- Why are Shakhtar Donetsk playing Champions League home games at Stamford Bridge? Here's the story behind their long exile from Donbas Arena.
Shakhtar Donetsk will play their Champions League home matches at Chelsea's Stamford Bridge during the 2026/27 season, with the Ukrainian club continuing its long-running exile from Donbas Arena.
Why Can’t Shakhtar Play at Donbas Arena?
This raises an obvious question: why are Shakhtar Donetsk playing their Champions League matches away from their traditional home ground, the Donbas Arena in Donetsk?
On September 27, 2009, the Ukrainian club inaugurated Donbass Arena as their new home ground with a grand ceremony, but they were forced to shut down operations in the stadium due to the war in the Donbas region. The conflict in Ukraine's Donbas region forced Shakhtar to leave Donetsk, while the Donbas Arena was damaged during fighting.
According to the BBC, 13000-plus people have been killed in the war of that region, and at least 1.3 million people have been forced to flee away from their homes. Shakhtar Donetsk were dominating the domestic league in Ukraine with 5 continuous titles, but they were forced to move away from their home ground, Donbas Arena.
What Happened to Donbas Arena?
The roof of the stadium was damaged in the shelling between the Donetsk People's Republic army and the Ukrainian army, so they were forced to leave the stadium that hosted a Euro 2012 semi-final.
Where Has Shakhtar Played Since Leaving Donetsk?
Later, Shakhtar Donetsk used Arena Lviv, which is 745 miles away from Donbas Arena, and their football operations were centered on the capital city of Ukraine, Kyiv. Later, they moved to Metalist Stadium and NSC Olimpiyskiy before coming back to Arena Lviv again after the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Since Russia’s 2022 invasion forced UEFA and the club to conduct matches away from Ukraine, FC Shakhtar Donetsk has endured a remarkably nomadic existence, rotating through five different European stadiums to host its "home" fixtures. They began their exile close to home at Warsaw's Stadion Wojska Polskiego (2022–2023), providing a vital gathering point for displaced Ukrainian refugees, before moving to Germany to tap into massive local crowds at Hamburg’s Volksparkstadion (2023–2024) and Gelsenkirchen's Arena AufSchalke (2024–2025). Most recently, facing grueling logistics during the 2025–2026 season, the club split its operations between Slovenia's Stožice Stadium and Kraków's Henryk Reyman Stadium, highlighting a remarkable story of footballing resilience where the team's spirit survives even as its coordinates constantly shift.
Stamford Bridge Is Shakhtar’s New Champions League Home
Now the team are ready to host their games in Chelsea's home ground, Stamford Bridge, as per official communication from the London club.
Shakhtar’s continued presence in European competition is a reminder of how the club has had to adapt after being forced away from its home in Donetsk. Despite years of uncertainty over where they can play, they have continued to compete at the highest level of European football.