Why are Shakhtar Donetsk playing Champions League games at Stamford Bridge? | Football

Shakhtar Donetsk are playing their Champions League home games at Stamford Bridge this season as the Ukrainian side continue to be displaced from their home in the Donbass.

The Ukrainian champions have not played at their own stadium – the 53,000-capacity Donbass Arena in the east of the country – since 2014.

And since the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Shakhtar have been forced to play their European home fixtures outside of the country altogether, with games taking place in Poland, Germany and Slovenia in recent years.

Shakhtar were once again on the lookout for a new home to stage matches in this season’s Champions League and eventually settled on Stamford Bridge, having also considered Brentford and Fulham as alternative venues.

Chelsea’s home in west London, which is around 1,300 miles away from Shakhtar’s base in Kyiv, is available due to the fact that Chelsea are not involved in any European football this season.

Stamford Bridge will play host to games against AEK Athens, Sporting, Fenerbahce and Real Madrid, with Shakhtar hoping for an average attendance of 30,000 across the four fixtures.

Explaining the decision, Shakhtar chief executive Sergei Palkin said: ‘We decided: let’s move to England. There are a lot of Ukrainian refugees and a lot of Ukrainians living here. London is the football capital of the world. It’s the biggest marketplace for players.

‘For our young players to play at this level in a legendary stadium like Stamford Bridge provides extra motivation and can bring positive results.

‘I first contacted Behdad Eghbali [Chelsea co-owner] and said: ‘What do you think about this idea – playing Champions League matches in your stadium?’

‘The reaction was positive. Step by step, it became a reality. Chelsea were very professional.’

Palkin also hopes the temporary relocation to London will serve as a reminder to everyone about the horrors which continue to be endured by those living back in Ukraine.

‘We are representing our country and want to be visible for Ukraine,’ Palkin added.

‘We need support from the democratic world. We cannot fight alone.

‘Part of our role when we play in London and other cities in Europe is to send these messages and remind people what’s going on.’

While Shakhtar have played their home European games across the continent since 2022, the club continue to play their domestic fixtures at the Lviv Arena in western Ukraine, which has largely escaped the worst of the war.

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