Shakhtar Donetsk to use Stamford Bridge for Champions League games

Ukrainian soccer club Shakhtar Donetsk has reached an agreement to play its home Champions League matches at Chelsea's Stamford Bridge stadium in London, the clubs announced on Friday, August 21, 2026. The arrangement, which is subject to regulatory approval from UEFA, will see the Ukrainian champions host at least four elite European competition fixtures at the 40,000-capacity venue starting in September.

The move is necessitated by the ongoing full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine that began in February 2022, which prevents Shakhtar from playing matches in its home country for security reasons. The club has been unable to use its own Donbas Arena in Donetsk since 2014, when Russian-backed forces annexed the Donetsk region. In the years since, Shakhtar has played domestic games in Kyiv and Lviv, while hosting European fixtures in various cities across Poland, Germany, and Slovenia. This season will mark the first time the club has played a home game in England.

Shakhtar expressed gratitude to its English hosts, stating that Stamford Bridge is an exceptional place to call home in Europe during the conflict. The club emphasized its hope to soon return to play in front of its own...