The Donbas Arena, which used to seat more 52,000 fans when it was the home stadium of Shakhtar Donetsk, has now been left in an unrecognisable state after it was abandoned. It has hosted Champions League games as well as matches at Euro 2012 but hasn't been played in since 2014 – over a decade ago.
Premier League giants such as Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United and Manchester City have all played at the stadium and the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Andres Iniesta and Xavi Hernandez featured when Portugal met Spain at the European Championships in 2012.
Now in 2026, unable to play their Champions League games at home, Shakhtar will host teams at Chelsea's Stamford Bridge this season in Europe. But what happened to the Donbas Arena, and what does the stadium look like now?
Abandoned Donbas Arena Hit by Artillery Shelling in 2014
In comparison to some of the most iconic stadiums in world football, the Donbas Arena is actually quite a new venue. It was opened in 2009 – three years after construction began in 2006. In total, it cost a reported £313.4m and looked set to be one of the nation's finest stadiums.
As well as hosting matches at Euro 2012 (it was not specifically built for the tournament), it was also the home of Shakhtar Donetsk, who won five domestic titles in a row while playing there. Standing at 54m tall from pitch level to the top of the roof, having 227 lavatories with 471 toilets, and equipped with three restaurants, a lounge-bar, a fan cafe, numerous fast-food outlets, retail outlets, a fitness center, corporate boxes and first aid rooms all at the location, this should have been one of European football's finest stadiums.
However, as a result of the growing conflict in Ukraine, in 2014 the ground was abandoned due to the War in Donbas, which is part of the Russo-Ukrainian conflict. As such, this venue – which has hosted England twice and Beyonce in concert – is now unrecognisable from its heyday.
During the conflict in 2014, the ground was hit by reported artillery shelling. This happened despite the Donbas Arena hosting a "Peace March" against the violence of the 2014 pro-Russian unrest in Ukraine and the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic. As such, the 52,000-seater Euros and Champions League stadium has now been unrecognisable for a number of years.
Shakhtar Will Play at Stamford Bridge in 2026/27
As reported by The Sun, the venue is now completely unusable with the land around in unkept and turnstiles broken, among many other issues. When conflict grew in 2022, further damage was inflicted, and it's no surprise that Shakhtar have long abandoned the stadium.
GIVEMESPORT Key Statistic: Shakhtar's last home game at the Donbas Arena came in front of 18,017 spectators when they beat Illichivets Mariupol 3-1 on 2 May 2014.
The notable outfit have actually moved many times since leaving, initially playing at the Arena Lviv for two years between 2014 and 2016. They then spent a period in the Metalist Stadium (Kharkiv), around 155 miles to the northwest of Donetsk. They then left Ukraine altogether and played in Poland at the Stadion Wojska Polskiego in Warsaw for home European matches in 2022/23.
In 2023/24, they played Champions League matches in Germany at the Volksparkstadion in Hamburg and managed to beat Barcelona 1-0 – although finished third in their group. In 2024/25, they remained in Germany for their home European clashes but will instead play at the Veltins-Arena in Gelsenkirchen. Ahead of their Europa Conference League campaign in 2025/26, the club played their matches in Krakow (Poland) at the Stadion Miejski im. Henryka Reymana.
At the time, FC Shakhtar CEO Serhii Palkin said: "We are glad to return to Poland, where we’ve had a positive experience hosting UEFA Champions League and Europa League matches. The choice of Krakow was no coincidence – for us, it is a convenient location logistically, and most importantly, it’s a city that loves football, so we hope for a warm welcome from the local fans.
"We also understand that many Ukrainians, including refugees, currently live in Poland, and we count on their strong support and energy. We are grateful to the management of Wisła and the city of Krakow for accommodating us and we are confident that this cooperation will be a positive experience for all parties involved. We are looking forward to the upcoming European matches in Krakow!"
And now in 2026/27, Shakhtar will play Champions League games in England at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea confirmed the news in a statement: "FC Shakhtar have played in countries across Europe and we look forward to welcoming them to London for their Champions League campaign this year."
While Shakhtar responded:
"Stamford Bridge is one of the most famous stadiums in world football, with an incredible history and atmosphere. We are convinced that Shakhtar’s matches in London will provide unforgettable emotions for Ukrainian and English fans."
The national team have also kept on going with an admirable level of success, surprising many by qualifying for Euro 2024 amid all the conflict. Ukraine made it to Group E, coming up against Romania, Slovakia, and Belgium. Cruelly, despite finishing on four points - the same as group leaders Romania, they finished bottom of the four teams due to having an inferior goal difference.
They did not make it to the 2026 World Cup, however, as they lost 3-1 to Sweden in the semi-final round of the UEFA qualification playoffs.