop leaders of the Ukraine national team and stars of world football, and for Shakhtar to win major European trophies again. He wants all of this to happen, one day, "where it should – in a free Ukrainian Donetsk, at our home ground, Donbass Arena". Mr Akhmetov will continue to invest his energy and resources in the club, because being president of FC Shakhtar is "both a great honour and a great responsibility".
What is next for FC Shakhtar in the Champions League?
This week, FC Shakhtar plays AEK Athens in the UEFA Champions League. The players' shirts carry the message "Invest in Ukraine" – our call for international partners to invest in Ukraine alongside us.
