Chelsea could host another club's Champions League matches this season in rare scenario

Despite Chelsea not participating in this season’s Champions League after failing to qualify, their home stadium, Stamford Bridge, could yet host matches.

The Blues finished 10th last season and, as a result, did not qualify for any of UEFA’s competitions – the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League.

As a result, Arsenal are the only London club in any of the three aforementioned European competitions this season, with Liverpool, Man City, Aston Villa and Manchester United representing the Premier League in the Champions League.

Meanwhile, Bournemouth and Sunderland will feature in the Europa League alongside Crystal Palace, with Brighton the sole English team in the Conference League.

But Chelsea’s Stamford Bridge could yet play host to Champions League matches, as Ukraine’s Shakhtar Donetsk have named the ground as their preferred home stadium ahead of this year’s competition.

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The Ukrainian champions have been forced to stage matches away from the Donbas Arena since the 2014 Russia-backed annexation of Donetsk and have had to play domestic home matches in Kyiv and Lviv.

Shakhtar have also played their European home games in several European countries, including Germany, Slovenia and Poland.

As reported by BBC Sport, negotiations are currently taking place, with the clubs sharing a close relationship since brokering Mykhailo Mudryk’s 2023 transfer to Chelsea, while the Blues also previously hosted a charity match dubbed Game4Ukraine.

Two other Premier League stadiums, Fulham’s Craven Cottage and Brentford’s Gtech Community Stadium, were also considered, but Stamford Bridge’s higher capacity of around 40,000 appears to be the ideal option.

Thirty-two thousand Ukrainians reside in London, with over 100,000 living in the UK. For the move to be formalised, Hammersmith and Fulham Council, as well as UEFA, would need to approve additional fixtures being held at Stamford Bridge.

Arda Turan details horrific ordeal Shakhtar Donetsk faced before league match

Shakhtar are currently coached by former Turkish international and Barcelona midfielder Arda Turan, with the 39-year-old coaching the side to the Ukrainian Premier League title last term as they finished 12 points above second-placed LNZ Cherkasy.

"In life, I have never been a person who hides behind excuses but there have been situations we could not foresee," Turan told Sky Sports when explaining the struggles the side has faced.

Turan even detailed how his players spent much of the night before a 4-1 defeat to LNZ Cherkasy in a bomb shelter.

"I was sad because it was a critical game for us. And this boy, Roman, a big Shakhtar supporter, who had 35 surgeries because of his injuries when his house was bombed, came to visit us inside the dressing room,” he said.

"He said to me, 'Mister, don't be sad. There are good days and bad days in life. You have to keep going.' This was a life lesson from an eight-year-old boy who has been operated on 35 times."

"Yes, football is important. And we have to respect the job and give it 100 per cent for the people who follow us. But, on the other hand, it is entertainment, it is not as real as life. We have to understand the difference. It was Roman who gave me that life lesson."