Ukraine’s Shakhtar to use ex-Russian-owned Chelsea as Champions League home

What the report says

Ukrainian club Shakhtar Donetsk has reached an agreement to stage its Champions League home matches at Chelsea’s Stamford Bridge in London, according to Al Jazeera, with the arrangement still subject to UEFA regulatory approval. The team is due to have at least four home games in the competition’s main phase, and the opponents will be determined at next week’s draw in Monaco.

The move reflects the long-running impact of the war in Ukraine on Shakhtar’s ability to play in Donetsk. The club has not hosted matches there since 2014, after fighting began in the Donbas region, and it also cannot play in Ukraine because of security concerns linked to the Russian invasion that began four years ago. Since 2022, Shakhtar has used neutral venues in Poland, Germany and Slovenia for European fixtures.

Al Jazeera noted that Stamford Bridge was formerly owned by Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich for nearly two decades before he sold Chelsea under pressure from British sanctions tied to the war. Chelsea’s current ownership includes Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali’s Clearlake Capital. Shakhtar said its long-term goal remains a return to playing in front of fans in Ukraine, but described Stamford Bridge as a practical European home while the conflict continues.