Shakhtar U17 graduation party

Wednesday, May 24, 2017

FCSD

On May 24, Shakhtar U17 Academy pupils had a festive occasion at the Kiev Opera Hotel

The graduation party was attended by FC Shakhtar CEO Sergei Palkin, Shakhtar mentor Paulo Fonseca, Shakhtar Academy Director Oleksandr Funderat and the entire coaching staff, as well as former pupils who play for Shakhtar first team and Ukraine national team - Viktor Kovalenko, Ivan Ordets and Maksym Malyshev. Sergei Palkin and Oleksandr Funderat were the first to address the graduates.

Sergei Palkin, FC Shakhtar CEO:

- Dear guys! Today, a difficult stage in your life is ending. Why difficult? Because you fought on two fronts: the school and the Academy. I do not know what are today’s requirements at school, but I know how high are demands at our Academy. I want to wish you not to stop. You must understand that in a few years, you will vindicate the first team’s honour, both in Ukraine and in the European arena. Our club have a mission to set new limits and standards of excellence in football. I would like to wish you to constantly set new limits and standards in your sporting career. You all are talented guys, but talent without diligence will not work, you will not achieve the success that they require from you. I would like to wish you diligence, diligence and once again diligence. Then you will reach the level of Academy graduates, who play for the first team.

Oleksandr Funderat, Director of FC Shakhtar Academy:

- Congratulations! On graduating from the Academy! You have a long way in the youth football under the belt. You are expected to take crucial steps when you have to move from the youth players to professionals. Now everything will depend on you. I think that you will worthily overcome difficulties and justify our hopes. I also want to congratulate the Academy staff. I'm sure you have invested in these guys not only all your knowledge and skills, but also your heart and soul. I am grateful to the club management for trust we feel every day. I hope that today's graduates will justify it and become professional football players.

Paulo Fonseca, Shakhtar head coach:

- My congratulations to everyone on today's event. Of course, everyone wants to be in the first team, but to achieve this result, you must keep on working. Diligence is the key to success. You should look up to those guys, the Academy graduates, who are in the first team now. I want to congratulate the entire coaching staff. I know what working with young people means. I had similar experience in the beginning of my career, so I appreciate the work of each of you. I thank the mentors for their work, and I wish the graduates great victories in life!

The lads also heard a lot of encouraging parting words from their mentors: Henadii Zubov, Oleksandr Alimov, Valerii Rudakov. Viktor Kovalenko, Ivan Ordets and Maksym Malyshev also wished a successful football career to the graduates.

At the end of the official part, each graduate received a personal statuette shaped as a ball symbolizing the graduation from Shakhtar Academy.