Shakhtar in talks to stage Champions League home ties at Chelsea's Stamford Bridge
On 14 August 2026 Ukrainian sources reported that Shakhtar Donetsk are seeking to stage their Champions League home matches at Chelsea's Stamford Bridge this season, with negotiations described as ongoing.
Shakhtar won the Ukrainian Premier League by 12 points last season and have been unable to use their Donbas Arena since the 2014 Russia-backed annexation of Donetsk; domestically they have played in Kyiv and Lviv, while European home fixtures have been held in Germany, Slovenia and Poland.
Chelsea emerged as the preferred option because Stamford Bridge holds about 40,000 supporters and the clubs have developed a closer relationship since Chelsea signed Mykhailo Mudryk in 2023 and through their joint involvement in the charity match Game4Ukraine, sources said, while those involved stressed the proposal is not commercially motivated.
Fulham's Craven Cottage and Brentford's Gtech Community Stadium were also examined as potential venues, but both have smaller capacities than Stamford Bridge, and Shakhtar officials believe the London proposition could allow them to sell out a larger arena when hosting Europe's top opponents or English rivals.
The plan is intended in part to engage some of the 32,000 Ukraine-born residents in the capital, according to the latest Office for National Statistics figures, and to connect with the roughly 100,000 people of Ukrainian heritage living in the UK.
Chelsea's availability to host is linked to their 10th-place finish in the Premier League last season, which left the club without European commitments and therefore reduced the likelihood of scheduling clashes; Hammersmith and Fulham Council and Uefa would however need to approve any additional fixtures at Stamford Bridge.
Negotiations between the parties continue and the remaining formal step is securing the necessary approvals from Hammersmith and Fulham Council and Uefa to confirm whether Stamford Bridge will host Shakhtar's Champions League home ties.