UAF President Andriy Shevchenko honors FC Shakhtar at award ceremony

06.08.2024 12:32

UAF President Andriy Shevchenko took part in the ceremonial awarding of FC Shakhtar's players and coaches with the gold medals of the 2023/2024 Ukrainian Premier League champions. The ceremony occurred on August 5 at the Sviatoshyn sports complex near Kyiv.

"Speaking with athletes, club presidents, and players, I often hear about the "formula for success": how to find it and its components. To become a champion, it's not necessary to be special. But it's essential to be consistent, determined, and have the desire to work towards a common goal. All these qualities were evident in the Shakhtar team last season. The team showed consistency, perseverance, and the ability to unite around a common goal.

Photo by FC Shakhtar

The president and the club have built an incredible ecosystem, the coaching staff and the head coach set the objectives, and you executed them on the pitch. And all this was done by Shakhtar for its fans. I congratulate you on this victory and wish you success on the European stage this year, representing both your club and Ukraine," said Andriy Shevchenko during the ceremony.

Photo by FC Shakhtar

UPL President Yevhen Dykyi, who also took part in the award ceremony, noted: "These gold medals are worth much more because you won them not just in the Ukrainian championship, but in a championship held under extraordinary conditions of martial law. I want to thank the club's leadership and management: considering the situation you're in, without a permanent base, you're achieving significant things. I wish the players to stay in the game as long as possible, and the coaching staff — new victories and achievements!"

Photo by FC Shakhtar

"I congratulate everyone who made great efforts to achieve this success: the players, coaches, medical and administrative staff. Everyone who worked hard day after day for this result, who secured victory after victory, and thanks to whom we are receiving gold medals today. This championship was brought to us by our head coach Marino Pušić and his coaching staff. This is their first major achievement with Shakhtar, and I am confident it won't be the last. I believe we have many, many more victories ahead of us. And I also wish the team success in the new season. As our club president Rinat Akhmetov says, every season we should hold the gold medals of the Ukrainian champions, because this color suits Shakhtar very well," said FC Shakhtar CEO Serhiy Palkin.

Photo by FC Shakhtar

In turn, Shakhtar's head coach Marino Pušić, under whose leadership the team achieved the golden double last season, thanked the players and the club and highlighted the main trait he sees in this team: "At this important moment, when we are receiving the gold medals, two words come to mind: proud family. This is truly what we are. And today, I am extremely proud of you, guys, of the team staff, of everyone in the club. Who you are, how hard you work every day, how you support each other, the contribution each of you makes to the team's and the club's success — all this deserves great respect and evokes pride. When all this is in place, the results follow. Thank you to each of you — for the support, for the strength, for being who you are."

The awards were presented to the players and coaches by UAF President Andriy Shevchenko and UPL President Yevhen Dykyi. Along with the gold medals, the Miners received the championship trophy to the legendary tune of "We Are the Champions".