Champions League: Ukraine's Shakhtar Donetsk to play home games in Germany

Ukraine's Shakhtar Donetsk will play its home Champions League games in Germany this season at the Volksparkstadion in Hamburg.

Unable to host European games in Ukraine because of the Russian invasion, Shakhtar's home games were held in the Polish capital Warsaw last season.

 @ChampionsLeague comes to Hamburg 

 Volksparkstadion 

@HSV  #Shakhtar #UCL pic.twitter.com/g6mYJVwuZY

— FC SHAKHTAR ENGLISH (@FCShakhtar_eng) August 18, 2023

The Ukrainian champion said Friday that UEFA has agreed the team can play in Hamburg where it's likely to attract the support of Ukrainians who have been displaced during the war and are living in Germany and other countries.

The Volksparkstadion is home to Hamburger SV, which has been a second-division team since 2018. It's also a venue for the European Championship in Germany next year.

The stadium has a 57,000 capacity for German league games, including some standing terraces, or 51,500 in all-seater international games.