2,400 kilometers from Donetsk, one might think that Shakhtar is walking almost alone. A wandering club due to the war between Russia and Ukraine, Barça's rival has lived with its suitcases on its back since 2014, between buses, planes, fears and uncertainties. But he doesn't do it without the encouragement of his fans, whether live or from a distance. Forced by circumstances to play far from home, Shakhtar attracted 46,729 spectators in their first Champions League match against Porto at the Völksparkstadion in Hamburg. This Tuesday it is expected to bring together more than 50,000 people to receive the Barcelona team. A simple look this Monday at the Ukrainian team's website indicated that only 140 seats were left for sale. The prices had ranged between 57 and 714 euros but it has not been an obstacle for it to be close or to reach full capacity.
How is that possible? For a range of reasons. Last season Shakhtar played its continental matches in Poland, at the Legia Warsaw stadium. For this course he opted for Hamburg. It is not a trivial choice. It is estimated that one million Ukrainians have moved to Germany, and about 80,000 of them are based in Hamburg. But this is not the only reason that encourages the presence of the public. It is also true that the Hanseatic city has a football tradition, with two main clubs, Hamburg SV, which plays its matches at the Völksparkstadion, and the assertive Sankt Pauli, a left-wing club par excellence.
But both teams are in the Second Division, so Hamburg is orphaned from super-elite football. The city had not hosted Champions League matches since Hamburg SV last played there in 2006. In fact, it has not even seen Europa League matches since 2010. There was also a good niche market there. Shakhtar and Hamburg SV members are the ones who have priority to buy Champions League tickets. Incidentally, it is a great fit for the German Federation, as the venue is being tested for the 2024 Euro Cup after having previously hosted the 2006 World Cup. The draw for the Euro Cup will be held in this location on December 2.
But just because he plays in Europe in Hamburg does not mean that Shakhtar lives there. He also has to play Ukrainian league matches, sometimes altered by sirens announcing bombings. The Donetsk team is preparing in Lviv, a Ukrainian city located about 70 kilometers from Poland. On Saturday he traveled from Kyiv to Lviv and on Sunday from there to Rzeszów (Poland) to take a flight to Lübeck (Germany) and make the last leg by road to Hamburg. “It is not ideal because it involves a lot of wear and tear and forces you to be mentally strong but we are very happy to be here. We are like a family, where the players help each other,” said Shakhtar coach Marino Pusic.
Their transfers are an odyssey. Depending on the waiting time at the border between Ukraine and Poland, it may take up to ten hours to play the Champions League. This time there were seven. Many more than the two and a quarter that it took for Barça.
