Serhii PALKIN: “People died in Kryvyi Rih. It could have been us”

General director of Shakhtar Serhiy Palkin spoke about how his club manages to sign legionnaires, stressing that in the conditions of war, the “miners” still cannot fully control the security situation.

“It is still difficult to convince the players to come. But now we have developed some processes and standards to ensure maximum security. However, of course, we cannot completely control the situation. At the beginning of September, we had an away game in Kryvyi Rih. A few days before our arrival, the hotel where we were supposed to spend the night was destroyed by Russian rockets. Four people died. It could have been us.”

“We show the players that we are doing everything possible to ensure their safety. Wherever we are, there are bunkers, either in the stadium or in the hotel. We are always in combat readiness and are practically only in the west of Ukraine. The safety of our players is our top priority. Football follows,” said Palkin.

Also, the general director of “miners” harshly addressed the International Football Federation (FIFA), calling its behavior towards Ukrainian clubs shameful.