A Shakhtar Donetsk coach has been killed by a Russian Shell – club statement

A Shakhtar Donetsk youth coach coach has been killed by a Russian shell, according to Shakhtar Donetsk.

The coach has not been named. General director of FC Shakhtar Donetsk, Serhiy Palkin has called for Russia to ‘stop the madness’ before more people gets killed.

“One of our employees was killed yesterday. Kids coach,” a statement reads.

“He was killed by a fragment of a Russian shell. Russia, you are killing Ukrainians. Stop this madness! Don’t be silent, speak up!”

Shakhtar Donetsk are one of Ukraine’s most successful clubs – winning 13 league titles, 13 Ukrainian Cups, nine Ukrainian Super Cups and the UEFA Cup.

The 2008/2009 Uefa cup winners are based in Donetsk, the capital city of Ukraine but haven’t played in their home city since 2014, when conflict began following Russia’s annexation of Crimea.

The death of the youth coach, who has not been identified, comes just days after two Ukrainian footballers, Vitalii Sapylo (21) and Dmytro Martynenko (25) were killed in the war.

Sapylo, a goalkeeper, who was part of third-division side, Karpaty Lviv’s youth team, joined the Ukrainian Army as a tank commander before passing away.

Martynenko, who last played for second-division side, FC Gostomel, died alongside his mother after Russian bombs hit his home in an apartment block in the capital.

A FIFPRO statement said: “Our thoughts are with the families, friends and team-mates of young Ukrainian footballers Vitalii Sapylo and Dmytro Martynenko, football’s first reported losses in this war.