Shakhtar Donetsk to stage Champions League home campaign at Stamford Bridge
The Ukrainian champions have secured a temporary base in west London, leveraging Chelsea’s absence from European competition to host at least four matches at the 40,044-capacity stadium.
Shakhtar Donetsk will conduct their 2026/27 Champions League home campaign at Chelsea’s Stamford Bridge, marking a significant shift in the logistical arrangements for the exiled Ukrainian side. The club, which has been forced to play away from its traditional home in the Donbas region since 2014, will host at least four matches in west London this season. This arrangement follows Shakhtar’s automatic qualification for the league phase of the competition after securing the Ukrainian Premier League title last season.
The decision to utilise Stamford Bridge, which has a capacity of 40,044, supersedes earlier links to Brentford’s Gtech Community Stadium. The move places the Ukrainian side in a location with a substantial demographic presence, as a high proportion of the estimated 45,000 Ukrainians who have arrived in London since the Russian invasion began in 2022 are settled in the west of the capital. This figure supplements the 19,000 residents recorded in the 2021 UK census.
Chelsea’s agreement to accommodate the visitors is directly linked to their own domestic performance. The Blues finished 10th in the Premier League during the 2025/26 season, missing out on European qualification and thereby freeing up their fixture schedule. In a statement regarding the logistics of the arrangement, Chelsea described their recent campaign as “disappointing,” a factor that facilitated the hosting of Shakhtar’s European home games.
Shakhtar has previously held its European home matches across various locations in continental Europe, including Poland, Slovenia, and Germany. Prior to these arrangements, the club largely relied on the Lviv Arena, situated over 700 miles from its original home ground, for domestic fixtures. The current season represents a new chapter in this ongoing displacement, with the club expressing gratitude for the opportunity to play at one of the most famous venues in world football.
In a formal statement, Shakhtar described the move as a “special opportunity” and praised the “incredible history and atmosphere” of Stamford Bridge. The club expressed its conviction that the matches would provide “unforgettable emotions” for both Ukrainian and English supporters, highlighting the strategic importance of the venue for their continental campaign.
