Shakhtar Donetsk are playing their home Champions League matches at Chelsea's Stamford Bridge this season after the Ukrainian club agreed a temporary stadium share with the Premier League side.
Why Shakhtar are playing at Chelsea
Shakhtar have been unable to use their home ground, the Donbas Arena in Donetsk, since May 2014 due to the war in Ukraine. Over the past decade the club has hosted domestic and European matches at secondary venues including Metalist Stadium and Arena Lviv.
Ahead of the 2026/27 UEFA Champions League, Shakhtar confirmed in August 2026 that they had reached an agreement with Chelsea to temporarily use Stamford Bridge as their home venue for continental fixtures.
How the stadium share works
The arrangement was made feasible by Chelsea missing out on European football after finishing 10th in the Premier League last season, leaving Stamford Bridge available without midweek fixture clashes.
The partnership has been framed as a non-commercial collaboration rooted in football solidarity. Shakhtar praised the arrangement for bringing displaced Ukrainians and UK supporters together for major European nights in London.
What the deal covers
The agreement covers Shakhtar's entire Champions League run, guaranteeing at least four home league-phase fixtures at Stamford Bridge throughout the initial eight-match round.
Shakhtar make their debut at Stamford Bridge tonight against AEK Athens at 8pm. Subsequent home ties are scheduled against Sporting CP (Nov 3), Fenerbahçe (Nov 25), and Real Madrid (Jan 27).
