Ukrainian Premier League facts for kids
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| Founded | 1991 as Vyshcha Liha 2008 as Ukrainska Premier Liha |
|---|---|
| Country | Ukraine |
| Confederation | UEFA |
| Number of teams | 16 |
| Level on pyramid | 1 |
| Relegation to | Ukrainian First League |
| Domestic cup(s) |
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| International cup(s) |
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| Current champions | Shakhtar Donetsk (15th title) (2023–24) |
| Most championships | Dynamo Kyiv (16 titles) |
| Most appearances | Oleksandr Shovkovskyi (426) |
| Top goalscorer | Serhii Rebrov, Maksim Shatskikh (123) |
| TV partners |
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| Website | UPL.ua |
The Ukrainian Premier League (UPL) is the top football league in Ukraine. It is where the best football clubs in Ukraine play each year to see who is the champion. The league started in 1991 and was first called the Vyshcha Liha, or "Top League." It was formed after the Soviet football championship ended.
The UPL is also an organization for professional football clubs. In 2008, it became its own group, separate from the Professional Football League of Ukraine. It changed its name to the Ukrainian Premier League then.
Dynamo Kyiv has been a very strong team for a long time. Since the mid-2000s, Shakhtar Donetsk has also become a dominant team. These two clubs are the most popular in Ukraine. Other well-known clubs include Karpaty Lviv, Metalist Kharkiv, Chornomorets Odesa, and Dnipro.
Since 2014, the league has faced challenges because of the Russo-Ukrainian War. The war has damaged stadiums and made it hard for matches to happen. Many players have also joined the military.
Contents
How the League Works
The 2023–24 season is the 33rd season of top-level football in Ukraine. Shakhtar Donetsk is the current champion. Only two teams, Dynamo Kyiv and Shakhtar Donetsk, have played in every season of the league. The games between these two teams are very exciting and are known as the Klasychne (Classic).
The Premier League was officially formed in 2008. It has 12 football clubs that manage the league's activities. The league usually has 16 teams, but sometimes it has had 14. Teams play each other twice, once at home and once away.
In 2014, the league changed to 12 teams. After the first half of the season, the league splits into two groups of six teams. The top six teams play for the championship. The bottom six teams play to avoid being moved down to a lower league. Since 2019-20, there are also special play-off games for teams to qualify for European tournaments.
Teams that finish high in the league get to play in big international tournaments. The teams at the bottom of the league usually move down to the First League. New teams from the First League then move up to the Premier League. All Premier League teams also play in the National Cup competition.
The winner of the Premier League plays against the winner of the National Cup for the Ukrainian Super Cup. The league also organizes competitions for younger players, including under-21 and under-19 teams. The champion of the under-19 league can qualify for the UEFA Youth League.
League Emblems
with Pari-Match as sponsor
The old league emblem showed a football with blue and yellow stripes, which are Ukraine's national colors. It had 16 stars representing the teams. Even when the league had fewer teams, the emblem stayed the same. The new emblem also has 16 stars. Sometimes, the name of a sponsor is added to the emblem for a season.
League Sponsors
Since 2006, the league has included sponsors' names in its season titles. The first sponsor was "Soyuz-Viktan" in 2006–07. Later, "Biola" became a sponsor.
In 2008, after the Premier League was formed, "Epicentr K" became a new sponsor. This company sells home improvement products. Their contract was worth $3.6 million.
In 2015, a betting company called Pari-Match became a sponsor for a few seasons. Other sponsors have included FavBet and VBet.
- 2006–07: Soyuz-Viktan.
- 2007–08: Biola.
- 2008–09 – 2011–12: Epicentr K.
- 2015–16 – 2016–17: Pari-Match.
- 2019–20 – 2020–21 FavBet.
- 2021–22 – VBet.
Season Rules and Format
The Premier League sets rules for each season. These rules are approved by the league and the Ukrainian Association of Football. The league organizes games based on fair play.
Currently, there are 12 clubs in the league. Each club has a senior team, an under-21 team, and an under-19 team. Clubs must have a registered stadium and a training facility. They also need to support youth sports programs and have at least four youth teams.
All coaches and staff must have proper licenses. The main team roster can have up to 25 players. There is no limit for players under 21 who have professional contracts. Players can be registered during summer and winter breaks.
The league championship for senior teams uses a "round robin" system. This means each team plays every other team twice, once at home and once away. Games are played between 12:00 PM and 10:00 PM local time. Games can only be postponed in emergencies. If a team does not play a game, they can be fined or even removed from the league.
Competition Calendar
The season usually starts in mid-July and ends in mid-June. There is a long winter break from early December to early March. This schedule helps with weather conditions and is similar to most European leagues.
The very first season in 1992 was different. It only lasted half a year because the league changed its schedule. In that first season, 20 clubs were split into two groups. The winners of each group played a final match. Tavriya Simferopol surprisingly won the first championship by beating Dynamo Kyiv 1–0.
After the first season, teams played each other twice. The number of teams in the league changed between 14 and 18, but it settled at 16 teams from the 2002–03 season.
Since the 2005–06 season, a "golden match" rule was added. If the top two teams have the same number of points, they play an extra game to decide the champion. This happened in 2005–06 when Shakhtar Donetsk beat Dynamo Kyiv 2–1 in extra time to win the title.
League History
Before 1992, Ukrainian football teams played in the Soviet Union's leagues. After the Soviet Union broke apart, there was a discussion about creating a separate Ukrainian league. Many Ukrainian clubs, especially Dynamo Kyiv, wanted their own league.
Early Years and Dynamo's Dominance (1992–1999)
The first independent Ukrainian championship started quickly in spring 1992. It included teams from the top Soviet leagues. The 20 teams were divided into two groups. The group winners played for the championship title. Tavriya Simferopol won the first title, which was a big surprise.
