Ukrainian football club Shakhtar Donetsk reportedly wants to play its Champions League home games at Chelsea's Stamford Bridge this season. Negotiations are said to be ongoing, with Chelsea's 40,000-capacity stadium emerging as the preferred choice.
Shakhtar has been unable to use its Donbas Arena since 2014 and has played domestic matches in Kyiv and Lviv, with European home games held in Germany, Slovenia, and Poland. Fulham's Craven Cottage and Brentford's Gtech Community Stadium were also considered, but Stamford Bridge offers a larger capacity, which officials believe will help sell out matches against Europe's top clubs.
The move is not commercially motivated, according to Ukrainian sources, but rather builds on a strong relationship between the clubs. This connection developed following Chelsea's signing of Mykhailo Mudryk in 2023 and their involvement in the Game4Ukraine charity match. The initiative also aims to connect with the estimated 32,000 Ukraine-born residents in London and around 100,000 people of Ukrainian heritage across the UK.
Chelsea's 10th-place Premier League finish last season means the club will not be competing in European football, which should prevent significant scheduling conflicts. However, Hammersmith and Fulham Council, along with Uefa, would need to approve any additional fixtures.