Ever since 2022, Europe has witnessed the growth of Ukrainian diaspora communities, shaped by migration, cultural exchange, and resilience in times of crisis and uncertainty. Alongside the challenges of integration and maintaining cultural identity, these communities also face the necessity to build new, strong connections from scratch.

A survey published in Frontiers in Psychology conducted in 2015-2016 among newly arrived Arab-speaking adult refugees in Southern Sweden has shown that nearly 40% of them were seeing physical activities as their primary source of mental health, well-being, and socializing. Being a universal interest, sport managed to create a point of stability despite the uncertain environment for many adults who had to migrate.

Our experience showed that for many Ukrainian parents and kids, a football academy can maintain the same functions: serve as a point of socializing, create stability due to schedules, and strengthen diaspora ties while empowering the next generation.

Football as a Bridge Between the Cultures

Football is the world’s most universal language. For Ukrainian families abroad, enrolling their children in a club-affiliated football school isn’t just about sports training - it’s about continuity and community. The training ground becomes a place where Ukrainian children preserve their cultural identity, while also connecting with peers. This fosters pride, confidence, and belonging. For diaspora leaders, a football school franchise is more than a business model. It’s a community hub where families gather, traditions are celebrated, and shared values are reinforced.

Ukrainians began coming to us from the first day we opened. We have had a great Ukrainian community from the very beginning. Currently, there are approximately 50-70 Ukrainian families in our school community, with this number continually growing. For us, the main thing is an atmosphere of support, friendship, and development. We teach children not only football, but also teamwork, discipline, the ability to respect one another. Parents see that here their children can develop in a safe environment, find friends, and feel like part of a team. This is what unites the people around us. The academy provides not only sports training but also helps children and their parents feel a sense of belonging to the community and maintain their identity far from home. This is a great responsibility and at the same time a source of pride.
Anton Alekseev, the owner of Shakhtar Academy Vienna

A football academy with roots in legacy and affiliation to the most honored football club in Ukraine, FC “Shakhtar”, naturally attracts both diaspora families and local communities. Parents see professional training, a clear pathway to professional football, and international standards of coaching, while children gain access to structured development. Shakhtar Academy provides an environment where Ukrainian culture is celebrated, while promoting inclusivity, making it a magnet for multicultural participation.

Business Meets Social Impact

For our franchise partners, football schools provide dual returns:

• Financial results are achieved through tuition fees, sponsorships, training camps, and merchandising.
• Social impact through youth engagement, education, and cultural diplomacy. We often emphasize the necessity of forming a community around the football academy. This is exactly the way in which you, as a business owner, can help the youth and adults to create new, strong connections on their way to adaptation to a new country.

Unlike many other business models, club-affiliated football schools have a ripple effect that extends beyond customers. They create jobs for coaches, partnerships with local businesses, and long-term brand equity tied to positive community impact.

Three days after we started collecting applications for classes, we noticed that a community was gathering around the school. We were a little lucky, as we are still the only monopoly in Berlin offering football in the Ukrainian language for Ukrainian children. So far, more than 100 families with children have joined us, which is truly inspiring. People reached out to us quickly, and these are not only refugees from the war, but also the diaspora, children born in families of Ukrainian immigrants who speak German very well. But at school, they feel a sense of belonging to the Ukrainian community that has emerged here. We are discussing the social aspect of this project. Today, we are making every effort to create a comfortable environment for parents and children to train and participate in competitions. We aim to establish a stable and systematic process to showcase a high-quality product and engage with our large community.
Oksana Orel, the owner of Shakhtar Academy Berlin

A Lifeline for Identity and Hope

For Ukrainians abroad, the football pitch is more than turf - it is a lifeline. Children learn discipline, teamwork, and resilience, while parents find reassurance that their culture will remain alive in the next generation.

In cities across Europe, Shakhtar Academy becomes a place where the anthem is sung, the language is spoken, and community pride shines. For many families, this sense of belonging is priceless. Currently, Shakhtar Academy schools are located in several European countries, such as Poland (Warsaw, Lodz, Krakow), Estonia (Tallinn), Austria (Vienna), Germany (Berlin), the Czech Republic (Prague, Brno), Slovakia (Bratislava), and in the United States (Pennsylvania, New Jersey). Regardless of the location or country, every club-affiliated football school is coaching kids using the same standards and traditions.

The Ukrainian diaspora in other countries is expanding rapidly, and the demand for structured, identity-driven extracurricular activities is higher than ever. Therefore, franchise football schools can be a scalable, reputable, and emotionally resonant solution for entrepreneurs and small business owners for years to come.