Shakhtar Academy: preparing for the season kick-off

At the beginning of August, the Academy teams wrapped up their summer break and started pre-season preparations, training at the Academy facility in Shchaslyve and participating in friendly tournaments. These competitive sessions allow players to gradually regain peak condition, while the coaching staff, using squad rotation, assesses the fitness and potential of all players.

Shakhtar U13 are the winners of the Dmytro Rud Memorial Tournament

From August 20 to 22, the sixth Dmytro Rud Memorial Football Tournament for players born in 2013 took place in Zhytomyr, featuring eight teams. The participants were divided into two groups of four, with progression to the play-offs determined by standings, where the tournament winners were ultimately decided. Shakhtar U13 led by Artem Savin confidently went unbeaten through both the group stage and the play-offs, and secured first spot by winning a penalty shootout in the final.

Group stage

Shakhtar 5-0 VODYuSSh Nyva
Shakhtar 5-0 Polissia
Shakhtar 6-0 Mykolaiv

Semi-final

Shakhtar 4-0 Metalist 1925

Final

Shakhtar 1-1 (5-3 on pens) Nyva

Following the tournament, individual awards among the Orange-and-Blacks went to Yehor Kulbovskyi as the top striker and Vladyslav Pysariev as the team’s best player.

Shakhtar U14 are the winners of the Elite Cup UA

The youngest team of the Shakhtar Academy, participants in the DUFL, took part in the Elite Cup UA, held from August 19 to 23 in Cherkasy, bringing together six leading academies from across the country. The tournament followed a single round-robin format, with standings determining the winners. Shakhtar U14 led by Taras Kucher defeated Dynamo (4-0), Rukh (3-1), Karpaty (3-1) and LNZ (2-0), suffered a narrow loss to UFK Kryvbas (1-2), accumulated 12 points and claimed the gold medals.

Individual awards went to Ivan Izotov as the tournament’s best player, Semen Kurchatyi as the top striker and Mykhailo Kozhushko as the team’s best player.

Shakhtar U15 and U17 are the runners-up of the Andrii Havashi Tournament

From August 18 to 23, the Shakhtar Academy U15 and U17 teams took part in the Andrii Havashi Memorial Tournament in Uzhhorod. According to the tournament format, the participating teams were divided into groups and played a round-robin within their groups. Based on their standings, they then advanced to the play-offs to compete for the medal positions.

Shakhtar U15

The Orange-and-Blacks led by Oleksandr Ovchynnikov finished the group stage with the maximum number of points, earning a place in the final for the gold medals, where the team were narrowly defeated in a penalty shootout.

Group stage

Shakhtar 1-0 FC Metalist 1925
Shakhtar 6-0 Minaj
Shakhtar 5-0 MFA Munkach
FC Shakhtar 2-1 UFK Kryvbas

Final

AF Rukh 0-0 (6-5 on pens) FC Shakhtar

Shakhtar U17

Ivan Halun’s team confidently navigated the group stage unbeaten, achieving a perfect record. In the final match for first spot, the Miners narrowly lost to their opponents.

Group stage

FC Shakhtar Donetsk 2-1 FC Metalist 1925 Kharkiv
AF Minaj 0-5 FC Shakhtar Donetsk
FC Shakhtar Donetsk 4-0 MFA Munkach Mykachevo
LFKS Karpaty Lviv 2-5 FC Shakhtar Donetsk

Final

FC Shakhtar Donetsk 0-1 FC Rukh Lviv

Following the tournament, individual awards went to Marko Ratskyi as the best player in the U15 category and Stanislav Shukalovych as the best player in the U17 category.