Shakhtar Donetsk to stage Champions League 'home' matches at Chelsea's Stamford Bridge

On 2026-10-12 Shakhtar Donetsk said they will play their Champions League home matches at Chelsea’s Stamford Bridge in London, the club’s chief executive Sergei Palkin said. Palkin said the move gives the team an opportunity to demonstrate that Ukraine is "alive" amid a challenging time in its history.

Since the Russian-led invasion of Ukraine in 2022 Shakhtar have staged their home European fixtures in Poland, Germany and Slovenia and have not played at the Donbas Arena in Donetsk since 2014. The club still finds travel for European games difficult and decided to host matches in London, almost 2,000 km from its headquarters in Kyiv.

Shakhtar evaluated other London venues, including Brentford and Fulham, before settling on Stamford Bridge. Stamford Bridge was chosen in part because Chelsea are not playing in European competition this season, making the stadium available for Shakhtar’s use.

Palkin explained the rationale for relocating to England in a series of remarks: "We decided: let’s move to England," he said. "There are a lot of Ukrainian refugees and a lot of Ukrainians living here." He added: "London is the football capital of the world. It’s the biggest marketplace for players." He also said: "For our young players to play at this level in a legendary stadium like Stamford Bridge provides extra motivation and can bring positive results."

On arranging the move Palkin said: "I first contacted [Chelsea co-owner] Behdad Eghbali and said: ‘What do you think about this idea – playing Champions League matches in your stadium?’" He said the reaction was positive. "Step by step, it became a reality. Chelsea were very professional."

Shakhtar’s trip to London has been organised to include community outreach: Ukrainians living in exile will have access to open training sessions, school visits, and invites to witness their UEFA Youth League games at Chelsea’s youth facility, Kingsmeadow.

At Stamford Bridge Shakhtar will host AEK Athens, Sporting, Fenerbahce, and Real Madrid.