Ukrainians will swap Stožice for Stamford Bridge

Ukrainian football giant Shakhtar Donetsk has found a new European home, announcing it will play its Champions League home matches at Chelsea's Stamford Bridge stadium in London. This move makes London the club's new European base as it continues to play far from its war-torn home city of Donetsk.

Shakhtar has a recent history of connections with Slovenia. Last year, on July 10, 2025, they played their first-leg qualifying match for the Europa League against Finland's Ilves in Ljubljana's Stožice Stadium. This season, the team also held its pre-season training camp in Slovenia, arriving on June 30, 2026, and beginning preparations for the 2026/27 season. They conducted their first training session on July 1 and continued the second phase of preparations in the Slovenian capital in mid-July, including friendly matches against Croatian clubs.

Now, Shakhtar faces a different backdrop for its European campaign. Stamford Bridge, one of England's most recognizable stadiums, will host elite European competition thanks to the Ukrainian club. Chelsea's failure to qualify for the Champions League means the stadium will be occupied by Shakhtar's matches.

Shakhtar has not used its former home, the Donbas Arena, since 2014 when it left Donetsk because of the war in eastern Ukraine. In the intervening years, the club has hosted its European home games in various countries, including Germany, Poland, and Slovenia, adapting to the circumstances imposed by the conflict.