Shakhtar Donetsk could be playing their Champions League home games in west London next season. The Ukrainian club is in active talks with Brentford about using the Gtech Community Stadium as a temporary home, according to sources with knowledge of the negotiations.
The conflict in Ukraine has forced Shakhtar to find neutral ground for European competitions since 2022. Last season they played Conference League matches in Krakow, Poland. Now they’re looking at options in the UK and Germany, and Brentford has emerged as a serious contender.
Brentford’s 17,000-seat stadium isn’t the biggest venue on the list. But it has something other options don’t: a direct connection to the local Ukrainian community. The neighboring boroughs of Hounslow and Ealing are home to large Ukrainian populations. Brentford has also run programs to help displaced Ukrainian families settle in the area.
“Shakhtar is currently negotiating with several venues in the United Kingdom and Germany in order to secure a host stadium for its UEFA Champions League matches next season,” a Shakhtar spokesperson told the Evening Standard. “We will not comment on the process until a decision is announced in the near future.”
Nothing is finalized yet. The club is apparently weighing multiple bids. But London makes logistical sense. It’s a major travel hub with direct flights to most European cities, which matters for both teams and fans traveling from across the continent.
Shakhtar won’t enter the Champions League until the league phase starts September 8. That gives everyone a few months to sort out the details. The qualifying rounds kick off in early July, but Shakhtar skips those thanks to their coefficient ranking.
For Brentford, this is just another way to make the stadium earn its keep. Since moving into the Gtech in 2020, they’ve hosted Women’s Super League sides for the World Sevens Football Tournament, the now-defunct London Irish rugby team from 2020 to 2023, and the Unity Cup in 2025. They’ve also booked several international friendlies, both men’s and women’s.
Renting out the stadium gives Brentford a nice revenue stream without any real downside, assuming the pitch doesn’t get torn up too badly. And for Shakhtar, it gives their players and staff a stable home base instead of bouncing between temporary venues year after year.
The Champions League draw hasn’t happened yet, so we don’t know which big clubs might end up making the trip to West London. But imagine Bayern Munich or Real Madrid rolling into Brentford’s compact ground with 17,000 Ukrainian flags waving. That would be something else.
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