Ukrainian soccer club Shakhtar Donetsk has reached an agreement to play its home games for the upcoming Champions League season at Chelsea’s Stamford Bridge stadium in London, pending regulatory approvals from UEFA.
Because of the ongoing full-scale Russian military invasion that began in February 2022, Shakhtar is unable to host matches in Ukraine for security reasons. The conflict—and subsequent British government sanctions—also forced former Russian owner Roman Abramovich to sell Chelsea, which is now owned by a group including U.S. businessman Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali of Clearlake Capital.
The club is scheduled to play at least four home matches during the main phase of the tournament, which starts in September, with opponents to be determined at the upcoming Monaco draw. While Shakhtar’s leadership expressed a strong desire to return home and play before their own fans as soon as possible, they described Stamford Bridge as an exceptional temporary European home under the circumstances.
Since the Russian-backed conflict in the Donbas region originally forced Shakhtar out of Donetsk in 2014, the team has hosted European matches in various locations across Ukraine, as well as in Poland, Germany, and Slovenia. They have never previously played a home game in England.
Chelsea, whose roster includes former Shakhtar winger Mykhaylo Mudryk, did not qualify for any UEFA competitions this season, avoiding any scheduling conflicts. Chelsea officials stated that they will work closely with Shakhtar over the coming weeks to ensure the matches run safely and smoothly for both the team and its supporters.
