Preview

Shakhtar are to face Rizespor (Turkey) in the test match. The game will kick off at 18:00 Kyiv time.

All friendlies of the Orange-and-Blacks will be streamed live on Shakhtar’s YouTube channel and the FC Shakhtar mobile app (App Store and Google Play) in the Live section.

Opponents

Caykur Rizespor was founded in 1953 in Rize in the north of Turkey. Throughout history, the team has been balancing between the first and higher divisions of local football, and the highest achievement is the 5th spot in the 1979/80 championship. The most recent return to the elite was last year, and in the 2023/24 Turkish Super Lig, the Black Sea Sparrowhawks took the 9th place out of 20.

Rizespor will start their second consecutive season under the guidance of head coach Ilhan Palut. The 47-year-old manager previously coached Konyaspor, Goztepe and Hatayspor. The team leader is 23-year-old Bosnian attacking midfielder Dal Varesanovic with 10 goals and 3 assists in the previous championship. According to Transfermarkt, the most expensive player of the club is Turkish centre-back Emirhan Topcu (transfer fee – EUR 4.3 million).

Rizespor have only just started preparing for the Turkish League, which starts in mid-August, so the friendly match against Shakhtar is their first in the summer pre-season.