DistantNews
Support us
Shakhtar Donetsk to play Champions League home games at Chelsea's Stamford Bridge
🇬🇷 Greece /Sports

Shakhtar Donetsk to play Champions League home games at Chelsea's Stamford Bridge

From Ta Nea · () Greek

Translated from Greek, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources New plan
  • Shakhtar Donetsk will play their UEFA Champions League home matches at Chelsea's Stamford Bridge stadium for the 2026/27 season.
  • The Ukrainian club cannot play in Ukraine due to the ongoing war.
  • Chelsea FC confirmed the agreement, subject to regulatory approvals.

Stamford Bridge, the home of Chelsea FC, will host Champions League nights once again in the upcoming 2026/27 season, but this time with Ukrainian club Shakhtar Donetsk as the primary tenant. Due to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, Shakhtar is unable to play its home matches in its own country and has secured the use of Chelsea's stadium for its League Phase fixtures in Europe's premier club competition.

This arrangement marks a continuation of Shakhtar Donetsk's nomadic existence for European competitions in recent years. The club has previously played its home games in various neutral venues across Germany, Slovenia, and Poland. Now, London will become the temporary home for Shakhtar's European aspirations, with Stamford Bridge opening its doors to the Champions League despite Chelsea itself being absent from European competitions next season.

Chelsea FC officially confirmed the agreement via their social media channels, stating, "Subject to regulatory approvals, FC Shakhtar will play their home matches of the UEFA Champions League league phase at Stamford Bridge for the 2026/27 season." This move highlights the challenges faced by Ukrainian sports teams amidst the war, forcing them to seek alternative venues to continue competing on the international stage.

Subject to regulatory approvals, FC Shakhtar will play their home matches of the UEFA Champions League league phase at Stamford Bridge for the 2026/27 season.

— Chelsea FCOfficial confirmation of the agreement via Twitter.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Ta Nea in Greek. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

More Stories

From Our Blog