Bruninho’s future club lives in exile and has a legion of young Brazilians

Shakhtar Donetskfrom Ukraine, has always been known for betting on Brazilian players following the idea of ​​Romanian coach Mircea Lucescu, who passed away on the 7th and was a fan of Brazilian football. Among the prominent names in the 2000s and 2010s were midfielder Fernandinho and midfielder Jadson, both ex-Athletico, midfielder Willian, ex-Corinthians, and strikers Douglas Costa, ex-Grêmio, and Luiz Adriano, ex-Palmeiras.

After the invasion of Russia, in 2022, the club had a drop in investments, but in recent months it has returned to investing in Brazilians with potential for big clubs in Europe. The latest news is the striker Bruninhorevealed by Athletico. The young man has already agreed to go to Ukraine permanently in August, when he turns 18, in a deal worth 14 million euros (11 million euros + 3 million euros in bonuses).

One of the highlights of the Rubro-Negro team of aspirants during the Campeonato Paranaense, with four goals and one assist in 10 games, Bruninho has been used in the main team. In recent weeks, the striker scored a goal for the Brazilian under-20 team and was seen closely by businessman Franck Henoudapara, a Frenchman based in Porto Alegre and representing the Ukrainian club in negotiations.

At Shakhtar Donetsk, the striker will meet 12 other Brazilians. They are: full-backs Vinicius Tobias and Pedro Henrique, who left Athletico in 2023 during the results manipulation investigation, defender Marlon, midfielders Marlon Gomes and Isaque, and attackers Alisson Santana, Lucas Ferreira, Pedrinho, Kauã Elias, Luca Meirelles, Eguinaldo and Newerton.

As a curiosity, coach Arda Turan maintained Mircea Lucescu’s tradition and selected seven Brazilians as starters in the 3-0 victory over AZ Alkmaar, last Thursday (09), in the quarter-finals of the Europa League. And the three goals were from players born in Brazil: two from Alisson Santana, ex-Atlético-MG, and one from Pedrinho, ex-Corinthians.

What is life like Shakhtar Longe de Donetsk

The second biggest champion of the Ukrainian Championship, with 15 titles, Shakhtar is the current runner-up, with 51 points, but has the same score and one game less than LNZ Cherkas. Furthermore, the ‘Brazilian’ club is close to a place in the Europa League semi-finals and could win its first international title in more than 15 years.

All this without playing in Donetsk since 2014, when Russia’s first attacks on Ukraine took place. The club didn’t think twice and went to the other side of the country, where it is safer. The Donbass Arena, a modern stadium for more than 50,000 fans and which hosted games at the 2012 Euro Cup, has already been bombed and has not hosted games for more than 11 years.

Since then, Shakhtar has played its domestic matches in the capital Kiev or Lviv. The Champions League or Europa League games take place in Krakow, Poland, more than 860 km from the Ukrainian capital.

Even with Ukraine at war and the possibility of having a game or training interrupted at any time, the Brazilians continue to accept Shakhtar’s proposals. The idea is the same as the players who went to Ukraine in the past two decades and to use the club as a showcase for the big European teams.