Shakhtar Donetsk sporting director Darijo Srna has told talkSPORT that Gianni Infantino must visit Ukraine and do more to support the country’s clubs.Srna is in London ahead of Shakhtar’s Champions League clash with Sporting on Tuesday at Stamford Bridge, where the 16-time Ukrainian champions are playing their ‘home’ games this season because of the war.Srna has called out Infantino for his lack of support for Ukrainian clubsGettyRussian teams have been banned from FIFA and UEFA competitions since the full-scale invasion in February 2022.Yet last month, Russia were allowed to send a team to FIFA’s inaugural Under-15 World Cup & Festival in Azerbaijan, a decision that disappointed Srna and Shakhtar.It came eight months after Infantino said the ban had ‘not achieved anything’.Srna slams Infantino“FIFA is business,” said Srna, who won 134 caps for Croatia.“If you compare President Ceferin with Infantino, they are two different people. The one who likes football is Mr Ceferin.“He protects all the clubs. He doesn’t want to sell football to rich people. Football is for everyone, not just for rich people.“FIFA, on the other hand, are doing business. We saw that at the World Cup.“Unfortunately, they didn’t protect one club from Ukraine during the war. What is their duty? They are there to protect football, to protect the clubs, to protect the players. But they didn’t do anything.“So I can just invite President Infantino one more time to visit Ukraine, and maybe he will change his mind after that. Until then, I don’t have respect for him or for the whole of FIFA.”Srna isn’t worried about Russian clubs returning to the Champions League any time soon.Infantino claimed the ban on Russia had ‘not achieved anything’GettyNo Russian side has played in the competition since Zenit St Petersburg went out in the 2021/22 group stage, a campaign that included a 1-0 defeat by Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.Shakhtar’s last competitive meeting with a Russian side came against Zenit in the 2011/12 group stage.“I think it’s impossible under President Ceferin,” Srna said.“I mean, how? How is it possible that a Russian team could come to play in England? Can you imagine that? Or in Germany, Poland, Spain or Italy?“It’s impossible, because they are living in their own world. They are not welcome in Europe.“If you saw Chelsea play against Zenit at Stamford Bridge, it would be chaos. I don’t believe Russian teams should be brought back into UEFA competitions until the war is over.”Shakhtar in the Champions LeagueWith Ukrainian airspace closed, every ‘home’ Champions League game means a long journey across the border by road or rail before Shakhtar can even board a flight to London.Yet Arda Turan’s side have made a positive start to the league phase.A 1-1 draw at PSV was followed by a 3-1 win over AEK Athens in front of 29,144 at Stamford Bridge, and despite a 1-0 defeat at Inter, they sit 17th – inside the top 24 places that either go straight into the last 16 or face a play-off to get there.“We started very well in the Champions League,” said Srna. “We drew with PSV, we beat AEK Athens and, although we lost against Inter in Milan, I would say we were unlucky.“Now we play against an amazing opponent in Sporting. They are a very good team, a dangerous team.“They won the championship in Portugal two years ago, and they have played in the Champions League almost every year.Shakhtar have made a solid start to their Champions League campaignGetty“It will be a difficult game, of course, but we are ready to fight against everyone.”Sporting, Portuguese champions in 2024 and 2025, are in transition.Rui Borges left on Sunday, with former Shakhtar boss Paulo Fonseca set to leave Lyon to replace him.Fonseca won seven trophies in three seasons at Shakhtar between 2016 and 2019, including three successive league and cup doubles.“Fonseca is an amazing person – a friend of mine, a friend of our club and an amazing coach,” said Srna.“He had amazing success with Shakhtar. I don’t want to play against Fonseca. I’m so happy that he’s coming to Sporting. He will do a very good job there – hopefully just after Tuesday!”It is unclear whether Fonseca will be in the dugout for Tuesday’s game or whether he will instead take charge for the first time in Saturday’s league match against Moreirense.Portuguese media have suggested B-team coach Tiago Fernandes will remain in interim charge for the match against Shakhtar.Shakhtar have also been boosted by first Brazil call-ups for midfielder Marlon Gomes and winger Alisson Santana, who were named in Carlo Ancelotti’s squad for this month’s friendlies against Japan and Singapore.They are the first Shakhtar players selected by Brazil since Fred and Taison in 2018.