Shakhtar Donetsk could play their home Champions League fixtures at Stamford Bridge next season as Chelsea emerge as a potential lifesaver for the Ukrainian giants.
Due to UEFA safety restrictions amid the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, FC Shakhtar Donetsk have faced the logistical headache of being a top European side without a permanent European home.
Forced to wander across the continent for over a decade, they have previously staged their Champions League and European matches in neutral venues across Poland, Germany, and Slovenia.
However, heading into the upcoming season, the club is facing yet another venue dilemma.
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Chelsea and Fulham in the running to host Shakhtar Donetsk
Ukrainian journalist Ihor Burbas says Shakhtar Donetsk could play their Champions League games next season at Chelsea‘s Stamford Bridge, while speaking on the BurBuzz YouTube channel.
“As far as I have heard and understand, the stadium is too small for them at Brentford, which only holds 17,000 people. That’s it. And now, as far as I understand, Shakhtar is choosing between two stadiums. This is Stamford Bridge, Chelsea’s home Stadium, and Craven Cottage, Fulham’s home stadium. Well, in principle, Craven Cottage accommodates about 25,000, that is, more than Brentford.”
How could the groundshare work for Chelsea?
For the stadium owner, temporary groundshares are treated as lucrative commercial rentals. The host club charges a substantial flat fee per match or takes a cut of the gate receipts and hospitality sales, ensuring all operations, stewarding, and policing costs are covered by the visitors.
Of course, it provides a great secondary revenue stream on otherwise quiet mid-week nights, but it requires meticulous scheduling to protect the pitch and avoid clashes with the Blues’ own fixtures.
Tottenham pocketed millions renting the Tottenham Hotspur stadium out to a variety of events, while venues like Hamburg’s Volksparkstadion previously profited by hosting Shakhtar’s European nights.
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