Champions League football is coming back to Stamford Bridge although it won’t be Chelsea playing in the four home fixtures of the league phase.
Subject to regulatory approvals, it has been confirmed by the Blues that FC Shakhtar will play their home matches of the UEFA Champions League league phase at Stamford Bridge for the 2026/27 season.
The Ukrainian team, where Chelsea signed Mykhailo Mudryk from, are not permitted to play at their home address in Donetsk region due to the ongoing Ukraine-Russia war. Following the start of the war in 2022, the Ukrainian champions have been playing their European fixtures in Germany, Slovenia and Poland.
Chelsea fans will have an opportunity to see some of the world's best coming to West London this term despite a disappointing 2025/26 season and failure to qualify for European football after Chelsea finished tenth. The likes of Bayern Munich coming to town, or Lamine Yamal or Kylian Mbappe being ones to walk on the Stamford Bridge turf.
The club has welcomed the move to their venue with Chelsea officials being responsible for the safety and atmosphere for these fixtures.
""FC Shakhtar have played in countries across Europe and we look forward to welcoming them to London for their Champions League campaign this year. We will be working with the Shakhtar team closely over the coming weeks to ensure that matchdays run safely and smoothly for their team and supporters.""
The Ukrainian side is managed by Arda Turan and boasts a squad largely made up of Brazilian and Ukrainian players, with few recognisable names among their ranks.
Shakhtar will discover their eight opponents in this season’s league phase when the draw takes place on 27 August. with games likely to be played throughout September, October, November and December.
The Ukrainian side are in Pot 3, meaning they could be drawn against any of the five English clubs competing this season: Arsenal, Manchester City, Liverpool, Manchester United or Aston Villa.
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