Serhiy Palkin: Shakhtar is not a 'golden cage'

Shakhtar Donetsk CEO Serhiy Palkin has reflected on the start of the summer off-season, emphasizing that the club maintains a professional and ethical approach to its transfer dealings. The club is continuing to work on squad changes even after a demanding 52-match campaign.

Palkin dismissed accusations that the club had acted improperly in the signing of Oleksandr Karavayev, stating that negotiations followed all regulatory and ethical standards. "We have proven for a long time that Shakhtar is not a 'golden cage.' Players have contractual obligations, but they are not in slavery," the executive remarked.

We have proven for a long time that Shakhtar is not a 'golden cage.' Anatoliy Trubin, Heorhiy Sudakov, Oleksandr Zubkov, Mykhailo Mudryk, Danylo Sikan, and Kevin all know this. Serhiy Palkin

Regarding Yukhym Konoplya's transfer to Borussia Mönchengladbach, Palkin noted that the club respected the player's decision to seek a new challenge abroad. He insisted that no pressure was applied to the player during his final period at the club. Palkin further reiterated that Shakhtar remains committed to its development philosophy, which integrates academy graduates with foreign talent to foster internal competition.