Chelsea have confirmed that Ukrainian club Shakhtar Donetsk will use Stamford Bridge as their temporary home venue for UEFA Champions League matches during the 2026/27 season, ensuring top-tier European football returns to west London despite Chelsea's own failure to qualify.
Shakhtar to Play Group Stage Fixtures at Stamford Bridge
The arrangement, announced via an official Chelsea statement, will see Shakhtar play at least four group-stage home fixtures at the 40,000-capacity stadium. The Ukrainian side have been unable to host European matches on home soil since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, a conflict that also prompted former Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich to sell the club.
Since then, Shakhtar have sought neutral venues across Europe to fulfil their continental commitments each season. The club's existing ties with Chelsea, including the transfers of Willian and more recently Mykhailo Mudryk, are understood to have made Stamford Bridge a natural choice for the arrangement.
Season Ticket Holders Get Discounted Access
According to The Athletic, an agreement is in place that gives Chelsea season ticket holders access to tickets for Shakhtar's home matches at reduced prices. This move is seen as a way to soften the blow for supporters facing a season without Champions League football at their usual home.
Chelsea's absence from the competition follows a difficult 2025/26 domestic campaign, in which the club finished 10th in the Premier League and lost the FA Cup final to Manchester City. The club cycled through three managers during that period.
Xabi Alonso's First Season Without European Football
New head coach Xabi Alonso has since taken charge, but his first season will be spent outside European competition. Returning Chelsea to the Champions League is expected to be his primary objective heading into 2027.
In related news, Mykhailo Mudryk returned to football after the English FA lifted his doping ban following eighteen months out. The Ukrainian winger had been sidelined since December 2024 and made his comeback during Chelsea's pre-season match in Hong Kong after 615 days.
