Stamford Bridge to Host UEFA Champions League Games Despite Chelsea Not Qualifying
- Chelsea confirmed that Ukrainian club Shakhtar Donetsk will use Stamford Bridge as their home venue for Champions League games this season
- The arrangement comes after Chelsea endured a poor 2025/26 campaign, finishing 10th and failing to qualify for European competition
- Chelsea season ticket holders will be able to purchase tickets for the Champions League matches at discounted prices
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Stamford Bridge will still have Champions League football this season, even though Chelsea themselves will not be part of the competition, with the club confirming that Shakhtar Donetsk will use the west London stadium as their temporary home ground.
Chelsea released an official statement confirming the arrangement, which will see the Ukrainian side play at least four group stage home fixtures at Stamford Bridge during the 2026/27 Champions League campaign.
Source: Getty Images
Why Shakhtar Donetsk will play at Stamford Bridge
Shakhtar have been unable to stage European matches on home soil since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022 — the same conflict that prompted Roman Abramovich to sell Chelsea. The club has since sought neutral venues across Europe to fulfil their continental commitments each season.
The two clubs share a notable history. Chelsea have signed several Ukrainian and Shakhtar-linked players over the years, including winger Willian and, more recently, Mykhailo Mudryk. That relationship appears to have made Stamford Bridge a natural landing spot for the arrangement.
According to The Athletic, an agreement is in place that gives Chelsea's season ticket holders access to tickets for the Shakhtar home matches at reduced prices, softening the blow of a season without top-tier European football at the club's usual home.
Chelsea's absence from the Champions League follows one of their most difficult domestic campaigns in recent memory. The club finished 10th in the Premier League in 2025/26 and lost the FA Cup final to Manchester City, cycling through three managers along the way.
New head coach Xabi Alonso has since taken charge, but his first season will be spent outside European competition. Returning Chelsea to the Champions League is expected to be his primary objective heading into 2027.
Mykhailo Mudryk returns to football
Legit.ng previously reported that Mykhailo Mudryk returned to football after the English FA lifted his doping ban after eighteen months out.
The Ukrainian winger has been out of action since December 2024 and returned during Chelsea’s pre-season match in Hong Kong after 615 days.
Source: Legit.ng
