Schuster off to Shakhtar

Former German international Bernd Schuster is to take charge of Ukrainian club FC Shakhtar Donetsk.

Summer start
The 44-year-old, currently the coach of Spanish second division side CD Xerez, has signed a two-year contract and will start work once the current seasons in Ukraine and Spain conclude. Shakhtar are three points behind leaders FC Dynamo Kyiv with the final round of matches to be completed this Wednesday.

Impressive work
Schuster has just missed out on taking Xerez to the Primera División after an excellent second season. Shakhtar chairman Rinat Akhmetov was impressed and moved to acquire Schuster's services after being disappointed with his own club's form.

Cup final defeat
Italian coach Nevio Scala was fired only ten games into the campaign after Shakhtar lost 5-1 to FK Austria Wien in the first round of the UEFA Cup. Valeriy Yaremchenko then took over, only to relinquish a seven-point lead at the top of the league and lose 2-1 in the Ukrainian Cup final to Dynamo last month.

Plenty of experience
In a memorable career, Schuster played 445 games in the German, Spanish and Mexican top flights, scoring 105 goals. In Germany, Schuster played for SV Hammerschmiede Augsburg, 1. FC Augsburg, 1. FC Köln and Bayer 04 Leverkusen. His foreign travels took in FC Barcelona, Real Madrid CF, Club Atlético de Madrid and UNAM Mexico City.

Coaching career
He began working as a coach with SC Fortuna Köln in 1997/98 before taking charge at Köln for the following campaign. He then moved on to Xerez in July 2001.

European qualification
Depending on their final league placing, Shakhtar will enter the UEFA Champions League in either the second or third qualifying round. They are at home against FC Arsenal Kyiv on Wednesday, while Dynamo welcome FC Metalist Kharkiv.