Shakhtar Donetsk to Host Four Champions League Games at Stamford Bridge

Ukrainian champions Shakhtar Donetsk will utilize Chelsea's home ground for their 2026-27 Champions League campaign due to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

Shakhtar Donetsk confirmed on Friday, August 21, 2026, that an agreement has been reached to host four Champions League home fixtures at Stamford Bridge. The Ukrainian side, currently positioned in Pot 3 for the upcoming tournament draw, will utilize the London venue for the main phase of the elite competition starting this September. This arrangement remains subject to final regulatory approvals from UEFA. The move follows the full Russian military invasion that began in February 2022, which prevents the club from hosting international fixtures within Ukraine for security reasons.

Key details

The specific opponents for these four matches will be determined during the official competition draw scheduled for next Thursday in Monaco. Because Chelsea did not qualify for any UEFA competition this season, no fixture clashes will occur at their home ground. The Ukrainian club could potentially face any of the five English teams qualified for this year's tournament: Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester United, or Aston Villa. Chelsea’s current ownership group, led by United States businessman Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali of Clearlake Capital, will work with Shakhtar over the coming weeks to ensure safe and comfortable match operations for the visiting team and its supporters.

Shakhtar Donetsk has not played a home match in its native city since 2014, when Russian-backed conflict first erupted in the Donbas region. Between 2014 and 2021, the club staged UEFA competition games at various locations across Ukraine. Since the escalation of hostilities in 2022, the team has hosted European fixtures in Poland, Germany, and Slovenia. The upcoming Champions League cycle marks the first time the club will play a home game in England. Notably, the Chelsea squad currently features winger Mykhailo Mudryk, who previously played for Shakhtar.

Stamford Bridge was owned for nearly 20 years by Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich before the war forced a sale under pressure from British government sanctions. The club stated that while Ukraine remains their true home, the London stadium serves as an exceptional alternative while the ongoing conflict makes playing in front of their own fans impossible. The 2026-27 season represents a continuation of the club's nomadic European existence, which has now spanned over a decade of regional and national instability. Officials from the London club confirmed they are coordinating closely with the Ukrainian champions to manage the logistics of the four-game residency.

Latest developments

The transition to London involves complex travel arrangements for the Shakhtar squad, who have spent the last two years navigating border crossings and long-distance bus journeys to reach European venues. During the 2023-24 campaign, the team utilized the Volksparkstadion in Hamburg, Germany, attracting an average attendance of over 40,000 fans per match. The move to the 40,341-capacity Stamford Bridge offers a similar scale for the Ukrainian diaspora living in the United Kingdom. Ticket sales for these four matches are expected to be announced shortly after the group stage opponents are finalized in Monaco.

Financial terms of the stadium rental agreement have not been publicly disclosed, though sources indicate that a portion of the matchday revenue will be directed toward humanitarian efforts in Ukraine. This follows a precedent set during previous seasons where Shakhtar utilized gate receipts to fund medical supplies and reconstruction projects in war-torn regions. The partnership between the two clubs also includes technical cooperation, with Chelsea providing training facilities at their Cobham base for the Ukrainian side during their stays in London. This ensures the visiting athletes have access to world-class recovery and preparation zones between their domestic league commitments and European nights.

UEFA's decision to sanction this venue change comes after a thorough inspection of the pitch and security protocols at the Fulham Road site. The governing body typically requires clubs to play in their home countries, but Article 31 of the safety regulations allows for neutral venues in cases of armed conflict or political instability. Shakhtar's status as a Pot 3 team means they will likely face two opponents from Pot 1 and two from Pot 2, potentially bringing some of Europe's biggest clubs to West London on nights when the stadium would otherwise remain dark. The first matchday of the new league phase is scheduled for September 15-17, 2026.