Dear fans and friends,
We celebrate Shakhtar’s 87th birthday at the time of the most difficult challenges for our club, our country and all Ukrainians. War leaves no room for a festive mood, it takes away all our thoughts, our strength, our emotions. But we are united around a common goal – the victory of Ukraine.
Every day, each of us makes all efforts to hasten our victory. Our military, volunteers, doctors, energy workers, all Ukrainians win daily battles against the enemy and circumstances and help the country to withstand it and defeat the aggressor. The most important thing we need is strength, patience and faith in victory.
Football club Shakhtar has been experiencing all the hardships of the war since 2014, when due to the invasion of Russian troops we were forced to leave our hometown of Donetsk, our own home – our Donbas Arena, our fans.
But we continued to fight: we won brilliant victories for Ukraine on the field, we helped and continue helping Ukraine and Ukrainians to the best of our ability outside the stadium. FC Shakhtar supports our soldiers who were seriously injured at the front, financing their medical and prosthetic treatment, takes care of children who lost their parents due to the war, delivers humanitarian aid to the places where it is especially needed.
Now Shakhtar is not just a football team, the club has become a symbol of Ukraine in Europe and the world and always guards the interests of Ukrainian football and our country. Now I am especially grateful to the club for its active citizenship, which helps strengthen the international standing of Ukraine and defend the reputation of our country in the world together. I am grateful to Shakhtar players for personally addressing their colleagues from other football clubs to help them distinguish good from evil.
Today I want to congratulate the veterans of our club, who have been fighting for the honour and glory of Shakhtar during all these 87 years. I want to congratulate the coaches, players, staff members and employees of the club who are writing the modern history of the Miners. I want to congratulate all generations of our fans, without whom there would be no such victories and achievements, and especially those who now defend our country.
Shakhtar’s main victory is the victory of Ukraine in the war. The main wish is the liberation of all our lands, peace and prosperity in the country and well-being of all Ukrainians. We will be truly happy only when the Anthem of Ukraine will be heard before every Shakhtar’s match again in Donetsk and Luhansk, Mariupol and Crimea.
I wish peace and well-being to you and your families, dear fans!
Happy birthday, Shakhtar! Happy holiday, dear friends!
With deepest respect,
Rinat Akhmetov
