Shakhtar Donetsk's Bombed-Out Home Stadium Revealed in New Photos as Club Relocates to London
Images show the severely damaged Donbass Arena, which has not hosted a match since 2014, as the Ukrainian club prepares to play Champions League games at Chelsea's Stamford Bridge.
New photographs have revealed the stark and abandoned condition of Shakhtar Donetsk's home stadium, the Donbass Arena, which has fallen into disrepair since the conflict in Ukraine began.
The stadium, once a prominent venue for Euro 2012, has not hosted a football match since 2014, initially due to the outbreak of Russian aggression in Donbas. Following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Shakhtar has been playing its European matches abroad, with previous host countries including Poland, Germany, and Slovenia.
This season, Shakhtar will play their Champions League home games at Chelsea's Stamford Bridge in London. Ahead of their first match in the competition, stark images shared by Yuriy Butusov on Telegram have highlighted the ongoing struggles faced by the club and the state of their former home.
The Donbass Arena shows visible signs of damage, with exterior panels missing and rust evident on its structure. The surrounding area is also severely overgrown, with one image showing long grass and weeds.
A sign in Ukrainian near the stadium reads: "DO NOT WALK ON THE LAWN! CAUTION! EXPLOSIVE OBJECTS MAY BE PRESENT," underscoring the dangers present in the vicinity. The area appears deserted in the photographs, a consequence of the ongoing war.
Despite these immense challenges, Shakhtar has continued to achieve success, winning the Ukrainian Premier League last season under manager Arda Turan and reaching the semi-finals of the Conference League. The club's players will also wear an "Invest in Ukraine" slogan on their shirts during their Champions League campaign.
Sergei Palkin, the club's CEO, spoke about the decision to move their European matches to London, a journey of approximately 2,000 kilometers from their current base in Kyiv. He explained that the presence of many Ukrainian refugees and residents in London, coupled with the city's status as a "football capital," made it a suitable choice. Palkin also noted the positive reaction from Chelsea co-owner Behdad Eghbali to hosting their matches.
"We are representing our country and want to be visible for Ukraine," Palkin stated. "We need support from the democratic world. We cannot fight alone. Part of our role when we play in London and other cities in Europe is to send these messages and remind people what's going on."
