Ukrainian Soccer and National Solidarity

Attribution: Football.ua

Following the stand-off between political factions in Kiev and Moscow and the often blurry national show downs between votes of unity and secession, the soccer stadium remains a precarious forum for the discussion of Ukrainian nationalism. However, the future of the Ukrainian soccer league, increased violence in the stands, and the placement of Shakhtar Donetsk show how Ukrainian Soccer may become a new ideological battleground.

Marking the day of Nazi Germany’s capitulation to the Soviet Union on May 9, 1945, Putin used Russia’s “Victory Day” to voice his opinion on Crimean Secession. Lest the international community be confused about Putin’s dedication to the area, Putin’s speech clearly marked the line in the sand for the government in Kiev and all of its western allies. Putin alluded to Crimea’s secession as an act of freedom reminiscent of the victory over the Nazis. Putin speaks of “unbending will, and selfless service to the motherland…[that has] made a tremendous contribution to the return of Crimea and Sevastopol to their native land.”[1] Following this speech, Russian separatists in Eastern Ukraine have initiated a referendum to establish an independent government in Donetsk and Luhansk that would ally itself with Russia. Naturally, the government in Kiev has renounced the results as being manipulated by “terrorists.” However, Opinion polls showing 37% in favor with a Russian alliance do not match the supposed 90% of votes that favor independence according to the referendum.[2] In a political atmosphere mired by nationalistic division and differing East-West ideological divides, soccer gives an insight to the expression of Ukrainian nationalism that can often become muddled in the media.

In the realm of international soccer, the game can provide a forum in which to express national solidarity. In early March 2014, a scheduled game between Ukraine and the United States had to be moved to a neutral ground in Cyprus. Amidst Russian occupation in Crimea, the Ukrainian National Team did not hold back their sense of national solidarity as they held each other’s shoulders and sang the Ukrainian national anthem to the few spectators in the stands.[3] The next challenge for Ukrainian soccer comes to the possible secession of Crimean soccer teams into the Russian Premier League. The biggest team to be forced to make the move will be Shakhtar Donetsk, the Ukrainian league’s now 5-time champion. On May 11, 2014, Shakhtar Donetsk defeated Zorya Luhansk in an empty stadium to claim the league title.[4] Mounting violence in the stands between pro-Ukrainian and pro-Russian activists forced the Ukrainian league to continue all games without spectators for fear of more violence.[5] [6]  But with Donetsk’s independence and Crimea’s occupation, the Russian League may overtake half of the Ukrainian league’s teams and their fans with them.

The biggest change to see in Ukrainian football next season will both how Shakhtar Donetsk will be received by its fans and the media. The case for Shakhtar Donetsk and other East Ukrainian teams leaves many questions. First of all, will there be a Ukrainian League next year? Considering the self-proclaimed independence of many of these areas, particularly Donetsk, many Ukrainian soccer teams may be forced into the Russian League which will leave the champions in a precarious position when it comes to European soccer. Secondly, will Shakhtar Donetsk be allowed in the Champions League for next year, and if so which country will they represent? Shakhtar in recent years has been a staple of Ukrainian pride in Europe. They have been strong in the Champions League and in 2011 they even made it to the quarter-finals where they were defeated by eventual champions FC Barcelona. In 2012, they beat the might Chelsea FC 2-1. Clearly, Shakhtar’s lack of presence in next year’s Champion’s League will be a big loss for fans of Ukrainian football everywhere. The last question revolves around the politicization of Shakhtar Donetsk and other east Ukrainian teams. Will there be clashes between fans? Will Ukraine’s most successful club in recent times become a symbol for Ukrainian solidarity or Russian partition? These questions are still allusive, but still relevant as political violence and divides have made its way into the soccer stands. To put the final nail in the coffin, there are some reports that Shakhtar’s oligarch owner Rinat Akhmetov may have separatist opinions that may further fragment the team’s fans. Yet, the most important development will be how the game of soccer as a forum for nationalism will react to the variable political atmosphere within Ukraine.

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[1] “Transcript: Vladimir Putin’s Victory Day Speech in Crimea.” The Washington Post, May 9, 2014, http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/transcript-vlaidmir-putins-victory-day-speech-in-crimea/2014/05/09/93e234f0-d78e-11e3-8a78-8fe50322a72c_story.html

[2] Gigova, Radina, Lena Kashkarova, and Victoria Butenko, “Ukraine’s Donetsk Region Asking to Join Russia, Seperatist Leader Says.” CNN, May 12, 2014, http://www.cnn.com/2014/05/12/world/europe/ukraine-crisis/

[3] Baxter, Kevin, “Listless U.S. Soccer Team Falls to Emotional Ukraine, 2-0.” Los Angeles Times (Blog), March 5, 2014, http://articles.latimes.com/2014/mar/05/sports/la-sn-sp-us-ukraine-soccer-20-20140305

[4] “Shakhtar Donetsk wins Ukrainian soccer title again.” The Fresno Bee, May 11, 2014, http://www.fresnobee.com/2014/05/11/3921521/shakhtar-donetsk-wins-ukrainian.html

[5] Iqbal, Muhammad, “Ukrainian soccer celebrations ended in Odessa deaths.” Recorder, May 4, 2014, http://www.brecorder.com/world/europe/170505-ukrainian-soccer-celebrations-ended-in-odessa-deaths.html

[6] “Fans banned over violence fears in Ukraine soccer matches.” The Australian, May 10, 2014, http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/world/fans-banned-over-violence-fears-in-ukraine-soccer-matches/story-e6frg6so-1226912299602