KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian soccer club Shakhtar Donetsk will play its home Champions League games at Chelsea's Stamford Bridge this season, the club announced on Friday.
Shakhtar cannot play in Ukraine due to security reasons during the ongoing Russian military invasion that started in February 2022. The war has forced the club to find alternative venues for its European games.
The agreement to play at Stamford Bridge, which was owned by Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich for nearly 20 years, is subject to regulatory approvals from UEFA. Shakhtar has at least four home games in the elite competition.
Shakhtar said it will play four home games in the main phase at Chelsea's Stamford Bridge. The opponents will be decided at the competition draw next Thursday in Monaco.
"Our true home is Ukraine, and we all hope that very soon we will be able to play European football in front of our own fans again," Shakhtar said. "But while the war makes this impossible, Stamford Bridge is an exceptional place for us to call home in Europe."
Shakhtar has not been able to play in Donetsk since 2014, when the Russian-backed conflict started in the Donbas region. The team has played UEFA competition games around Ukraine from 2014-21 and since 2022 in Poland, Germany, and Slovenia.
Chelsea's squad includes former Shakhtar winger Mykhaylo Mudryk. However, Chelsea did not qualify for any UEFA competition this season and will not have fixture clashes with the Ukrainian champion.
The agreement between Shakhtar and Chelsea is a temporary solution for the Ukrainian club, which is unable to play in its home country due to the ongoing conflict. The club hopes to return to playing in Ukraine soon.
Over the coming weeks, Shakhtar and Chelsea will work together to ensure the matches are held safely and comfortably for the team and its supporters. The first match is expected to take place in September.
Source: Yahoo Sports