Arda Turan's Team's 9-Hour Journey to Keep a Nation's Hope Alive / The Story of Shakhtar Donetsk's Endless Battle: Football in War

Shakhtar Donetsk have reached London under the strangest possible circumstances to take the field in the Champions League.

According to Sport Se, the presence of Shakhtar Donetsk in London to face AAK Athens in the European Champions League is not a simple football event. This game is a symbol of the standing of a club that wants to continue its sports life in the midst of full-scale war and keep the Shakhtar Donetsk club name alive.

Shakhtar, which has not been able to host at home for years due to the war, has chosen London's Stamford Bridge stadium for its European home games this year. But Shakhtar's arrival at this luxurious stadium is not similar to the smooth and effortless journey of other European clubs to their rivals' stadiums. Before flying to Britain, the players of this team were faced with the sound of an air raid siren in their training camp near Lviv, and a few days ago, during the domestic league game, due to the danger of drones, they had to go to the shelter with the technical staff.

Shakhtar's trip to London started with a convoy of passenger cars to the Polish border. After delaying in customs and flying from Zhov Airport, they finally arrived in the British capital after a 9-hour journey; A difficult course that players describe as comfortable compared to previous experiences. That is, Shakhtar has a much worse experience than these. However, holding 9 matches in 29 days and constantly returning to Ukraine has caused mental pressure and extreme fatigue to the team.

Shakhtar head coach Arda Turan, who opened Chelsea's goal at Stamford Bridge in 2014 with Atlético Madrid, has now returned to London in a completely different situation.

Turan and Dario Serena, the football manager of the club, emphasize that this presence is more than getting three points. For Shakhtar, football is a battle ground to prove its survival.