Shakhtar Donetsk reaches the Conference League semi-final with 12 Brazilians in the squad

Shakhtar Donetsk faces Crystal Palace this Thursday, April 30th, in the Conference League semifinal. The first leg takes place at 4pm (from Brasília), on Estádio Henryk Reyman, on Cracóvia, on Polônia. The Ukrainian club arrives at the clash on the back of an impressive 3-0 victory over AZ Alkmaar in the quarter-finals.

The team maintains the historical tradition of betting on South American talent to shine in European competitions. Atualmente, the squad has 12 Brazilian players, who are the central pieces of coach Arda Turan’s tactical scheme. The group seeks to return to a continental final despite the difficulties imposed by forced exile due to the conflict in Ucrânia.

🇵🇱 Краків – в очікуванні великої гри 😍

🔥 ДЕНЬ ПІВФІНАЛУ ЛІГИ КОНФЕРЕНЦІЙ 🏆

⚒️ «Шахтар» 🆚 «Крістал Пелес» 🦅

⏰ 22:00 | #Shakhtar #UECL #ШахтарКрісталПелес pic.twitter.com/lwc66EqUbv

— ⚒FC SHAKHTAR DONETSK (@FCShakhtar) April 30, 2026

Market Estratégia consolidates Brazilian DNA into Ucrânia

The success of Shakhtar Donetsk is not the result of chance, but of planning that began more than two decades ago. Desde 2002, the club has already signed 47 athletes from Brasil. Essa integration transformed the orange and black team into one of the biggest centers for developing prospects for the giants of the main European leagues. The football director, Dario Srna, reinforces that the formula combines local defensive strength with the creativity of Brazilian attackers.

Nomes like Fernandinho, Willian and Douglas Costa are examples of players who used Donetsk’s “bridge” to reach the top of world football. Atualmente, the new crop follows the same path. The recent investment exceeded 25 million euros to guarantee the arrival of national football highlights.

• Alisson Santana (ex-Atlético-MG): cost 14 million euros.
• Luca Meirelles (ex-Santos): signed for 12 million euros.
• Pedrinho (ex-Corinthians): has eight goals and nine assists this year.
• Vinicius Tobias (ex-Internacional): absolute starter at right-back.
• Marlon Gomes (ex-Vasco): pillar in the midfield organization.
• Kauã Elias (ex-Fluminense): option for speed and strength in attack.

Current Elenco reflects youth and high investment power

The majority of the 12 Brazilians who make up the current group are under 23 years old. President Rinat Akhmetov maintains the philosophy of giving these young people time to adapt to the European style without the immediate pressure for results. In the last decisive game against AZ, the strategy was evident when seven Brazilians started among the starters.

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Striker Luca Meirelles is one of the great symbols of this offensive efficiency. With nine goals in just 22 games, the former Santos player quickly adapted to the European cold and the Turan system. Pedrinho and Alisson Santana are also going through an inspired phase, having scored all of the team’s goals in the first game of the quarterfinals, ensuring the necessary tranquility for classification.

Superação marks the club’s trajectory during exile

Shakhtar Donetsk lives an atypical reality for a European semi-finalist, as it has not played in its own stadium, Donbass Arena, since 2014. Because of the war at Ucrânia, the club became nomadic. Local championship matches are played on Kiev or Lviv, while international engagements take place on Polônia.

Para the CEO Sergei Palkin, the campaign at Conference League transcends the four lines of the pitch. Ele defines the moment as a matter of survival and responsibility towards the Ukrainian people. The games serve as an emotional boost for fans facing the hardships of the conflict. The team travels more than 800 kilometers to play their games on Cracóvia, maintaining competitiveness even far from home.

Detalhes of the decisive confrontation by Conference League

The game against Crystal Palace promises to be one of the biggest challenges of the season for Shakhtar’s Brazilian offensive sector. The English team arrives with the physical strength characteristic of Premier League, which will require maximum precision from the Arda Turan team in quick transitions. Abaixo, the essential information to follow the international duel:

• Partida: Shakhtar Donetsk x Crystal Palace
• Fase: Semifinal from Conference League (Ida)
• Horário: 4pm (from Brasília)
• Local: Estádio Henryk Reyman, Cracóvia (Polônia)
• Transmissão: CazéTV on YouTube
• Destaques: Alisson Santana and Pedrinho lead the Ukrainian attack

The expectation is that the coach will maintain the base that beat AZ Alkmaar, prioritizing ball possession control in midfield with Isaque Silva and Marlon Gomes. Tactical balance will be essential to take a comfortable advantage into the return game at Inglaterra.