Shakhtar Donetsk claimed the Ukrainian Premier League title on Sunday with a commanding 4-0 away victory over SC Poltava, building an unassailable 11-point lead at the top of the table with just three matches remaining.
This triumph marks Shakhtar’s 16th Ukrainian league championship, cementing the club as the second most decorated in the nation’s football history—just one title behind record holders FC Dynamo Kyiv, who have 17.
With the league secured, Shakhtar will return to the UEFA Champions League and are well-placed to qualify directly for the group stage, bypassing the preliminary rounds.
Arda Turan’s first season as head coach could hardly have gone better. The former Atlético Madrid and Barcelona star has established himself as one of Europe’s most promising managers, winning his second league title on the sidelines after previously guiding Eyupspor to glory in the Turkish second division.
“I congratulate our players, coach Arda Turan, and our fans for winning the Ukrainian championship,” said Shakhtar CEO Sergey Palkin. “It has been a long and demanding season for everyone, and we are proud to see the golden shine of the medals reflected in Shakhtar’s orange and black colors. This title is the reward for hard work, character, unity, and faith. I want to thank everyone who stood by the club during the season: President Rinat Akhmetov, the team, the staff, and our supporters around the world.”
Shakhtar’s season began with notable departures as two key players sought new challenges. Kevin moved to Fulham in the Premier League, while Georgiy Sudakov was transferred to Benfica in Portugal.
Brazilian players again took center stage at the club during the campaign, with 12 different Brazilians featuring for Shakhtar in domestic and European competitions.
The team impressed in the UEFA Conference League, finishing sixth in the league phase and reaching the semifinals, where they were eliminated by Crystal Palace (5-2 on aggregate).
In domestic league action, they lost just one match and scored far more goals than any other team, producing a clearly dominant campaign.