Shakhtar Donetsk

FC Shakhtar Donetsk is a Ukrainian professional football club from the city of Donetsk, currently competing in the Ukrainian Premier League. After they were formed in 1936, Shakhtar appeared in several European competitions, regularly appearing in the UEFA Champions League. 

The club play their home matches at the Donbass Arena, and are second only to Dynamo Kyiv as the country's most popular club. During their history, the club have played under various names: Stakhanovets (1936-1946), Shakhtyor (Shakhtar) (1946-1992), and FC Shakhtar (since 1992).

Shakhtar were founding members of the Soviet Voluntary Sports Society of Shakhtyor, linking up with fellow Soviet teams from Karaganda (Kazakhstan), and Soligorsk (Belarus), among others. In the late Soviet period, Shakhtar spent much of their time in the Soviet Top League as a mid-table side, earning a reputation as cup competition specialists after winning the Soviet Cup two years in a row in 1961 and 1962.

After spending so many years in the shadow of Dynamo Kyiv, Shakhtar established themselves as the dominant force in Ukrainian football at the start of the millennium, winning eight Premier League titles between 2002 and 2013, also adding 11 domestic cup titles during that time. The club became the first club in Ukraine following independence to win the UEFA Cup, beating Werder Bremen in the 2009 final in Istanbul to become the second Ukrainian club to win a major UEFA title alongside Dynamo Kiev.

Shakhtar's biggest rivals are Dynamo Kyiv, with games between the two clubs named the Ukrainian derby. These games boast an atmosphere that could rival any of the other European derbies. The club have a local rivalry with Metalurh Donetsk, although it is not as significant as games against the rivals from the capital. The games between the two Donetsk teams are called the Donetsk Derby.

Current head coach Mircea Lucescu is the club's most successful manager, winning seven league titles, five Ukrainian Cups, five Ukrainian Super Cups and the 2009 UEFA Cup. Former Ukraine striker Andriy Vorobey holds the record as Shakhtar's all-time leading scorer with 114 goals in all competitions for the club during his nine year spell. After making over 250 appearances for the club since 2003, Croatian midfielder Darijo Srna is the longest serving member of the current squad, sitting third in the all-time list for most appearances for the club. 

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