Shakhtar want to play Champions League ties at Chelsea

What the report says

Ukrainian club Shakhtar Donetsk are exploring the possibility of staging their Champions League home matches at Chelsea’s Stamford Bridge this season, according to BBC Sport Football. The talks are still ongoing, and the London ground is being viewed as the preferred option because of its larger capacity and its availability while Chelsea are not involved in European competition this year.

BBC reports that Shakhtar have been unable to use their Donbas Arena since the Russia-backed annexation of Donetsk in 2014. Since then, the club has played domestic fixtures in cities including Kyiv and Lviv, while its European home games have been held in countries such as Germany, Slovenia and Poland. Other west London venues, including Fulham’s Craven Cottage and Brentford’s Gtech Community Stadium, were also considered.

The potential move is not being presented as a commercial stunt. Instead, the clubs are said to have developed a close relationship in recent years, including after Chelsea signed Mykhailo Mudryk in 2023 and through their participation in the charity match Game4Ukraine. BBC notes that playing in London could also connect Shakhtar with the city’s sizeable Ukrainian community.

Any arrangement would still require approval from Hammersmith and Fulham Council and UEFA. If agreed, it would give Shakhtar a high-profile base for European matches while Chelsea’s stadium remains unused for continental fixtures.