Shakhtar Donetsk Football Club will play the 2026/2027 UEFA Champions League in shirts carrying the call to "Invest in Ukraine" along with the logo of System Capital Management (SCM), Ukraine's largest private investor, owned by our shareholder Rinat Akhmetov. The campaign is a global communications initiative asking international business to invest in Ukraine now, during the war, rather than waiting for it to end. Shakhtar will play at least eight Champions League matches, hosting its European home matches at Stamford Bridge in London.
What is the campaign and what will the shirt say?
The shirt will carry the message "Invest in Ukraine" alongside the SCM logo throughout the league phase of the 2026/2027 UEFA Champions League. The reverse of the shirt will carry the name of the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation. The campaign is run by System Capital Management, the Ukrainian company owned by Rinat Akhmetov, together with FC Shakhtar Donetsk. The Champions League is one of the highest-profile sporting platforms in the world, which makes it an unusually direct way to reach international business leaders.
Why invest in Ukraine during the war?
Because Ukraine's economic recovery cannot wait for the war to end. SCM and our shareholder Rinat Akhmetov are showing that it is possible to invest in Ukraine even now. Since the start of the full-scale war, SCM companies have invested more than $4 billion in Ukraine, of which $1 billion has gone to the urgent restoration of facilities destroyed by russia.
What are SCM companies building now?
SCM companies continue not only to restore what has been lost, but also to launch new projects and attract international partners. Our energy company DTEK is developing wind and solar power alongside global technology and financial partners. Our steel company Metinvest continues to modernise production and develop new industrial solutions, including structures to protect people from shelling.
What does SCM say about the initiative?
Natalya Yemchenko, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer at SCM, said:
"The reconstruction of Ukraine cannot wait. Our businesses understand this clearly. That is why we are actively investing. We are not only restoring, we are building world-class technologies such as renewable energy and green steel. We want to be very specific in our message to international businesspeople: the time to invest in Ukraine is now. We are ready to be not only an example of successful investment, but also your partner. Because we want Ukraine, as our shareholder Rinat Akhmetov has said, to be a free, independent and prosperous country."
Why is the football club involved in such an initiative?
Sergei Palkin, CEO of FC Shakhtar Donetsk, said:
"From the first days of the full-scale invasion, the club clearly understood its role as an advocate for Ukraine in Europe. Football diplomacy has been an important part of our existence since 2022. We do not only represent the country, we constantly remind people about the war in Ukraine, about the needs of Ukrainians, their courage and their resilience. Today we are taking on a new challenge — attracting investment for Ukraine. I am confident that the whole club, its management and all the players understand that they are going out on the pitch not only to win, but also so that our call is heard."
Shakhtar Donetsk has played its European matches away from Ukraine since 2022 and will host its European home matches this season at Stamford Bridge in London.
The reverse of the shirt will carry the name of the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation. Over the past two decades, the Foundation and SCM companies have provided assistance to more than 33 million Ukrainians through 70 social programmes.
