By WILL PICKWORTH, SPORTS REPORTER
Published: | Updated:
Photos obtained by Daily Mail Sport have shown the harsh and sad state of Shakhtar Donetsk's home stadium in Ukraine.
Shakhtar moved into the Donbass Arena in 2009, with the ground one of the main venues at Euro 2012, but it hasn't hosted a football match since 2014.
That initially followed the outbreak of Russian aggression in Donbass in 2014, with Shakhtar forced to play at a variety of cities across Ukraine over the subsequent period.
After the Ukraine-Russia war began in 2022, Shakhtar have also played their European matches abroad, with Poland, Germany and Slovenia the countries that have hosted them.
This time around, Shakhtar will play at Chelsea's Stamford Bridge in the Champions League, and ahead of their first 'home game' on Wednesday against AEK Athens, the public have been given a stark reminder of their ongoing struggles.
In photos taken by Yuriy Butusov and shared on his Telegram channel, the deterioration of the Donbass Arena is evident.
The state of Shakhtar Donetsk's home stadium in Donetsk has been laid bare in new photos
Significant damage to the exterior structure of the Donbass Arena is clear to see
In the surrounding area, grass is overgrown and a sign in Ukrainian reads: 'DO NOT WALK ON THE LAWN! CAUTION! EXPLOSIVE OBJECTS MAY BE PRESENT.'
The stadium is severely damaged, with panels on the outside of its exterior missing.
This means that onlookers can see inside the ground due to the destruction, while rust and discolouring has developed.
The area around the stadium is also hugely overgrown, and one picture shows lengthy grass and weeds.
Another part is cordoned off by warning tape along with the sign: 'DO NOT WALK ON THE LAWN! CAUTION! EXPLOSIVE OBJECTS MAY BE PRESENT.'
No one is seen in the pictures, with the nearby area virtually deserted due to the ongoing war.
Despite the significant challenges Shakhtar face, they continue to demonstrate incredible spirit, with the club, now managed by former Barcelona star Arda Turan, winning the Ukrainian Premier League last season.
They also reached the semi-finals of the Conference League where they were beaten by Crystal Palace.
Speaking ahead of their Champions League opener, the club's CEO Sergei Palkin opened up on their move to England, around 2,000km (1,243 miles) from their current base in Kyiv, which is 370 miles from Donetsk.
'We decided: let's move to England,' said Palkin, whose side will host AEK Athens, Sporting Lisbon, Fenerbahce and Real Madrid during the competition's League Phase. '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 [Chelsea co-owner] Behdad Eghbali 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.'
The Donbass Arena pictured in 2013 after the state-of-the-art stadium was opened in 2009
Man United were forced to settle for a 1-1 draw at the ground during a Champions League group stage clash back in October 2013
Shakhtar will also wear an 'Invest in Ukraine' slogan on their shirts during their Champions League campaign.
Explaining that decision, Palkin added: 'We are representing our country and want to be visible for Ukraine. 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.'