Shakhtar Donetsk will take on AEK Athens at Stamford Bridge tonight, with the Chelsea stadium once again serving as their temporary home for Champions League football.
With the war in Ukraine making it impossible to host European matches at home, Shakhtar have settled on Chelsea’s stadium for the 2026/27 campaign. Brentford’s Gtech Community Stadium and Fulham’s Craven Cottage were also considered, but Stamford Bridge offered something Shakhtar were looking for: the chance to play in one of football’s biggest cities while being close to London’s large Ukrainian community.
Yet the setting could not be further removed from the reality facing the club away from matchday. Shakhtar’s players can prepare for a Champions League fixture in London without fear of an immediate attack, while their training facilities near Lviv remain vulnerable to air raid warnings and Russian missile strikes.
That constant uncertainty is taking its toll. Vitaliy Khlivnyuk, the club’s director of sports management, has spoken about the mental strain of living this way, likening the accumulated fatigue to going without proper sleep for a prolonged period.
The war has also created problems far beyond the pitch. Foreign members of staff have faced difficulties securing residency permits after bombing disrupted the application system in Kyiv. Geography has offered Shakhtar some protection, but it has not allowed them to escape the consequences of the conflict.
There is also an uncomfortable irony in calling Stamford Bridge their home. A £135 UK visa and lengthy application process make travelling from Ukraine difficult for many supporters. The stands will therefore largely be filled by the Ukrainian diaspora and London-based fans rather than the supporters who would normally follow the club at home.
Arda Turan, who took charge in May 2025, has had to build a team without the stability that comes with having a permanent stadium. Fixtures against Sporting, Fenerbahce and Real Madrid provide huge occasions for the players, but they also underline the strange reality of Shakhtar’s existence: competing at the highest level while never quite knowing where home is.