We Play On, Andy Brassell
We Play On, Andy Brassell
List: $31.99 | Sale: $22.40
Club: $15.99

We Play On
Shakhtar Donetsk’s Fight for Ukraine, Football and Freedom

Author: Andy Brassell, Darijo Srna

Narrator: Andy Brassell

Unabridged: 8 hr 7 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 09/28/2023


Synopsis

'A gripping account' Sunday Times

'We want to show to the world that we are alive. That we are strong. Not just us - the whole of Ukraine. We are continuing to play. We are continuing to win.' Darijo Srna

Shakhtar Donetsk have not played in their home stadium since 2014. Their matchdays now typically have no crowds, air raid sirens interrupt games and thoughts of and fears for family, friends and hometowns frontline troops loom large in the players' minds ahead of every game. These are extraordinary times - but Shakhtar is an extraordinary club.

Displaced when fighting first began in the Donbas region, and then again when Russia mounted a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, this book honours a club - players, coaching staff, management - who choose to play on. In a time of chaos and conflict, they have become emblems of hope and unity. They are winning on the pitch, and winning hearts and minds across the world.

Following the club's meteoric rise from domestic team to domineering European contenders, Andy Brassell expertly weaves a story of Shakhtar through the ages - their origin story after Ukrainian independence, their evolution and their reinvention. The war forced an exodus of star players and staff and the club has had to find itself once again. With direct testimony and exclusive interviews from those at Shakhtar, this book delivers unparalleled insight to the club's journey - one that is all too often hidden from view. The result is an ode to Shakhtar Donetsk, shining a light on the beauty and force of their football and their fight to play on.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Rob on October 22, 2023

I was hoping for a book like A Season with Verona: Travels Around Italy in Search of Illusion, National Character . . . and Goals! or The Miracle of Castel di Sangro: A Tale of Passion and Folly in the Heart of Italy which was a look from an outsider's point of view about a foreign football team. Sh......more

Goodreads review by Julia on January 07, 2025

Хороша книжка, дуже тепла. Шкода тільки, що кожні два речення тут облизування одного пєтуха. З улюбленого: “Sometimes, as well, the provocation is too much. Vzbirna ran a story about Shakhtar’s Danylo Sikan hitting one Russian tourist who was a little too confrontational in the hotel; a story that the......more

Goodreads review by Stanislav on December 17, 2023

Probably one of my favorite books this year. Combines my love of Ukraine, football, geopolitics, etc. Also gives insight into how Ukraine as a nation had to change as a result of the war. My only complaint is that I think it skips over some of the corruption that may have taken place from the oligar......more

Goodreads review by David on December 18, 2023

This is a fascinating story of how a team that no longer has a home continues to find ways to succeed. It reads more like a series of longform articles, and it at times assumes the reader knows more details than we do as it jumps between many times periods over 20 years, but it is still interesting......more


Quotes

A gripping account Sunday Times