Shakhtar Donetsk’s Champions League journey amid Ukraine war

WARSAW, Poland — “We wanted to hit the jackpot, but it was not to be,” Shakhtar Donetsk coach Igor Jovicevic said after RB Leipzig’s 4-0 victory in Warsaw denied the Ukrainian team a place in the Champions League knockout stages.

“It is unreal what we have had to do. We train, then think about shelters and bunkers, our troops fighting for us. And then we have to think about Leipzig.”

It is a 930-mile journey from Donetsk to Warsaw, but it is a road less travelled in such bleak times that ensure Shakhtar must play their Champions League home games in the Polish capital. That Shakhtar are even able to perform in football’s biggest club competition is remarkable considering the ravages of conflict against Russian invaders in Ukraine, but to then overcome the incredible difficulties they encounter on a daily basis to face RB Leipzig on matchday six — and with a chance of qualifying for the round of 16 — is a testament to the remarkable determination and resolve of a team that has been homeless for the past eight years.

In a sporting sense, Shakhtar embody the disruption and displacement of the Ukrainian population since Russia’s invasion in February left the country fighting for its existence, a fight which continues to this day.

As many as 8 million Ukrainians left the country in the weeks after the outbreak of war, with 5.5 million fleeing over the western border to Poland. There are still 1.3 million Ukrainians in Poland, so when Shakhtar play in the Champions League in Warsaw, they are a touchstone for those who have set up a temporary home in a new country, waiting to go home. Just like Shakhtar, who lost 15 first-team players when war broke out, forcing the club to replace them with untested youngsters.

“I am from Kharkiv and Metallist is my team, but I cheer for…