By Francis Onyach - Reporter
UK, August 21, 2026 - Shakhtar Donetsk will play their 2026/27 UEFA Champions League home matches at Stamford Bridge, giving the Ukrainian club a prestigious London base for their European campaign.
The arrangement has now been confirmed, with Shakhtar expressing their appreciation to Chelsea for allowing them to use the historic west London stadium for their Champions League fixtures. The move means Stamford Bridge will host European football involving a club other than Chelsea during the upcoming campaign.
“Playing our Champions League home matches at Stamford Bridge is a special opportunity for Shakhtar,” the Ukrainian club said, while thanking Chelsea for providing the opportunity to host their matches at the stadium.
Why Shakhtar cannot play in Donetsk#
The decision has significant sporting and symbolic importance for Shakhtar.
The club have been unable to use their home stadium, the Donbas Arena in Donetsk, since 2014 because of the conflict in eastern Ukraine. As a result, Shakhtar have spent more than a decade playing their home matches away from their traditional home.
For European competitions, the club have used venues in several countries. During the 2024/25 Champions League campaign, for example, Shakhtar played their home matches at Arena AufSchalke in Gelsenkirchen, Germany. The club have also used stadiums in Poland and Slovenia in recent years.
The move to London therefore represents another chapter in Shakhtar's extraordinary experience of playing European football away from home.
A Champions League return#
Shakhtar will compete in the 2026/27 Champions League league phase after winning the Ukrainian Premier League.
The club are entering their 20th Champions League campaign, highlighting their long-standing status among Europe's most experienced clubs outside the continent's traditional superpowers. Shakhtar president Rinat Akhmetov previously celebrated the club's return to the competition, describing Champions League participation as part of Shakhtar's ambitions.
The league-phase draw is scheduled for 27 August, meaning Shakhtar do not yet know which opponents will visit Stamford Bridge. Their Champions League campaign is scheduled to begin in September.
Stamford Bridge provides a major stage#
For Shakhtar, playing at Stamford Bridge offers an opportunity to experience Champions League football in one of Europe's most famous football venues.
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The stadium has a capacity of roughly 40,000 and has hosted numerous memorable European nights involving Chelsea. Although Chelsea themselves will not compete in European competition during the 2026/27 season, their stadium will nevertheless remain part of the Champions League landscape through Shakhtar's fixtures.
Chelsea finished 10th in the 2025/26 Premier League, meaning they did not qualify for European competition this season. That made Stamford Bridge available for Shakhtar's home fixtures.
The relationship between the two clubs also has a more recent history.
Chelsea have previously dealt with Shakhtar over the transfer of Ukrainian winger Mykhailo Mudryk, who moved to Stamford Bridge in January 2023. The clubs have also been connected through Game4Ukraine, a charity initiative involving Ukrainian football.
Allowing Shakhtar to use Stamford Bridge now provides another link between the clubs while giving the Ukrainian side a high-profile venue for their European matches.
For Shakhtar, the move is about much more than finding somewhere to play.
The club's players and coaching staff have repeatedly spoken about the difficulties of competing without a genuine home environment. Head coach Arda Turan recently highlighted the emotional impact of playing without the support of their traditional home crowd, noting that the team cannot experience the same atmosphere they would have in a packed Ukrainian stadium.
Stamford Bridge should therefore provide something Shakhtar have been missing for years: a consistent and high-profile European home.
There is also a sizeable Ukrainian community in London, making the capital an attractive location for the club and its supporters. Earlier reports indicated that Shakhtar had explored several English venues before Stamford Bridge emerged as the preferred option.
Shakhtar's use of Stamford Bridge will create an unusual sight during the new Champions League season: the famous Chelsea stadium hosting European matches without Chelsea being involved.
For the Ukrainian champions, however, the significance goes much deeper.
After more than a decade of playing European home games away from Donetsk, Shakhtar will have Stamford Bridge as their Champions League home for the 2026/27 campaign.
The opponents are still to be determined, but one thing is already certain: some of Europe's biggest clubs will be travelling to London to face Shakhtar at one of football's most iconic stadiums.