Scala stands down at Shakhtar

Scala stunned 
All was going to plan when Olexiy Bielik opened the scoring in the 16th minute of the first-leg tie at the Ernst Happel stadium. But Wien struck five times in reply to stun Shakhtar, and Scala, and all but guarantee their place in the second round. The loss came a week after chairman Rinat Akhmetov challenged his players to win the competition.

Maiden title 
Scala informed Akhmetov of his decision to stand down on the return flight to Donetsk from Vienna and Akhmetov accepted. The Italian had taken over at the Shakhtyor stadium in January and steered the club to the first title in their 66-year history, the Ukrainian Cup and three wins against arch-rivals FC Dynamo Kyiv.

European success 
A former coach of Parma AC, whom he led to UEFA Cup, UEFA Cup Winners' Cup and UEFA Super Cup success, Besiktas JK and BV Borussia Dortmund, Scala said on his departure: "I will remember the best things about my time with Donetsk - the team and the support we received from the fans. But the team has not realised that trust and I must go."

Farmer at heart 
Shakhtar needed three months of negotiations to lure Scala to Ukraine at the turn of the year, although the white-haired coach admitted to having more than just football reasons for accepting the job. "Inside of me, there are two people co-existing, a coach and a farmer," he said. "I bought a farm when I was young, and I still work there sometimes. In Donetsk, when I have some free time, I drive to the fields and look how people work, how they plant potatoes or sunflowers."