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🇻🇪 Venezuela /Sports

Gleiker Mendoza included in Shakhtar Donetsk’s Champions League squad

From El Nacional · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Official statement New plan
  • Shakhtar Donetsk named Gleiker Mendoza in its 29-player squad for the 2026-27 Champions League.
  • Shakhtar will open its league phase against PSV on Sept. 10 and later face teams including AEK Athens, Inter Milan, Sporting Lisbon, Fenerbahçe, Slovan Bratislava, Leipzig and Real Madrid.
  • Coach Arda Turan praised Mendoza’s potential but said he needed to improve his defending and decision-making.

Gleiker Mendoza will wear number 77 for Shakhtar Donetsk in the 2026-27 Champions League after coach Arda Turan included the Venezuelan winger in the club’s 29-player squad.

Shakhtar confirmed the selection on Sept. 3, one week before its opening match against PSV. The game will begin at 12:45 p.m. Venezuela time on Sept. 10. The Ukrainian club will also meet AEK Athens and Inter Milan in October, followed by Sporting Lisbon, Fenerbahçe and Slovan Bratislava. Its league phase will conclude after the new year against Leipzig and Real Madrid.

Mendoza joined Shakhtar from Kryvbas after being recognized as the Ukrainian Premier League’s best player. Turan said the winger had a strong shot and had done excellent work at Kryvbas, but needed to adapt to his new team.

He is a strong player with a good shot. He did excellent work with Kryvbas. However, he must play differently here. He must defend more and make better decisions. He has excellent potential.

· Arda TuranThe Shakhtar coach assessed Mendoza after his move from Kryvbas.

“He is a strong player with a good shot. He did excellent work with Kryvbas. However, he must play differently here. He must defend more and make better decisions. He has excellent potential,” Turan said in an interview with Shakhtar’s official channel on July 29.

Mendoza has already contributed an assist in his second league appearance. After Shakhtar beat Epicentr 2-0, teammate Yehor Nazaryna highlighted a pass that led to Oleg Ocheretko’s opening goal. “Mendoza played a great pass, and Oleg ran onto it and scored. It is something we work on,” Nazaryna said.

Mendoza played a great pass, and Oleg ran onto it and scored. It is something we work on.

· Yehor NazarynaNazaryna described Mendoza’s assist in Shakhtar’s 2-0 win over Epicentr.
About this summary

Originally published by El Nacional in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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