Joining Shakhtar as they make base in London: ‘We’re here to show the world that we are alive’
Shakhtar Donetsk are playing their Champions League “home” matches at Chelsea’s Stamford Bridge because the war in Ukraine makes it unsafe to host European games there. The team’s move to London shows how Russia’s attacks continue to shape everyday life and football in Ukraine, while the club tries to maintain its European campaign and give players a sense of purpose.
The trip from western Ukraine can take up to 18 hours, depending on the border crossing, and follows years of playing home matches in Poland, Germany and Slovakia. Air raid alarms disrupted the team’s recent domestic match and their training base, while Russian strikes have also disabled a system needed for foreign staff and players’ residency permits. Director of sports management Vitaliy Khlivnyuk says the repeated disruption is taking a growing mental toll.
- Shakhtar will host Champions League matches at Stamford Bridge.
- The club’s travel and logistics remain shaped by Russia’s war.
- Staff say the strain of playing away year after year is mounting.
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Shakhtar Donetsk are a leading Ukrainian football club from the country’s east. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, fighting and attacks have made it unsafe for the club to host European matches at home, so it has had to play in other countries.
For Champions League matches, Shakhtar use Chelsea’s Stamford Bridge in London as their home ground. The club’s players and staff still travel long distances from Ukraine, where air raid alarms can interrupt matches and training. The disruption affects their daily lives as well as their football campaign.
Shakhtar are trying to keep competing in Europe while the war continues to affect the club and its supporters. Their presence abroad also brings attention to how the conflict has changed ordinary routines in Ukraine.
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