“They deserved that,” said Srna. “It is a big success for the whole club.“We are living every day under sirens, under bombs, and are attacked by Shahed drones, so to make the Brazil national team in these conditions is amazing.A narrow defeat to Inter last month ended Shakhtar’s unbeaten startGetty“Thank you so much to Carlo Ancelotti, because he is a coach who knows how to choose players. They are two young players, and for sure they will be the future of the Brazil national team.“It sends a huge message to all the world, and to all our Brazilian players at Shakhtar, that we are still here, that we are alive, that we are producing amazing players.“It shows that we are, like all Ukrainians, fighting until the end.”Shakhtar are managed by Arda Turan, the former Barcelona and Atlético Madrid midfielder.The 39-year-old arrived from Eyüpspor in 2025 and won the title by 12 points in his first season.This campaign, Shakhtar are top again after 11 games. Turan’s contract expires next summer, but Srna is relaxed.“At Shakhtar, it doesn’t matter if you have six months or three years left,” he said.“You always have the same target: nice football, good football and trophies. We have time to analyse that. Of course, we are satisfied with our coach.“But our focus is on the Champions League. We have nine games in 29 days, and we are also travelling. Our dream is to make the top 24, and we are in a good place at the moment.”Stamford Bridge hosts Champions League matchesLast season, when Shakhtar reached the Conference League semi-finals, their European home games were staged in Kraków and Ljubljana.This time Chelsea, who are without European football, have opened their doors.The clubs enjoy a strong relationship, and Chelsea signed winger Mykhailo Mudryk from Shakhtar in a deal worth up to €100million in January 2023.Shakhtar are playing Champions League ‘home’ matches at Stamford BridgeGetty“London is a nice destination,” said Srna. “We are so grateful to the owner [Clearlake co-founder Behdad Eghbali] and to everyone at Chelsea. They really host us like friends.“And thank you so much to the Chelsea supporters for coming to see us play here, and for supporting Ukraine.”Shakhtar have not played in Donetsk since 2014, when pro-Russian separatists seized the city, and a return to the Donbass Arena still feels a long way off.“We are waiting for that. We are praying for peace every day,” said Srna.“In the Champions League, we are fighting not just for Shakhtar, but for all of Ukraine, for all our fans and for all of the army.“We want to send them 93, 95 minutes of positive emotion, like we did against AEK [in the 3-1 Champions League win], and they really appreciate that.“Ukraine is in a very, very difficult moment now, with attacks every day.“Even yesterday, games were cancelled because it was not possible to play due to the Shahed drones.“Unfortunately, this is our life today. This is our reality. We need to help each other. We need to be united until our victory.”Srna also keeps a close eye on Mudryk, who joined Tottenham on a season-long loan from Chelsea on deadline day, with a £75m option to buy.The Ukraine international has been reunited with his former Shakhtar boss Roberto De Zerbi, having been cleared to play again in the summer after his four-year doping ban was reduced.But one Premier League appearance into his Spurs career, he suffered what De Zerbi called a ‘stupid’ ankle injury, and he is not expected back until after the international break.Turan has been hailed by Srna for his success in charge of ShakhtarGetty“I’m happy for two reasons,” said Srna. “First, that Mudryk won his doping case, because he’s an amazing person and a professional.“Secondly, I’m so happy for Roberto. He is the guy who chose Mudryk to play at Shakhtar, and he trusted in him from the first day.“Roberto is an amazing coach. Of course, he hasn’t had a lot of time yet to work with the team. His philosophy is different to others – it’s an amazing one – and he will get results. I expect Roberto will qualify for Europe with Tottenham this year.”Srna would love to face De Zerbi’s Spurs in Europe one day, but Shakhtar’s immediate focus is on trying to reach the Champions League knockout stage this season.This would not only boost their finances but continue to give them a global platform through which to champion Ukraine.Exiled from Donetsk for 12 years, playing ‘home’ games in another country and still producing players good enough for Brazil while the sirens sound at home, they remain one of European football’s most remarkable stories.