Beginning of the epoch
Monday, April 27, 2020
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During quarantine, we have been recalling all of Shakhtar's title-winning seasons
Winning the 2009/10 league title was a special moment for the Miners: the team not only claimed their fifth championship, but also opened the epoch of their true dominance in Ukrainian football.
Personnel consistency
Shakhtar began the season in a new status: in May the club won the UEFA Cup (2009) and became the first European trophy holders in the history of independent Ukraine. The squad that had been built by Mircea Lucescu for several years were at the peak of their form, therefore the transfer campaign in the summer of 2009 was carried out rather with an eye to the future (we mean signing the Brazilians Douglas Costa and Alex Teixeira). The only significant loss could be the sale of Dmytro Chygrynskyy who joined Barcelona for a whopping EUR 25 million, being the record amount for Ukrainian football. However, a Shakhtar Academy graduate Yaroslav Rakitskyy successfully replaced the centreback.
The first year at the Donbass Arena
Perhaps the main event of the season was the opening of Shakhtar’s new stadium Donbass Arena. On September 27, 2009, the Miners played their first competitive game there, demolishing Obolon Kyiv 4-0 and laying the foundation for their unbeaten home streak.
Personnel consistency
Shakhtar began the season in a new status: in May the club won the UEFA Cup (2009) and became the first European trophy holders in the history of independent Ukraine. The squad that had been built by Mircea Lucescu for several years were at the peak of their form, therefore the transfer campaign in the summer of 2009 was carried out rather with an eye to the future (we mean signing the Brazilians Douglas Costa and Alex Teixeira). The only significant loss could be the sale of Dmytro Chygrynskyy who joined Barcelona for a whopping EUR 25 million, being the record amount for Ukrainian football. However, a Shakhtar Academy graduate Yaroslav Rakitskyy successfully replaced the centreback.
The first year at the Donbass Arena
Perhaps the main event of the season was the opening of Shakhtar’s new stadium Donbass Arena. On September 27, 2009, the Miners played their first competitive game there, demolishing Obolon Kyiv 4-0 and laying the foundation for their unbeaten home streak.
27 September 2009. Shakhtar 4-0 Obolon. The first match at the Donbass Arena
The season turned out to be tense and difficult for the Orange-and-Blacks. Over the years, Mircea Lucescu admitted that the 2009/10 championship was one of the most hard-fought during his Shakhtar spell.
Both Shakhtar and Dynamo passed the autumn part without defeats. However, the Miners had an advantage of one draw. According to the results of the first stage, they were 2 points adrift of their rivals. But the second half of the season was nearly flawless: in 15 games in the second stage, they had 14 wins and one draw. In the spring, Dynamo scattered points too often and lost the lead.
Title-winning goal
However, as in most of the golden title races between Shakhtar and Dynamo, the plot lasted until the end. Once again, everything was decided in the head-to-head meeting in the 29th round. The Miners were 3 points ahead of the opponents, with a draw sufficing. However, at the packed Donbass Arena (52,518 spectators), they played just to win, with Ilsinho bringing them the league title.
Both Shakhtar and Dynamo passed the autumn part without defeats. However, the Miners had an advantage of one draw. According to the results of the first stage, they were 2 points adrift of their rivals. But the second half of the season was nearly flawless: in 15 games in the second stage, they had 14 wins and one draw. In the spring, Dynamo scattered points too often and lost the lead.
Title-winning goal
However, as in most of the golden title races between Shakhtar and Dynamo, the plot lasted until the end. Once again, everything was decided in the head-to-head meeting in the 29th round. The Miners were 3 points ahead of the opponents, with a draw sufficing. However, at the packed Donbass Arena (52,518 spectators), they played just to win, with Ilsinho bringing them the league title.
Ilsinho's goal vs Dynamo was title-winning
Shakhtar scored 77 points and claimed their fifth title. In 30 matches, the Donetsk team secured 24 victories alongside a single defeat, they also became the most prolific team in the league (goal difference 62–28).
The Miners also opened a new chapter in the history of Ukrainian football: until 2015, they were winning the gold medals every season.
Heroes of the season
Shakhtar captain Darijo Srna was not only recognized as the Player of the 2009/10 Season - he finally established himself as the team’s main leader and began his journey to the club legend title. The Croat became the personification of the Miners’ spirit and will to win. A photograph of him holding the league cup was the usual ending to each subsequent season.
Andriy Pyatov, another would-be Shakhtar legend, also enjoyed an excellent year. He made the most league appearances (27) and had the best stats among all the league goalies thanks to his 17 clean sheets. The reliable defenders helped him: starting from his first season, the young Yaroslav Rakitskyy (24 apps) delivered some outstanding performance, with the newcomer Vasyl Kobin being the main left-back (24 apps).
By that time, the Brazilians started dominating the attacking third. The top scorers were Luiz Adriano (11 goals) and Jadson (9 goals). The midfield leaders were Fernandinho (24 apps, 4 goals) and Ilsinho (23/4), with the young Willian (22/5) and Douglas Costa (13/5) gaining experience next to them. We cannot but mention a significant contribution of Ukrainians to the team’s success: midfielder Kostiantyn Kravchenko netted 7 goals in 11 games, and forward Oleksandr Gladkyy scored 6 goals.
The Miners also opened a new chapter in the history of Ukrainian football: until 2015, they were winning the gold medals every season.
Heroes of the season
Shakhtar captain Darijo Srna was not only recognized as the Player of the 2009/10 Season - he finally established himself as the team’s main leader and began his journey to the club legend title. The Croat became the personification of the Miners’ spirit and will to win. A photograph of him holding the league cup was the usual ending to each subsequent season.
Andriy Pyatov, another would-be Shakhtar legend, also enjoyed an excellent year. He made the most league appearances (27) and had the best stats among all the league goalies thanks to his 17 clean sheets. The reliable defenders helped him: starting from his first season, the young Yaroslav Rakitskyy (24 apps) delivered some outstanding performance, with the newcomer Vasyl Kobin being the main left-back (24 apps).
By that time, the Brazilians started dominating the attacking third. The top scorers were Luiz Adriano (11 goals) and Jadson (9 goals). The midfield leaders were Fernandinho (24 apps, 4 goals) and Ilsinho (23/4), with the young Willian (22/5) and Douglas Costa (13/5) gaining experience next to them. We cannot but mention a significant contribution of Ukrainians to the team’s success: midfielder Kostiantyn Kravchenko netted 7 goals in 11 games, and forward Oleksandr Gladkyy scored 6 goals.
Everyone enjoyed the season. We won those gold medals together!
Yaroslav Rakitskyy, Shakhtar defender in the 2009/10 season:
“Becoming the champion of Ukraine at twenty means a lot to me. The team tried hard in every match we played. The atmosphere at the Donbass Arena was wonderful. I think everyone really enjoyed the season. We won those gold medals together!”
“Becoming the champion of Ukraine at twenty means a lot to me. The team tried hard in every match we played. The atmosphere at the Donbass Arena was wonderful. I think everyone really enjoyed the season. We won those gold medals together!”
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