Stadium that hosted Champions League games with 52,000 seats left abandoned with smashed turnstiles & overgrown grounds

A STADIUM which once hosted Champions League matches now lies abandoned - with smashed turnstiles and overgrown grounds.

The 52,000-seater Donbass Arena in the Ukrainian city of Donetsk used to be one of the top stadiums in Europe before war left it in ruins.

Once home to national giants and reigning champions Shakhtar Donetsk, the Donbass Arena played host to a number of Champions League games.

The likes of Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United and Manchester City all failed to come away with three points from the £320million arena this century.

The stadium also hosted five games at the European Championships in 2012, including two of England's group stage fixtures.

The Three Lions drew 1-1 with France in their opener in Donetsk, before defeating co-hosts Ukraine 1-0 thanks to a Wayne Rooney goal.

One of the semi-finals between Portugal and eventual winners Spain also took place at the Donbass Arena.

During this game alone, superstars such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Andres Iniesta and Xavi Hernandez all took to the hallowed turf.

Lionel Messi and Robert Lewandowski are two other footballing giants who have competed - and scored - for their clubs inside the stadium,

But since 2014, the Donbass Arena has been out of use due to the Russo-Ukrainian War in the Donbass region.

As a result, it has become abandoned by all at the club and now resembles a derelict building rather than a state-of-the-art arena.

In August 2014, the stadium was damaged by artillery shelling from Russian troops as they went to war with Ukraine in the local town.

Two months later, more artillery shelling damaged the stadium but this time it was to a much worse extent.

Both the east and west sides were caught up in the cross fire, causing at least one large glass panel to fall and almost hit a young girl.