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Shakhtar Donetsk set to prepare for Europa League clash at the Volksparkstadion

Shakhtar Donetsk and Marseille are set to battle it out for progression in the Europa League in February. HSV.de takes a look at Shakhtar’s extraordinary winter preparations.

European football is set to return to the Volksparkstadion in a month’s time: Shakhtar Donetsk are set to face off against Olympique Marseille in the Europa League knockout round play-off on 15th February. This will be the Ukrainian side’s first competitive game of the New Year. Shakhtar head coach Marino Pusic and his team will be preparing intensely until then.

The players and those in charge at Hamburger SV returned from their nine-day training camp in Sotogrande last Friday (12th Friday). The Ukrainian champions landed in Belek in Turkey a day later, where they are set to hold their winter training camp for a month. Whilst HSV played two friendlies during their training camp, Shakhtar are set to contest six friendlies.

Whilst the winter break only lasts for a couple of weeks in Germany, the Ukrainian Premier League pauses for more than two months in the winter. Shakhtar won their last league game 2-0 against NK Veres Rivne on 8th December, but their upcoming game against Oleksandria is as far away as 24th February. Shakhtar’s competitive year ended on 13th December in 2023 with a 5-3 loss in Porto on matchday 6 in the Champions League group stage. Shakhtar finished third in Group H, which meant that they qualified for the UEFA Europa League knockout round play-offs.

The Ukrainian side left Porto to take an approximately 20-hour flight to Tokyo. Alongside various PR appointments and meet and greet with around 50 Ukrainians who fled from the war, they also played a charity match against Avispa Fukuoka in Japan. The proceeds from the game against the seventh-placed side in the Japanese J1 League (which ended in a 2-2 draw) will be used to support Ukrainian refugees. “It was a long journey, which was very energy-sapping, but we represented our country and drew attention to the situation in Ukraine, as well as collecting donations for good causes. I am very pleased about that,” Shakhtar coach Marino Pusic explained, discussing the trip.

After the players were allowed to enjoy three and a half weeks of holiday around the turn of the year, they are now beginning the New Year with their training camp on the Turkish Mediterranean coast. Raimond van der Gouw is also present. The 1999 Champions League winner with Manchester United was unveiled as Shakhtar’s new goalkeeping coach. The Ukrainians are set to stay at the Cullinan Belek Hotel and will play six friendlies during their training camp, with their opponents including Bulgarian record champions Ludogorets and Polish side Lech Poznan.

The travelling party will travel straight to Hamburg from Turkey on 13th February, where they will face off against Gennaro Gattuso’s Olympique Marseille in the Europa League two days later. “The Europa League is a fantastic and very tough competition. There are no easy opponents at this level. All the teams left in the Europa League could also play in the Champions League with their quality,” Pusic explained, full of anticipation, whilst he described Marseille as “strong opponents with a great history.”

“Following the great experiences in the Champions League games at the Volksparkstadion, we are really looking forward to our game there against Marseille. I’m sure that the fans can expect a spectacular game. Shakhtar are not only counting on the support of Ukrainian fans, but also on backing from German fans in Hamburg,” explained Oleksandr Muradov, Head of Sales Department at Shakhtar, looking ahead to the game.