Ukrainian football club Shakhtar Donetsk has reached an agreement to host their Champions League home matches at Stamford Bridge in London. The stadium, which for nearly two decades was under the ownership of Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich, will serve as the venue for four of the club’s home games during the competition’s main phase, pending final regulatory approvals from UEFA. The specific opponents for these fixtures will be determined during the upcoming draw in Monaco next Thursday.
The club has been unable to host matches in Donetsk since 2014, when the conflict in the Donbas region first began. Following the Russian military invasion four years ago, the team has been forced to play their UEFA competition matches abroad, having previously utilized venues in Poland, Germany, and Slovenia. Between 2014 and 2021, the team managed to play European games at various locations within Ukraine, but current security conditions make this impossible.
Regarding the move, Shakhtar stated, “Our true home is Ukraine and we all hope that very soon we will be able to play European football in front of our own fans again. But while the war makes this impossible, Stamford Bridge is an exceptional place for us to call home in Europe.” Chelsea, now under the ownership of a group including American businessman Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali of Clearlake Capital, confirmed they would collaborate with the Ukrainian side to ensure the matches are managed safely and comfortably for both the team and its supporters.
The transition to Stamford Bridge is facilitated by the fact that Chelsea did not qualify for any UEFA competitions this season, preventing any potential fixture conflicts. The London club’s current squad also features former Shakhtar winger Mykhaylo Mudryk. While this marks the first time the Ukrainian champions will play a home game in England, the club remains focused on the logistical challenges of hosting these high-profile matches in a new environment. The report also notes that which for nearly 20 years was owned by Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich, ukrainian football club Shakhtar Donetsk has agreement to play their home Champions League games at Chelsea’s ground in London.
