Defensive rock to assist Barça's roll

Dmytro Chygrynskiy enjoys strumming on his guitar in his spare time, and FC Barcelona fans will be hoping their new signing plays like a rock at the heart of the European champions' defence this season.

Master's degree
The centre-back's commanding performances in FC Shakhtar Donetsk's UEFA Cup triumph last season persuaded Barça to pay €25m to secure his services following their victory over the Ukrainian side in the UEFA Super Cup. The transfer fee dwarfed Shakhtar's previous club record, but there is little danger of the well-grounded Chygrynskiy's head spinning after an upbringing which brought as much time in the classroom as the changing room. "My mum thought it would be better for me to continue at school, which was easy for me, what I liked," said the 22-year-old, among a select band of footballers who have a master's degree. "Dad kept saying that there are thousands of kids like me, and not all become professionals. Thankfully, they did not stand in my way either."

Passion play
Indeed, it was his father's love of the game that first stirred Chygrynskiy's interest in his home city of Izyaslav, the starting point of a journey which took him from the youth academies of FC Karpaty Lviv and Shakhtar to the Camp Nou. "It was my Dad who gave me the passion for football, a game he played himself when he was young. I didn't even dream about a career at the beginning, though nor did I part with a ball, even when I was asleep." The desire to see their son pursue his ambition led to his parents moving to Donetsk when he joined Shakhtar aged 14, a decision which heralded Chygrynskiy's rise to prominence.

Rise
Instrumental in Ukraine's impressive run to the 2004 UEFA European Under-19 Championship semi-finals, the defender then made inroads at club level, making his UEFA Champions League debut – coincidentally – in a 2-0 victory over Barcelona. After six months on loan at FC Metalurh Zaporizhya, Chygrynskiy's football education was complete as he established himself as a first-team regular at Shakhtar, earning cult status in the 2006 title triumph, while excelling in leading Ukraine to the UEFA European U21 Championship final in the same year. A hip injury limited his involvement in Ukraine's FIFA World Cup adventure in Germany, but failed to halt his progress.

'No fuss'
Shakhtar did the league and cup double in 2008 before becoming only the second Ukrainian club to win a European trophy in May by beating Werder Bremen in the UEFA Cup final. How did Chygrynskiy celebrate? Perhaps a little riff from one of his favourite groups: Nirvana, Pink Floyd or the Red Hot Chili Peppers? "For me, it was too much fuss," he said. "I try to stay away from parties as much as possible." He may have to think of a few more excuses if this season at Barça is as good as last.