On April 23, Valeriy Bondar and his wife, journalist and TV presenter Daria Savina, welcomed their first child. Savina first shared news of her pregnancy this spring. Now, on Instagram, she has posted the first images with their daughter, alongside words that feel like a new starting point for the entire family:
“Our miracle, our love, our little universe. Welcome to this world, our daughter…”
The baby girl has been named Emilia.
On the very day of his daughter’s birth, Bondar was named in Shakhtar’s starting lineup for the match against Zorya Luhansk, playing the full 90 minutes as the team secured a 2–1 win.
It has been a demanding season for the defender: more than forty appearances across all competitions, several goal contributions, and a consistent presence in the team’s most decisive matches. Shakhtar continues to lead the Ukrainian Premier League table, maintaining a confident run toward the end of the campaign.
Next come new fixtures and European challenges, including a Conference League semifinal against Crystal Palace. Yet even now, it’s clear that for Bondar, this chapter will be defined by more than results on the pitch. His life has taken on a meaning that goes beyond statistics.