For Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League, representing Ukraine is a duty to the country

By JAMES ELLINGWORTH
AP Sports Writer

HAMBURG, Germany (AP) — Just playing is a small victory for Shakhtar Donetsk but the Ukrainian champions won’t stop there. Team captain Taras Stepanenko tells The Associated Press that Shakhtar’s opening Champions League game against Porto is part of his team’s duty to represent Ukraine and show his country’s resilience. Shakhtar is playing its Champions League games outside of Ukraine following the Russian invasion. It was in Poland last season and will play home games this season in the German city of Hamburg. Stepanenko says “our soldiers fight in the battles and we fight in the sports arena.”