Shakhtar Donetsk target Stamford Bridge for Champions League home games

Ukrainian football club Shakhtar Donetsk is exploring the possibility of playing their Champions League home games at Chelsea's Stamford Bridge in London. The club has been unable to host matches at their own Donbas Arena since 2014, following the seizure of parts of Donetsk by Russia-backed forces. Shakhtar has been forced to play domestic fixtures in cities like Kyiv and Lviv, while their European home games have been held in Germany, Slovenia, and Poland.

According to recent reports, negotiations are underway between the two clubs, with Stamford Bridge being favored due to its large capacity of 40,000 and strategic location in west London. The move is not believed to be commercially driven, but rather a reflection of the strong relationship between the clubs, forged through Chelsea's signing of Ukrainian winger Mykhailo Mudryk in 2023 and their joint charity match, Game4Ukraine.

While other potential venues like Fulham's Craven Cottage and Brentford's Gtech Community Stadium were considered, Stamford Bridge offers more space and has the potential to draw large crowds from Europe's top clubs. With no European fixtures scheduled for Shakhtar this season, as Chelsea finished 10th in the Premier League, the proposed move would help the club connect with the Ukrainian community in London, estimated at around 32,000 residents and 100,000 people of Ukrainian heritage.

Shakhtar would need approval from Hammersmith and Fulham Council and UEFA before finalizing the agreement.