I was really surprised by this. I knew the war had a multifaceted effect on the country. Sport also got affected. However, I was totally oblivious to people within sports being personally affected by it. Case in point, Serhii Palkin, the owner of the most successful Ukranian football club, Shakhtar Donetsk.
He became the CEO in 2004. At the beginning, he was in charge of the daily runnings of the club. Nowadays, it's a life and death struggle. His family went into refuge in the early stages. They retreated to the capital, Kyiv.
Palkin had to stay right where he was. He got involved in crisis meetings. All footballing activities were suspened on 22 February 2022. It returned in late 2022 with president Volodymyr Zelenskyy saying that football was considered part of the war effort. The resumption was like the one with the COVID-19 pandemic - no fans were allowed to attend. Regardless of this, matches were halted due to air raids. Football was seen as a symbol of hope. Hope against the misery of war .
Shakhtar Donetsk has done everything possible to raise hope. This was either by raising money or playing charity matches. An additional factor was bringing good news to the football obsessed nation.
It's been an absolute terror when it's come to the logistics. This began way back in 2014. This was because of them having to ditch their home in the Dobnas region. This was the result of Russia's annexation of Crimea.
With flying being made impossible, the team find themselves being on the bus days on end to reach the desired locations. There is a long list of practicalities that's compulsory. An example is making sure that food is ordered and above all, their safety is secured.
Palkin has been highly critical of FIFA. This is due to his belief that the organisation has forgotten about his club. FIFA made a ruling that players and coaches can suspend their contracts in Ukraine and Russia. Many players have left the club as a result. Palkin was happy to help with players moving but believes that some clubs are taking advantage of this. They sign the player for free and then get a profit off the player when they get transfered elsewhere.
It's hard for Palkin to plan far in advance. It's a month-to-month basis. Nonetheless, he has a vision for his club: restoring them to their former glory. He has seen the sport offer a reprieve from the darkness. He's also seen how the proceeds of the charity games have gone on to help those who need to rebuild their lives.
It's amazing how Serhii Palkin is handling the situation. He's keeping a stable mindset amid all the chaos in the country. He remains strong willed and hopes for the best. He's the type who sees the glass as half full. We should all strive to be like him: to remain optimistic in dark and challenging times.
Source Material
CNN: Ben Church and Martynas Ruseckas: "He was running the biggest soccer club in Ukraine. After war broke out, his life changed forever"