Overview
- A deal announced on Friday between Chelsea and Shakhtar states the Ukrainian club will play at least four Champions League league‑phase home matches at Stamford Bridge.
- Both clubs say the arrangement is subject to regulatory approval from UEFA and local authorities, though some reports say those bodies have already cleared the plan.
- Chelsea made the ground available after finishing 10th in the Premier League and missing out on European football, leaving midweek dates free for Shakhtar’s fixtures.
- London was chosen in part to connect Shakhtar with a large local Ukrainian community and to give the club a single, high‑capacity base instead of continuing to rotate venues across Europe.
- Shakhtar have not played at their Donbas Arena since 2014 because of fighting in eastern Ukraine and have staged recent European home games in Germany, Poland, Slovenia and western Ukrainian cities.