Stamford Bridge to Host Shakhtar Donetsk’s Champions League Home Games Amid Exile

Shakhtar Donetsk will play their Champions League home matches at Stamford Bridge this season after reaching an agreement with Chelsea to host their European fixtures while continuing their exile from the Donbas Arena. The Ukrainian club had been searching for a temporary venue for their continental fixtures and had been linked with Brentford’s Gtech Community Stadium, but will instead travel a few miles towards central London to Chelsea’s 40,044-capacity home.

According to the last UK census in 2021, an estimated 19,000 Ukrainians lived in London, with around 45,000 having arrived in the capital since the Russian invasion of Ukraine began in 2022. A high proportion of this community has settled in west London, close to Stamford Bridge. The stadium is set to host at least four matches, as Shakhtar automatically qualified for the league phase of the competition after winning the Ukrainian Premier League last season. Chelsea highlighted that their own disappointing 2025/26 season, which resulted in a 10th-placed finish in the Premier League and no European football, made the logistics of accommodating the Ukrainian side much easier.

In a statement, Shakhtar expressed their gratitude: “Playing our Champions League home matches at Stamford Bridge is a special opportunity for Shakhtar. We are grateful to Chelsea for the opportunity to host our games at this special venue. Stamford Bridge is one of the most famous stadiums in world football, with an incredible history and atmosphere. We are convinced that Shakhtar’s matches in London will provide unforgettable emotions for Ukrainian and English fans.”

Owing to the ongoing Russian invasion and occupation of the Donbas region since 2014, Shakhtar have been unable to play in their home stadium since they were forced to abandon it in May of that year, largely using the Lviv Arena, over 700 miles away, for domestic home games ever since. More recently, their European home matches have been held across the continent, including in Poland, Slovenia, and Germany, before finding a temporary home at Stamford Bridge.

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