Talks under way for Stamford Bridge to host Shakhtar’s Champions League matches

Stamford Bridge has emerged as a leading option for Shakhtar Donetsk to stage their Champions League fixtures this season, with discussions understood to be taking place between the Ukrainian club and Chelsea. A decision is expected next week and any arrangement remains to be finalised.

As first reported by Ben Jacobs, Shakhtar’s preference is to use Chelsea’s ground, with the stadium described as well placed to host the matches. The same report says Shakhtar intend to communicate their call in the coming days.

If an agreement is reached, the west London venue would be set to stage European ties not involving Chelsea. Any deal would need to fit around the stadium’s calendar and the usual operational considerations for a Premier League ground.

It is not yet clear how many fixtures this would cover, which would depend on Shakhtar’s schedule in the competition. There has been no official announcement from either club.

What happens next

The situation remains at the talks stage. Shakhtar are expected to confirm their decision next week, at which point the scope and timing of any hosting arrangement would become clearer.