The Other Chelsea - A Story from Donezk

The Other Chelsea. Football, business and politics in Ukraine

Donetsk, a city with a million inhabitants deep in Eastern Ukraine, is the centre of the Donbass coal basin. 

Here most people work for low wages in run down mines, while a few make a lot of money. No matter which side of the social divide you are on, coming from Donetsk you will almost certainly be an opponent of the Orange Revolution and a fan of the local football team, Shakhtar Donetsk. 

Billionaire Akhmetov invests heavily in the club, which is becoming a major European force during the football season followed by the film. 

Yet this sporting success funded by an oligarch’s fortune only seems to highlight the wider social and political stagnation of the region. Off the pitch, the outlook appears bleak...