Episode Two: Thank you Croatia

We take you inside the dressing room with Shakhtar Donetsk as they prepare for their next Champions League match against Celtic. Whilst The Athletic’s Adam Crafton follows the team in Warsaw, his colleague Joey D'Urso is in Croatia. He meets with the children from the club’s academy who are kept safe and out of harm’s way, but pine for their friends and family back home in Ukraine. We then return to Warsaw for match day - can the underdogs get another result? We start with an emotional team-talk from the club’s captain Taras Stepanenko… Credits: Presenters: Adam Crafton and Joey D'Urso Producers: Adam Crafton, Joey D'Urso, Abi Paterson, and Mike Stavrou Sound Mixing: Ollie Bellwood Featuring footage from: CBS with dressing room footage & audio kindly supplied by Shakhtar Donetsk.

Om Podcasten

The Athletic is given inside access to leading Ukrainian football club Shakhtar Donetsk as they compete against the world's best teams despite being unable to play at home - in their own stadium - due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The Athletic's Adam Crafton and Joey D'Urso travelled with the team to gather first-hand accounts of the extraordinary challenges in the lives of players and staff as they compete against the world's best players on the biggest stage under unprecedented, ever-changing circumstances.