Arda Turan's Historic Night at Stamford Bridge: First Champions League Win as a Coach

Arda Turan celebrated a victory at Stamford Bridge, the scene of an unforgettable achievement in his playing career, this time as a head coach 12 years on. Shakhtar Donetsk beat AEK 3-1 in the second round of the UEFA Champions League, giving the Turkish coach his first win in the competition. Turan, who scored against Chelsea for Atletico Madrid in 2014 to reach the Champions League final, claimed a new triumph years later at the same stadium and by the same score.

In the match played in London, Shakhtar Donetsk fell behind against AEK but managed to leave with 3 points. The Greek side went ahead through Lovro Majer, before the Ukrainian team levelled through a Pedrinho penalty. Goals from Vinicius Tobias and Gleiker Mendoza late in the match gave Shakhtar the lead and a 3-1 win. Arda Turan's side, who returned from PSV with a 1-1 draw in the first round, moved to 4 points with the result.

Arda Turan's victory in London recalled the Champions League semi-final he experienced with Atletico Madrid in the 2013/14 season. Diego Simeone's Spanish side, after a goalless draw at home in the first leg, won the return leg 3-1 at Stamford Bridge to book their place in the final. Arda Turan, who scored his team's third goal in the 72nd minute, was one of the heroes of that run to the final. Returning to the same stadium 12 years later, this time as a coach, Turan again left with a 3-1 victory at the helm of Shakhtar Donetsk.

Arda Turan stepped into coaching around seven months after ending his playing career, taking charge of Eyüpspor in April 2023. He led the purple-and-yellows to the 1. Lig title in the 2023/24 season, taking the club into the Süper Lig for the first time in its history. The young coach, who guided the team to 6th place in their first Süper Lig season, then decided to continue his career in Ukraine after his successful spell.

Arda Turan took over as Shakhtar Donetsk head coach in July 2025 and won the Ukrainian Premier League title in his first season. Making his Champions League bow in the 2026/27 season, Turan secured his first three points in the competition with the win over AEK following the draw against PSV.

Shakhtar Donetsk playing their home match at Chelsea's Stamford Bridge is a consequence of the ongoing war in Ukraine. The Donetsk side have been unable to use their own Donbas Arena since 2014 and continue to play their home matches in European competition at neutral venues because of ongoing security risks.