Shakhtar Donetsk has long been accustomed to competing in European competitions over the past quarter-century, rubbing shoulders with the continent’s elite. This weekend, the club secured the league title with Arda Turan on the bench, once again relying on the standout contributions of Brazilian players who have brought individual flair and attacking potency to the squad. Young talents who later shone at Europe’s top level—from Fernandinho to Luiz Adriano and Willian—have now been succeeded by a new generation that has reignited hope at the club: Kauã Elias, Newerton, and Pedrinho.
The Ukrainian side has returned to the formula behind its greatest successes in recent years, reassembling a large group of young, highly promising Brazilian players in pursuit of another continental title. Mircea Lucescu made history, and now Arda Turan aims to carve his own place in the pantheon at Shakhtar, which has delivered brilliant moments in the Conference League this season while dominating the domestic league. After a disappointing Europa League qualifying campaign, the Turkish coach has built a bold squad determined to leave a mark.
**Notable Brazilians at Shakhtar**
| Player | Appearances | Goals |
|——–|————|——-|
| Taison | 299 | 55 |
| Fernandinho | 284 | 53 |
| Jadson | 273 | 64 |
| Luiz Adriano | 266 | 128 |
| Ismaily | 228 | 16 |
| Alex Teixeira | 223 | 89 |
| Willian | 221 | 37 |
| Brandao | 220 | 91 |
| Douglas Costa | 203 | 38 |
| Dentinho | 197 | 29 |
| Fred | 155 | 15 |
| Elano | 79 | 23 |
**The Lucescu era**
Mircea Lucescu, who passed away on April 7, masterminded Shakhtar’s golden period from the dugout, taking on Europe’s best in the Champions League and winning the UEFA Cup in 2009. The starting XI in the final against Werder Bremen showcased the squad’s quality: five Brazilians from midfield to attack—Fernandinho, Ilsinho, Willian, Jadson, and Luiz Adriano. On the flanks, international-class players like Srna and Rat; Pyatov in goal; and a central defensive axis of Chyhrynskiy, who later moved to Barcelona. “I prefer working with young players because it’s very hard to change the mentality of those who are 30,” the Romanian once said in a press conference during his time at Inter.
Lucescu’s affinity for Brazil and its footballers was clearly key to this bond between Shakhtar and the South American country. “I was with Romania’s B team and got called up to the senior side, which was in Brazil. I spent a month there. I crossed the country from south to north, from Porto Alegre to Fortaleza, and it was an incredible experience. You can imagine what I felt. I came from a socialist country to a world I only knew from a map,” Lucescu told France Football. “I discovered the essence of Brazilian football: football, samba, the beach, and sex. I understood why that was enough for them to live happily,” he added.
The Romanian coach extracted every ounce of talent the club assembled and dazzled Europe for years. During that same campaign, he secured a memorable 2-3 win at the Camp Nou in the Champions League group stage, with a double from Gladkyi. However, Shakhtar finished third in that group and dropped to the UEFA Cup. Months later, Barcelona took revenge in the UEFA Super Cup, but needed extra time and a 115th-minute goal from Pedro to overcome their opponent.
**Brazilians at home**
Fernandinho, one of the most important players in Shakhtar’s history, recounted to UEFA how he made the decision to leave Brazil and join the club.
