I spent the night with Shakhtar fans at Stamford Bridge – here’s why it was the ultimate feel-good experience

By the end of the night, it was a full-blown party. Shakhtar Donetsk ultras, sporting the club’s orange-and-black colours, stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the wider Ukrainian diaspora, whether they were old or young, male or female, friends or family. The nation’s blue-and-yellow flag, the symbol of a long-fought battle beyond these shores, waved highest, conspicuous at every turn. Rarely, you suspect, had sections L8-11 in the lower tier of the Matthew Harding Stand felt quite so uplifting. And there was no doubt: this was the place to be if you were a Ukrainian in London . All of them were simply looking for a good time. And they got one. Frankly, who can begrudge any of them that? In and amongst it all on Wednesday night, what was most striking was the visceral sense of human emotion and, with it, the power of sport: the fostering of something greater. Sure, the victory on the field of play – a 3-1 triumph over AEK Athens – was the icing on the cake, triggering the raucous grand finale to the main event. But it was less about the result, more about the very authentic community it garnered. Some fans, whisper it quietly, even sneaked in pints onto the terraces, no doubt keen to guinea-pig Andy Burnham’s grand plan for beer in the stands. In that respect, this was an excellent endorsement. Shakhtar fans celebrate their victory against AEK Athens at Stamford Bridge (Getty) Shakhtar players lead a 'Viking Thunder Clap' celebration with their supporters after their victory (PA) And the outpouring of patriotism on minute 90, as those present sang the “Shche ne vmerla Ukraina” national anthem, stimulated the soul. It has now been four-and-a-half years since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and Shakhtar, and Ukraine’s biggest football club, alongside Dynamo Kyiv, have not played at the Donbas Arena since May 2014, when the Russian-backed annexation of the region began. Their stadium now stands derelict, falling apart at the seams. Yet in the dozen years since, Shakhtar have continued bravely on, hosting “home” games in the Ukrainian cities of Kyiv, Lviv and Kharkiv and Poland, Slovenia and Germany for European games. Now, with 265,000 Ukrainians taking refuge in London, they have moved even further west as Stamford Bridge hosts all their Champions League home games this season. “It is the most difficult thing: we don’t have a home,” Darijo Srna, Shakhtar’s former captain and current director of football, tells me. “For more than 12 years, our fans have not been able to attend a home match in Donetsk. For someone in football, that is very difficult to understand. “Your city, your stadium, your team — all of that is part of your life. But our fans have never abandoned us. They travel with us all over Europe. They come to matches, they sing, they support the team. I am very proud of them.” On one hand, Chelsea ’s home ground, pipping other options in the capital such as Brentford and Fulham, makes total sense. The Blues are without European football this season and west London is home to one of Ukraine’s largest communities in the UK. Several children in the stands on Wednesday were draped in Ukrainian flags with ‘St Mary’s Ukrainian School, Holland Park’ embroidered on them, for example. And with a capacity of 40,000, it allows Shakhtar to take as much revenue as possible: 29,144 were in attendance last night. On the other hand, Chelsea were launched into the land of footballing super-giants by Roman Abramovich, the Russian oligarch sanctioned by the UK shortly after the 2022 invasion. In that regard, was there a slight moral quandary? “I understand the question, but we have to look at the situation today,” Srna says. “Chelsea has different owners now and a different structure. We have a very good relationship with the club. They treat us with great respect and professionalism. For Ukrainians in the UK, this is an opportunity to feel part of the Shakhtar family again.” Yet those expecting the customary onslaught of Eastern European boisterousness on the King’s Road pre-match will have been disappointed. That was not the occasion. Instead, there were scarves on sale decked in Shakhtar’s numerous Brazilian contingent, alongside a poster of President Zelenskyy caricatured as a wrestler. It was a fun environment. And notably calm. A tip-off about a gathering of Shakhtar fans in the garden of The Chelsea Pensioner pub saw a smattering of supporters simply drinking pints of lager in harmony with AEK fans who, to their credit, turned up in striking numbers to create a fizzing atmosphere in the away end. The adjacent Fox & Pheasant pub had a sign up: “Shakhtar fans only.” But there was no need for segregation here. Shakhtar scarves next to a mock-up poster of President Zelenskyy as a wrestler (Kieran Jackson) A sign outside a pub on the King's Road (Kieran Jackson) Shakhtar will host at least four Champions League group phase games at Stamford Bridge this season, including Real Madrid in January (Getty) “We simply come here to enjoy ourselves and watch the football,” says Andrey, a 33-year-old Ukrainian who lives in Ealing. “With the war, it is rare we have enjoyment in our lives. There is so much fighting, so much bad news back home. This is something different and great to be here with so many other Ukrainian people.” Our reporter in the Shakhtar end at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday night (Kieran Jackson) Come kick-off, positioned nicely in the mixer in my £43 safe-standing spot, pockets of Shakhtar fans leapt up across the stadium, spearheaded by a man with a megaphone leading his choir in the corner. The ground shook violently as those present – which refreshingly included as many women situated in one fan section of a men’s football match as I’ve ever seen – jumped up and down throughout the first-half. Kids captured the action on their smartphones, with videos and selfies aplenty. Even that modern trope didn’t feel irritating in this setting. Some things felt familiar, mind. Chelsea players were still draped on the walls in the concourse. English stewards ordered fans, in vain, to move out of the stairwells. Even on the pitch, Premier League referee Chris Kavanagh, fresh from Anfield, was giving yellow cards for innocuous fouls in the middle of the park. Some things don’t change. On the field of play, a competitive match was heading for a 1-1 draw with 10 minutes to go before late Shakhtar goals from Vinicius and a stunner from Gleiker Mendoza handed the ‘hosts’ a deserved 3-1 victory in the first match at their new home. And the players led their own version of the Viking Thunder Clap to see out the evening, with the popular “Emerald Sky” pop song from well-known Ukrainian artist Drevo (I Shazamed it, I won’t lie) playing on the tannoy. It was a feel-good ending to a feel-good occasion. Even if they made less noise than their Greek counterparts, it really did feel like a home away from home and, for one night only, the epicentre for London’s buzzing multi-culturalism. With home matches against Sporting Lisbon, Fenerbahce and a glamour contest against Real Madrid in January to come, here’s a question: why would you not spend £43 for a ticket? “For me, Donetsk is home,” Srna says. “Donbas Arena is Shakhtar’s home. So many beautiful moments in the history of the club happened there. I really want to go back. But first, this nightmare has to end. There has to be peace, Ukraine has to be free and our people have to be safe. Fans ready their phones for a first-half penalty (and yes, our reporter is one of them) (Kieran Jackson) Ukrainians from all walks of life were present on Wednesday (PA) Shakhtar boss Arda Turan celebrates his side's triumph (Getty) “But our home for now is Stamford Bridge. And I want everyone in the stadium on matchday to feel that Shakhtar are playing at home. For Ukrainians and football fans in the UK, I want to say it very simply: come and support Shakhtar.” As I exited the ground and trudged with the masses to Fulham Broadway tube station, it occurred to me that I actually hadn’t heard any English-speakers, save those at the food kiosk inside, for about two hours. “Half and half scarves, cash or card?” then bellowed the stereotypical matchday seller outside the stadium. Come the weekend, it will be back to normality.