The Ukrainian champions, Shakhtar Donetsk, will play their home matches in the Champions League in Gelsenkirchen, the club announced a few days ago. This decision continues the search for a safe venue for the Ukrainian team, which has been unable to play in their own country for over two years.

Third time away from home

Since the outbreak of war in February 2022, Shakhtar Donetsk has been forced to move their home matches in European competitions to other countries. In the 2022/23 season, they hosted their games at Legia Warsaw's stadium in Poland, and the following year at Volksparkstadion in Hamburg. In the upcoming season, the Ukrainian champions will once again play in Germany, but this time at Veltins Arena in Gelsenkirchen.

We are looking forward to playing Champions League matches at one of the best German stadiums. Positive experiences from the previous season show that Shakhtar enjoys strong support in this country, both from local fans and Ukrainian refugees, emphasized Shakhtar's general director Serhiy Palkin.

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New chapter in competition history

Veltins Arena is the home ground of second-division Schalke 04. Its capacity for international matches is 54,740 seats. During the ongoing Euro 2024, this stadium hosted three group stage matches and the Round of 16 match between England and Slovakia.

The Champions League has been reformed starting this season. Among numerous changes, the number of participants has increased from 32 to 36 teams, and the group stage has been replaced by a league system.