Featured image credit: Walter Koch/CC BY-SA 4.0
Ukrainian football team Shakhtar Donetsk will play its UEFA Champions League games at the Veltins-Arena in Germany for the 2024-25 season.
The Gelsenkirchen venue, which is home to FC Schalke 04, will host the side’s fixtures in the new league phase as well as the knockout rounds should Shakhtar advance.
Shakhtar has played European games in Hamburg and Warsaw since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
“We are very pleased about the cooperation and are proud that we can support Shakhtar Donetsk and make our stadium available as a venue for the matches in the Champions League,” said FC Schalke 04 chief executive Matthias Tillmann.
“In addition, the tenancy also offers added value for our club at an economic level. Overall, this is a win-win situation for both clubs – we are very much looking forward to the matches and the collaboration.”
As Ukrainian champions Shakhtar Donetsk qualified for direct participation in the Champions League at the end of last season.
The matches in the league phase are due to take place on a total of eight match days between September 2024 and January 2025, with four being played in Gelsenkirchen.
“We are delighted to be able to play our UEFA Champions League matches in one of the best stadiums in Germany,” said Shakhtar Donetsk general director Serhii Palkin.
“Last season’s positive experience shows that Shakhtar has strong support from the fans in this country, both from the locals and the Ukrainian refugees.
“This factor is very important for our club. We are grateful to the management of Schalke 04 and the city of Gelsenkirchen for their solidarity and have no doubts about our mutually beneficial cooperation.
“We are looking forward to the UEFA Champions League matches.”
Shakhtar has played European matches at the Stadion Wojska Polskiego in Warsaw and the Volksparkstadion in Hamburg since the invasion.
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