Despite Chelsea failing to qualify for the 2026/27 UEFA Champions League, Champions League football will still be coming to Stamford Bridge next season, with Shakhtar Donetsk set to use the London stadium as their home for the competition’s league phase, subject to regulatory approval.
Shakhtar’s move to Stamford Bridge comes after years of being forced to play their home matches away from their traditional base because of the war in Ukraine.
Shakhtar Donetsk’s home stadium is the Donbas Arena in Donetsk, but they have not been able to use it for competitive matches since 2014 because of the war in eastern Ukraine. The stadium has effectively been unavailable to the club for more than a decade.
Since then, the Ukrainian club have had to move around and use different stadiums for their “home” European matches, including venues in Warsaw, Hamburg, Gelsenkirchen, Ljubljana and Kraków.
The ongoing war has claimed thousands of lives and has made it impossible for Shakhtar to return to Donetsk, forcing the club to establish temporary home grounds in different cities and countries.
The move to Stamford Bridge will now give Shakhtar a new London base for their Champions League campaign, while Chelsea will have the unusual situation of seeing Europe’s elite competition return to their stadium without their own team participating.
Chelsea’s statement:
“Subject to regulatory approvals, FC Shakhtar will play their home matches of the UEFA Champions League league phase at Stamford Bridge for the 2026/27 season.
Given Chelsea FC’s disappointing 2025/26 season and failure to qualify for European football, the club is pleased to provide FC Shakhtar with the opportunity to play in London – the United Kingdom’s capital – for their Champions League campaign. Shakhtar have played in cities across Europe, including Hamburg in Germany and Warsaw in Poland. This coming season, FC Shakhtar will play in London at Stamford Bridge.”
Chelsea Football Club at Stamford Bridge said: ‘FC Shakhtar have played in countries across Europe and we look forward to welcoming them to London for their Champions League campaign this year.
‘We will be working with the Shakhtar team closely over the coming weeks to ensure that matchdays run safely and smoothly for their team and supporters.’
FC Shakhtar said: ‘Playing our Champions League home matches at Stamford Bridge is a special opportunity for Shakhtar. We are grateful to Chelsea Football Club for the opportunity to host our games at this special venue. Stamford Bridge is one of the most famous stadiums in world football, with an incredible history and atmosphere. We are convinced that Shakhtar’s matches in London will provide unforgettable emotions for Ukrainian and English fans.’
For Shakhtar, the arrangement is another chapter in the club’s long search for a stable home for European football. For Chelsea, it means Stamford Bridge will still welcome Champions League football despite the Blues missing out on European competition this season.
The arrangement is subject to the necessary regulatory approvals.
