As the founder and current CEO of System Capital Management (SCM) Group, Rinat Akhmetov has built substantial wealth over the years. Personal charity has always been important to him, particularly when it comes to ensuring that his fellow Ukrainians can lead their best lives. Rinat Akhmetov also owns the Shakhtar Donetsk football club in Ukraine.
Russian Invasion of Ukraine
When Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, life changed for millions of people overnight. Just days after the invasion began, Akhmetov declared: “Russia is an aggressor country, and Putin is a war criminal. Ukraine has always been a peaceful country and has never attacked anyone. And today in our country, Russia is destroying villages, cities, and infrastructure while civilians are dying and suffering.” The coaches and players of Shakhtar Donetsk agreed with Akhmetov’s early sentiments.
The Hearts of Shakhtar Donetsk Players Remain With the Citizens of Ukraine
The Shakhtar Donetsk football club defeated RB Leipzig, of Germany, 4-1 in a Champions League game on Sept. 6, setting off an emotional response from players and coaches. The victory was the first postseason win by a Ukrainian team since the invasion by Russia began. Players and coaches sat silently in the locker room after the game, reflecting on what the triumph meant for the country.
“You could hear a pin drop,” Shakhtar sporting director Darijo Srna told CBS Sports. “There was no need for words. The silence was powerful because we all knew that we did something amazing not just for Shakhtar but for Ukraine.
“The win was more than just three points. We sent a message that we are strong in difficult moments. We showed that if we stick together we can beat anyone or anything in the world, on and off the football field. The point of the silent dressing room was to just sit for a moment and appreciate that.”
Coach Igor Jovicevic was the first to break the silence in the locker room when he began to cry. He thanked the team for their hard work and expressed his love for them. Seeing their coach become emotional brought several players to tears. Jovicevic also stated that the victory only underscored how the team is like a family fighting for the nation they all love.
Another factor that made the Champions League win special was that Shakhtar Donetsk only began playing together for the season on Aug. 23 due to the disruption caused by Russia’s invasion. Leipzig’s team had the advantage of having played together for a month longer than Shakhtar Donetsk.
Even though Rinat Akhmetov’s team secured their big win in Germany, the victory was emotional since many of the people in the stands were Ukrainian refugees. The win came a few weeks after Shakhtar Donetsk opened the season at home in an empty Donbass Arena due to war precautions.
On a Mission To Bring Smiles to the Faces of Fellow Ukrainians
Srna described how it was difficult for the players when Ukraine suspended football for safety reasons. Now that the sport is back, he describes how every player feels committed to bringing joy to the nation that has undergone so much turmoil in such a short time.
“This kind of emotion and victory, it’s something you can’t buy,” he said. “It comes from being family.”
The team has several more Champions League games that it must play away from home at the Polish Army Stadium. Like Germany, Poland is home to thousands of people who immigrated there from Ukraine. Approximately 8% of the Polish population is Ukrainian. The Shakhtar Donetsk football club feels indebted to the Legia Warsaw president, who offered the stadium to his team’s competitors.
Shakhtar Donetsk’s Team Director Feels Positive About the Future
Darijo Srna currently serves as the director for Shakhtar Donetsk in Ukraine’s Premier League. He described how the victory over Leipzig was not luck, but rather the result of hard work and passion.
The team wants to make their country proud and give it something positive to focus on during this difficult time of living under the Russian invasion. As Shakhtar Donetsk makes their way to the Celtic Cup, Srna promises Ukrainians that the team he directs will give it their all.
Fundraising for the People of Ukraine
Rinat Akhmetov and Darijo Srna have worked together to propose fundraising activities for the people most affected by the devastation of war in Ukraine. Akhmetov has already raised funds for Ukraine with a series of charity games back in April.
Srna recently had this to say about what it is like working with Akhmetov to raise money for their fellow citizens:
“We have been working on showing solidarity to the people of Ukraine for several months and the charity games are a part of that,” said Srna. “It really all starts with our president, Rinat Akhmetov, who loves to help people. He chose to stay in Ukraine during the war to be with his people. And he donated around 2 million euros to help the Ukrainian Premier League survive. I am so proud to be working with him.”
