Conference League semi-finals pit Ukrainian side against Premier League opposition, with the club still reeling from the affects of war
S
erhii Palkin wasn’t sure whether Arda Turan, having played for Barcelona and Atlético Madrid, would be up for taking over as manager of Shakhtar Donetsk last May. The former Turkey forward had just left his first managerial post after two years at Eyüpspor in his homeland. But could he be tempted to join a club that last played at the Donbas Arena in 2014 owing to the war with Russia and has hosted its European matches in seven cities since being exiled?
“Arda is a special guy,” says Palkin, Shakhtar’s chief executive since 2004. “For him to be a coach in Turkey is being in his comfort zone. He doesn’t want to be there. When I called him, he said: ‘I want to come, I want to come. I want to sign immediately.’ He doesn’t care about the war, he’s not afraid, nothing. And he’s always using a lot of energy. You will see on Thursday evening. He’s running on the line, I think three to four kilometres every game.”
If Crystal Palace’s players are feeling the rigours of a marathon season, they should spare a thought for their Conference League semi-final opponents, Shakhtar, who host Thursday’s first leg in Krakow. Turan’s side played their first Europa League qualifier in Ljubljana on 10 July and have since negotiated 15 matches in Europe, dropping into the Conference League after losing on penalties against Panathinaikos.
