Ukrainian club Shakhtar Donetsk has reached an agreement with Chelsea to play its home matches in the league phase of the UEFA Champions League at Stamford Bridge. The move gives Shakhtar a temporary London home while the war in Ukraine continues to make playing in Donetsk impossible. The arrangement is still subject to regulatory approval, but both clubs have confirmed the agreement.
It is an unusual arrangement, but after more than a decade without a true home, Shakhtar will welcome the stability.
GettyStamford Bridge will see UEFA Champions League matches this season after all
Shakhtar Donetsk Champions League Home Games Move to London
Shakhtar have not played at their own Donbas Arena since 2014, when fighting in the Donetsk region forced the club to leave its home. Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 made a return even more impossible.
Since then, Shakhtar have had to build a European football existence around borrowed stadiums. Their Champions League and other European home matches have been played in places including Hamburg, Warsaw, Gelsenkirchen, Krakow and Ljubljana.
Now they will have one of the most recognizable stadiums in English football.
Stamford Bridge holds around 40,000 spectators and was available because Chelsea will not be playing European football this season after finishing 10th in the Premier League last campaign. Shakhtar had also considered other London venues, including Brentford’s Gtech Community Stadium and Fulham’s Craven Cottage, before settling on Chelsea’s ground.
The official Chelsea announcement described the move as an opportunity to welcome Shakhtar to London and said the clubs would work together to make sure matchdays run safely and smoothly.
Shakhtar were equally enthusiastic, calling the opportunity to play at Stamford Bridge “special” and emphasizing the stadium’s history and atmosphere.
More Than Just a Temporary Stadium
There is an obvious sporting benefit for Shakhtar. Instead of constantly adapting to unfamiliar cities and stadiums, the club will have one consistent base for its Champions League home matches. That should make things easier for the players, staff and supporters.
But there is a bigger story here, too.
London has a large Ukrainian community, giving Shakhtar an opportunity to bring Champions League football closer to thousands of people who have been forced to live away from home. For a club that has spent years trying to maintain some sense of normality, that matters.
There is also an unmistakable historical connection involving Chelsea. Stamford Bridge was owned for nearly two decades by Roman Abramovich, the Russian billionaire who was forced to sell Chelsea in 2022 after the UK government sanctioned him following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Shakhtar are expected to play four home matches during the Champions League league phase, with their opponents to be determined at the draw in Monaco on August 27.
For Chelsea, it means Champions League football will return to Stamford Bridge even though the club itself will not be competing in Europe. For Shakhtar, it provides something far more important: a stable and prestigious temporary home.
The dream, of course, remains returning to Donetsk and playing at the Donbas Arena in front of Shakhtar’s own supporters.
Until that day comes, Stamford Bridge will have to serve as home.
Shakhtar Donetsk to Host Champions League Games at Stamford Bridge