Donetsk - The capital of Soccer in Eastern Europe

Contracts signed
As it's known, eight best youth teams of Europe are looking to compete in the tournament that will take place from July 21 to August 2 in two largest cities of Donbass region ? Donetsk and Mariupol. The final match will be played on Donetsk RSC Olympiysky stadium. The Organizing Committee informed that the deals have been penned with the hotels that will house the players, referees, UEFA representatives and honored guests. The venues of the competition are revealed as well: except RSC Olympiysky, the matches will be played on Donetsk Metalurh stadium, whereas Mariupol will provide Illichivets and Zahindy stadiums. The teams will hold their training sessions at FC Olympic, FC Tytan and FC Metalurh stadiums, all located in Donetsk. In Mariupol, Azovets stadium and two pitches of FC Illichivets will be available for footballers' services. Drawing of lots to be hold on the 12th of June The teams will be watched over by so called welcoming committees, which will be formed on the base of educational institutions. The drawing of lots of the championship will be held on the 12 of June in the hotel Donbas Palace. The organizers of the tournament are waiting for about five thousand fans, to whom various cultural program will be proposed. Over 1500 volunteers will help the guests of Donetsk and Mariupol. First vice-president of Football Federation of Ukraine Oleksandr Bandurko reported that UEFA president Michel Platini plans to visit EURO 2009 final match.

Donetsk: football triumphs to the top
The final tournament of EURO 2009 (U-19) will be the first extensive football event of such high level which will be held by Donetsk. The final match of the championship will also be played in this city. However, from the other side the capital of Donbas can't be surprised by hosting great football events, because it has been coping with organization of home matches of Shakhtar in Euro Cups' tournaments for many seasons in succession.

Beginning from the forefathers of the game
In general, it is not surprising that the final match of the debut tournament of European range for Ukraine will be held in Donetsk. This city has both developed sport infrastructure and great football history. It is interesting that Britons, who are the forefathers of football as a game itself, are also supposed to be the forefathers of Donetsk football. At the end of the XIX and beginning of the XX century there were a lot of them working at metallurgical plants of John Hughes (mostly Welsh). As it is known the foundation of Donetsk is connected exactly with the name of this famous industrialist. At first, the city was called Yuzovka.

First international success
According to some records, the 1910 can be supposed to be as a year of formation of football of Donetsk. Then, Welsh workers attached to the factory of Novorosiysk society (current Donetsk Metallurgical) created a football team. Officially Yuzyvka Sport Society, within the framework of which a football club was created, opened only on September 30, 1911. The team existed till 1919 and was the strongest one in Yuzyvka. Then the city was renamed into Stalino (till 1960). In 1920th the honor of the city was defended by Lenin Club, which took part in the first international match for the city. In October, 23, 1924 they beat the team of Working sport society of Bremen (Germany). In the beginning of 1930th there were no so strong teams in Stalino as Dynamo and Burevisnyk. It lasted till a football symbol of Donbas was created. It was named Shakhtar.

Era of Shakhtar
One of the most titled club of Ukraine was established in May, 1936 and named Vuhilnyky, but in a few months the team was renamed as Stakhanovets after the famous innovator of miners' movement Oleksiy Stakhanov. And only in July of 1946 the club got its present name ? Shakhtar. Under this name Donetsk club entered the history of Soviet and Ukrainian football as the owner of USSR Cup (1961, 1962, 1980, 1983) and USSR Super Cup (1984), Premier League Champion (2002, 2005, 2006, 2008), Ukraine Cup Winner (1995, 1997, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2008), Ukraine Super Cup Winner (2005, 2008), UEFA Cup Winner(2009).

Football trendsetters
During Soviet times Shakhtar was supposed to be one of the most typical representatives of the cohort of teams, who was called Cup fighters. Bright proof of it is that they won the USSR Cup four times. But they were also close to a triumph in the national championship. They were the second team twice (in 1975, 1979). In independent Ukraine Shakhtar not only managed to become a real competitor for longstanding leader Dynamo Kyiv, but also became a trendsetter in the national football up-to-date with Kyiv team. Such success of Shakhtar is connected with a person of Rinat Akhmetov who became an owner of the club in 1996. During his supervision the club has not only won all possible national trophies, but also presented itself on the European arena. Five times it has taken part in a group round of the Champions League and four times in the play-off of UEFA Cup.

Second power
Among other Donetsk professional clubs Metalurh is the most notable one. During its relatively short history, three times it has reached a pedestal of the national championship and also has taken part in Euro Cups. The club was established in 1996 and very quickly it rushed into the elite of Ukrainian football. The championships of 2001/02, 2002/03, 2004/05 brought them a bronze medals. But on the European arena they haven't managed to keep their reputation yet. They haven't overcome at least qualifying round of UEFA Cup yet. Besides this, we should mention that two more Donetsk clubs are playing in the second league of the national championship. They are PFC Tytan and Olympic.

Great masters
A lot of great footballers played in the squad of Donetsk teams. For example, during Soviet times there were such masters in Shakhtar as Vitaliy Starukhin, Victor Grachov, Yuriy Dehtyaryov, Mykhailo Sokolovskiy, Victor Zvyahintsev, Volodymyr Pyanyh, Mykola Holovko, Oleksiy Varnavskiy, Anatoliy Konkov and others. In the 1990's the face of the team was determined by such players as Serhiy Rebrov, Andriy Kanchelskis, Serhiy Popov, Hennadiy Orbu, Serhiy Kovalyov, Hennadiy Zubov, Serhiy Atelkin, Dmytro Shutkov and so on. In the modern history of the club it is necessary to distinguish Anatoliy Tymoschuk, Andriy Vorobey, Oleksiy Byelik, Dmytro Chyhrynskiy and also legionaries Julius Aghahowa, Matuzalem, Elano, Brandao, Dario Srna, Fernandinho, Jadson and others. Also it is necessary to remember famous Ailton and Jordi Cruyff, who played in Metalurh Donetsk at the end of their career. Shakhtar was trained by such great coaches as Oleh Oshenkov, Valeriy Lobanovskiy, Victor Nosov, Victor Prokopenko and also famous foreigners Bernd Schuster, Nevio Scala and Mircea Lucescu. A famous Dutch coach Co Adriaanse trained Metalurh.

Stadiums
Matches of EURO 2009 (U-19) will be played at Donetsk stadiums Metalurh (5000 seats) and RSC Olympiyskiy (25 000). The last one will host the final duel of the championship. This arena was opened in 1958. After several reconstructions it is up to the requirements of UEFA. Exactly Olympiyskiy now is a home stadium of Shakhtar. But this year Shakhtar will remove to ultramodern stadium Donbas-Arena, which is to become the first arena of elite class in the East Europe. The cost of this project (together with the park around the stadium) is 400 million dollars.

Source: www.eurolux.dn.ua