Ukraine’s Shakhtar set for valuable Champions League upgrade
By GRAHAM DUNBAR
AP Sports Writer
GENEVA (AP) — Shakhtar Donetsk is heading directly to the next Champions League group stage after Villarreal was eliminated in the semifinals. The upgrade should guarantee Shakhtar tens of millions of dollars in Champions League prize money next season. Amid so much turmoil in Ukrainian soccer, Shakhtar has been touring Europe playing charity games in exile from Russia’s invasion. Villarreal’s 5-2 aggregate loss to Liverpool ensured the title will be won by a team that already qualified for next season’s Champions League. The entry that UEFA protects for the defending champion can now pass to the 12th-ranked national league. That’s Ukraine.