Shakhtar Donetsk’s negotiations with Chelsea over playing their Champions League games at Stamford Bridge this season are at an advanced stage.
The Athletic reported in July that talks between Shakhtar and Chelsea to use their ground for the 2026-27 Champions League campaign were under way, with fellow London clubs Fulham and Brentford also in the mix.
But sources close to the Ukrainian club, speaking anonymously to protect relationships, have told The Athletic that discussions with Chelsea are progressing well. Nothing has been agreed yet and there is still a lot of documentation to take care of.
Another stadium was still in contention this week too, however Stamford Bridge is considered to be the front runner. Shakhtar are expected to make an official announcement of who they have chosen early next week.
Shakhtar have not played at the Donbas Arena, in their home stadium in the east of Ukraine, since 2014, when Russian troops annexed Crimea and war broke out in the region. They have played their home European matches in Germany, Slovenia and Poland since the 2022-23 season.
They have qualified for the group phase of the 2026-27 Champions League and been sounding out venues to play in over the summer. The opportunity to have London as a venue has appealed from a very early stage.
Chelsea are not involved in any European competition this season after failing to qualify. It means there will be plenty of spare weeks for them to host games. The Premier League club are used to staging European matches having been regulars in UEFA tournaments since 1997-98.
There will be a fee involved for Shakhtar to use Stamford Bridge but Chelsea’s main priority is to help a club they enjoy a good relationship with. Chelsea signed Mykhailo Mudryk for an initial £62million from Shakhtar in January 2023.
When contacted by The Athletic over the increasing possibility of Shakhtar using Stamford Bridge, a spokesperson said: “Shakhtar have no comment on this matter at the moment. The club will announce their official decision next week.”
