Shakhtar Donetsk
Shakhtar were founded as a miners’ team, built into Ukraine’s most successful club of the last two decades and won a European trophy along the way. They have not played a home game in Donetsk since 2014, and they keep winning anyway.
From Stakhanovets to Champions of Ukraine
The club was set up in 1936 under the name Stakhanovets and became Shakhtar, Ukrainian for “miner”, in the 1940s. In Soviet times they were a cup side, lifting the USSR Cup in 1961, 1962, 1980 and 1983.
The modern club took shape after Rinat Akhmetov became president in 1996. Shakhtar have since turned the Ukrainian league into a long two-horse contest with Dynamo Kyiv. The 2025–26 title, won with 72 points under Arda Turan, was their 16th, alongside 15 Ukrainian Cups and nine Super Cups.
Lucescu, Brazil and a European Trophy
Mircea Lucescu arrived in May 2004 and stayed until May 2016. His sides won eight league titles, six Ukrainian Cups, seven Super Cups and one European trophy, 22 in all. The formula was simple to describe and hard to copy: sign gifted young Brazilians, give them time, and sell them on for big money. Fernandinho, Willian, Douglas Costa, Luiz Adriano, Jádson and Taison all came through Donetsk.
The high point came on 20 May 2009. Shakhtar beat Werder Bremen 2–1 after extra time in the last UEFA Cup final before the competition became the Europa League, with Luiz Adriano and Jádson scoring. They were the first club from independent Ukraine to win a UEFA competition.
Donbas Arena, Then Years on the Road
The Donbas Arena opened on 29 August 2009 and held over 50,000. Shakhtar had to leave it in May 2014 because of the war in the Donbas. Since then they have played “home” games at Arena Lviv, the Metalist Stadium in Kharkiv and the Olympic Stadium in Kyiv, with the training base near Kyiv.
After Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022 the 2021–22 league was abandoned with Shakhtar top. Domestic home games are now mainly played at Arena Lviv. European home games have moved abroad: Warsaw in 2022–23, Hamburg in 2023–24, Gelsenkirchen in 2024–25, and Ljubljana and Kraków in 2025–26. For their 2026–27 Champions League home games, Shakhtar are playing at Stamford Bridge in London.
Top of the League, Fighting in Europe
Arda Turan, appointed in May 2025, is still in charge. After 11 league rounds of 2026–27 Shakhtar were top with 28 points, three clear of Polissya Zhytomyr, who had a game in hand. Their 2–0 win over Obolon on 30 October kept them there.
The league title took them straight into the Champions League league phase. They drew 1–1 away at PSV on matchday one, and a 1–0 defeat to Sporting CP at Stamford Bridge on 3 November left them on four points from four games. Fenerbahçe visit London on 25 November, and Real Madrid are due in January.
Darijo Srna
Orange and Black
Orange and black have been Shakhtar’s official colours since 1961, and you will rarely see a Shakhtar shirt without both. The orange is the one most fans picture, paired with black on the shorts, trim and crest, and it is the colour that now turns up in Lviv and in London on European nights.
This FanFile covers Shakhtar Donetsk as a club rather than one particular jersey. Check the crest, sponsor, manufacturer label and product code on your own shirt to identify its specific season and edition.
Your Next Football Shirt Could Come from Anywhere
Enjoyed discovering the story behind Shakhtar Donetsk? Explore another club, country and football culture through an authentic mystery football shirt from Mystique Jerseys. Choose your size and tell us which teams you want to avoid before we select your surprise.
Club Links
Sources & Further Reading
- FC Shakhtar: official club timeline and honours
- Wikipedia: Shakhtar history, Lucescu era and home venues
- Sky Sports: why Shakhtar are playing at Stamford Bridge
- Chelsea FC: Shakhtar’s Champions League home games in London
- UNIAN Sport: Shakhtar 0–1 Sporting CP report
- Football24: Ukrainian Premier League 2026/27 table
Facts checked: 5 November 2026.