For twelve years, Shakhtar Donetsk has existed as a club without a homeland — first displaced by Russian-backed conflict in 2014, then rendered fully nomadic by the 2022 invasion. Now, in an arrangement laden with historical irony, the Ukrainian club will host its Champions League matches at Stamford Bridge in London, a stadium once synonymous with Russian oligarchic wealth, as a temporary shelter for a team that refuses to stop competing while its country endures war.
Ukrainian Shakhtar to Play Champions League Home Games at Chelsea's Stamford Bridge
Shakhtar Donetsk has been unable to play at home since 2014 due to Russian-backed conflict in Donetsk, and cannot host matches in Ukraine since the 2022 Russian military invasion.