Shakhtar agree to play Champions League ties at Chelsea

Ukrainian club Shakhtar Donetsk have agreed to play Champions League home games at Chelsea's Stamford Bridge this season.

It means that west London will host at least four fixtures in the expanded league phase of the competition, with the draw to come next Thursday.

However, it remains subject to regulatory approval but Uefa, European football's governing body, and Hammersmith and Fulham Council have signed the move off.

Upon announcing the agreement, which is understood to be non-commercial, Chelsea said: "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."

Shakhtar said they are "convinced" the move will provide "unforgettable emotions for Ukrainian and English fans".

"Playing our Champions League home matches at Stamford Bridge is a special opportunity for Shakhtar," their statement read.

"We are grateful to Chelsea Football Club for the opportunity to host our games at this special venue."

Shakhtar have been unable to use their Donbas Arena since the 2014 Russia-backed annexation of Donetsk, playing domestic matches in Kyiv and Lviv, and European home games in Germany, Slovenia and Poland.

Chelsea became the preferred option, as exclusively revealed by BBC Sport, because of the chance to play at the Blues' 40,000-capacity stadium.

The clubs have built a strong relationship since Chelsea signed Mykhailo Mudryk in 2023 and through their involvement in the charity match Game4Ukraine.

Fulham's Craven Cottage and Brentford's Gtech Community Stadium were also considered as Shakhtar explored options for bringing elite-level European football to west London.

Both have smaller capacities than Stamford Bridge and the proposition of playing Europe's biggest clubs or even English rivals in London has officials believing they can sell out a larger arena.

The move is intended to connect with some of the 32,000 Ukraine-born residents in the capital, according to the latest Office for National Statistics figures, with about 100,000 people of Ukrainian heritage living in the UK.

The availability of Chelsea's stadium follows the club's 10th-place Premier League finish last season, which left them without European football.