League and cup winners in 2010/11, FC Shakhtar Donetsk have repeated the feat this term after a 3-0 win against PFC Olexandriya on the last day of the Premier League season.
Yevhen Seleznyov celebrates his goal against Olexandriya
FC Shakhtar Donetsk have been crowned champions of Ukraine for the third consecutive season after a 3-0 victory against relegated PFC Olexandriya.
The Pitmen are celebrating their seventh Premier League title – all gained during the last 11 years – leaving them six championships behind arch-rivals FC Dynamo Kyiv, who drew 1-1 with SC Tavriya Simferopol on the final day of the season and finish four points off the pace in second.
The success also completes back-to-back domestic doubles for Shakhtar following their extra-time triumph on Sunday in the Ukrainian Cup final against FC Metalurh Donetsk.
Anything less than a win for Mircea Lucescu's men could have left the door ajar for Dynamo, but their ninth consecutive league victory was never in doubt once Willian opened the scoring a quarter of an hour in. Henrik Mkhitaryan (28) doubled the hosts' lead with a header and then set up Yevhen Seleznyov for number three 11 minutes into the second half.
Seleznyov's strike was his 14th in the league this season and ensured he finished as the top flight's joint leading scorer along with Maicon, who converted a penalty in FC Volyn Lutsk’s 2-2 draw with FC Zorya Luhansk. Seleznyov, who was included in Ukraine's provisional 26-man squad for UEFA EURO 2012, topped the scoring charts last season with 17 goals for FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk.
"I'm happy that we won the title and the cup again," said Lucescu, who, having won six league titles and four domestic cups since taking over at Shakhtar in 2004, has usurped the legendary Valeriy Lobanovskiy as the most successful coach in Ukrainian football.
"I want to thank my players for everything, and particularly for accepting my principles of rotation. Today I tried to give playing time to those who will soon go to their national-team camps."
Since where I am from and Donetsk are sister cities I have a soft spot for this team. As for the season Shakhtar Donetsk finished 25-4-1 with 80 goals for and 18 goals agsinst.
