Shakhtar Donetsk owner pledges $25 million to Mariupol soldiers after selling Mudryk to Chelsea

Ukrainian football club Shakhtar Donetsk, in a humanitarian gesture, announced they will donate $25 million for the betterment of Mariupol soldiers and their families. The club has launched a project named ‘Heart of Azovstal’ in order to extend monetary aid to the soldiers who were stationed in Mariupol to defend the city from attacks by the Russian military. The declaration came following the sale of Shakhtar’s star man Mykhailo Mudryk. Recently, the 22-year-old winger signed for the English Premier League side Chelsea for a lucrative deal worth up to 100 million euros ($108 million). However, the club revealed that the support had nothing to do with Mudryk’s transfer. Shakhtar president Rinat Akhmetov released a statement saying that the fund would be used to meet all the needs of the soldiers and their families, from bearing medical expenses to providing psychological support. During the siege of Mariupol, the soldiers who endured months of constant shelling within the Azovstal steel mill became an emblem of Ukrainian resistance in the early months of the Russian invasion. Akhmetov labelled their acts of bravery as “unparalleled in modern history.” According to him, it is their sacrifice and courage that helped contain the enemy in the first months of the war. On 15 January, Shakhtar had announced the historic transfer of Mudryk. The club wrote on its official website that it would receive a Ukrainian record-breaking transfer fee of $75 million, along with an additional $35 million as a bonus payment. Mundryk was a crucial component for Shakhtar during his spell with the club. In the ongoing 2022-23 season, he already found his place in the scoresheet several times, including seven goals in the Ukrainian Premier League and three in the UEFA Champions League, in which the Ukrainian side failed to advance to the knockout stage. Shakhtar president and owner Akhmetov, known to have a golden heart, has also played a major part in the development of the team since he came to power in 1996. During his tenure, the club has become a mainstay in the Champions League. The other major accomplishments of Shakhtar Donetsk include winning the second-tier UEFA Cup in 2009. Akhmetov paid a lot of attention to renovating the home ground - Donbas Arena which hosted some major games of the 2012 European Championship.

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