The story of the transformation of Donetsk's Shakhtar from a club teetering on the brink of survival into one of Europe's leading football brands is inextricably linked to the dramatic events of October 1996. In an interview with The Guardian, the club's president, Rinat Akhmetov, recalled the fateful day when he was five seconds away from death and how this tragedy defined his future path.
Five Seconds Before the Explosion
The events unfolded at the moment when Akhmetov and his close friend, the then-president of the "miners" Akhat Bragin, were driving to the stadium for a match. Due to a five-minute delay, Bragin jumped out of the car and ran towards the entrance. Akhmetov followed him. It was precisely this decision that saved the entrepreneur's life: he ended up being five seconds away from the explosion orchestrated by terrorists.
"It was a tragedy, he was a close friend. If he had been alive, he would have done a lot of good for Shakhtar," Akhmetov shared, remembering his fallen comrade.
The Club at Rock Bottom
Bragin's death left Shakhtar in a catastrophic position. The club was abandoned and deprived of elementary infrastructure. The team did not have its own stadium or a training base, and there was not even a bus available for traveling to matches. The financial situation was dire: players earned only $200–300 a month, and the club was constantly suffering losses.
The Risk That Changed Everything
At this critical moment, Akhmetov was asked to take over the management of the team. The initiative was shown by many representatives of the authorities, as well as the widow of the deceased Akhat Bragin. At that time, Akhmetov was only 30 years old. He admitted that he was not sure about the success of his business ambitions and doubted whether he could cope with managing a football club.
However, in October 1996, he made the decision to become the president of Shakhtar. His declaration of the goal to win the championship met with skepticism and mockery. At that time, Kyiv's Dynamo with Andriy Shevchenko and Oleh Rebrov was at the pinnacle of Ukrainian football, and competition seemed impossible.
"Everyone called me crazy. People mocked me, but now they have no time for jokes," Akhmetov concluded, confirming that his doubts at the time had been overcome and the skeptics were proven wrong.