Shakhtar Donetsk move their Champions League home games to Stamford Bridge

Shakhtar Donetsk will play their Champions League home matches at Stamford Bridge from this Wednesday, after a security-driven agreement reached with Chelsea, as reported by RMC Sport.

The move follows years without access to their own Donbass Arena: the club has been unable to use it since 2014 due to instability in the area, and the situation worsened after the Ukraine–Russia war began in February 2022. Shakhtar also considered Brentford and Fulham as possible venues before settling on south-west London.

General director Sergei Palkin said the change matters for both football and politics. “We’ve made a decision: let’s go to England,” he told the BBC, adding that London hosts many Ukrainian refugees and that “Stamford Bridge” is a motivating stage for their young players. He also stressed the message they want to send: “We represent our country” and want to “be visible for Ukraine.”

This new Champions League campaign began with a 1-1 draw away to PSV Eindhoven, and the home match at Stamford Bridge comes this Wednesday against AEK Athens FC.