After that first season, Dynamo Kyiv became very strong. For the next seven years, Dynamo Kyiv won every championship. During this time, some other strong teams faced difficulties. New teams also started to appear.
Shakhtar's Rise and Premier League Formation (2000–2010)
The 2000s saw a strong rivalry between Dynamo Kyiv and Shakhtar Donetsk. Shakhtar started to challenge Dynamo's dominance. In 2002, Shakhtar won its first national title and the Ukrainian Cup. This was a big moment for the club.
Other clubs like Dnipro and Chornomorets Odesa also competed for European spots. Metalist Kharkiv became a strong team in the late 2000s, often finishing third.
In 2009, Shakhtar Donetsk won the 2008–09 UEFA Cup, which was a huge achievement for an independent Ukrainian club. It was the last UEFA Cup before it became the Europa League.
On November 15, 2007, the clubs decided to create the Premier League. This new league started in the 2008–09 season. There were some disagreements about who should lead the new league, but eventually, Vitaliy Danilov was elected president.
The "Big Four" and Recent Changes (2011–Present)
| Season | DNI | DYN | MET | SHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005–06 | 6 | 2 | 5 | 1 |
| 2006–07 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 2 |
| 2007–08 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| 2008–09 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 2 |
| 2009–10 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| 2010–11 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| 2011–12 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| 2012–13 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 2013–14 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 1 |
| 2014–15 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 2 |
| Top four | 8 | 10 | 8 | 10 |
| Finishes out of 10 | ||||
| League champions Champions League UEFA Cup / Europa League group stage UEFA Cup / Europa League qualification UEFA Intertoto Cup |
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From 2010 to 2014, Shakhtar Donetsk won five league titles in a row. During this time, a "Big Four" of clubs formed: Shakhtar, Dynamo, Metalist, and Dnipro. These four teams consistently finished in the top spots.
Because of the Russo-Ukrainian War, some clubs faced financial problems. The number of teams in the league was reduced from 16 to 12. The league also changed its format to two stages. After the first round, the league splits into two groups. The top six teams play for the title, and the bottom six play to avoid relegation.
Under this new format, Shakhtar Donetsk won three league titles in a row from 2016–17 to 2018–19. In 2019, the league decided to expand back to 16 teams. In April 2022, the UPL season was stopped because of the war. There were no champions for that season.
League Leadership
Presidents
- Vitaliy Danilov, 2008 – 2016
- Volodymyr Heninson, 2016 – 2018
- Thomas Grimm, 2018 – 2020
- Yevhen Dykyi, 2023 – present
League Competitions
- National championship (Favbet Liha)
- Championship among under-19 teams
- Super Cup (paused since 2021)
Clubs in the League
A total of 47 clubs have played in the Premier League since it started.
Current Teams
The following teams are playing in the 2023–24 season. Some teams play their home games in different cities due to the war.
| Team | Home city | Stadium | Capacity | Position in 2022–23 |
First season in PL |
Seasons in PL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chornomorets Odesa | Odesa | Stadion Chornomorets | 34,164 | 9th | 1992 | 26 |
| Dnipro-1 | Dnipro (Uzhhorod) | Stadion Avanhard | 12,000 | 2nd | 2019–20 | 4 |
| Dynamo Kyiva | Kyiv | Olimpiyskiy National Sports Complex | 70,050 | 4th | 1992 | 32 |
| Kolos Kovalivka | Kovalivka | Stadion Kolos | 5,000 | 8th | 2019–20 | 4 |
| Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih | Kryvyi Rih | Stadion Hirnyk | 2,500 | 7th | 1992–93 | 22 |
| LNZ Cherkasy | Cherkasy | Cherkasy Arena | 10,321 | FL:3rd | debut | – |
| Metalist 1925 Kharkiv | Kharkiv (Kyiv) | Olimpiyskiy National Sports Complex | 70,050 | 12 | 2021–22 | 2 |
| Mynai | Mynai | Mynai Arena | 1,312 | 10th | 2020–21 | 3 |
| Obolon Kyiv | Kyiv | Obolon Arena | 5,100 | FL:2nd | debut | – |
| Oleksandriya | Oleksandria (Kyiv) | Olimpiyskiy National Sports Complex | 70,050 | 6th | 2001–02 | 11 |
| Polissia Zhytomyr | Zhytomyr | Tsentralnyi Stadion | 5,928 | FL:1st | debut | – |
| Rukh Lviv | Lviv | Arena Lviv | 34,915 | 11th | 2020–21 | 3 |
| Shakhtar Donetska | Donetsk (Kyiv) | Olimpiyskiy National Sports Complex | 70,050 | 1st | 1992 | 32 |
| Veres Rivne | Rivne | Stadion Avanhard | 4,650 | 13th | 1992–93 | 6 |
| Vorskla Poltava | Poltava | Stadion Vorskla imeni Butovskoho | 24,795 | 5th | 1996–97 | 27 |
| Zorya Luhansk | Luhansk (Kyiv) | Stadion Dynamo | 16,873 | 3rd | 1992 | 22 |
a: Team played in every Ukrainian top flight season
Team Locations
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Broadcasting Matches
Setanta Sports broadcasts the UPL matches in Ukraine. They show all games on their online platform. At least four matches per week are also shown on their TV channels. Some games are even available for free on their YouTube channel.
The league is also broadcast internationally. For example, Ma Chaîne Sport shows games in France and other European countries. Sport Klub broadcasts in countries that used to be part of Yugoslavia. Other countries like Poland, Azerbaijan, and Romania also have broadcasters.
European Competitions
Ukrainian clubs have played in European competitions since the 1960s. FC Dynamo Kyiv was the first Soviet club to play in a European competition in 1965. Other Ukrainian clubs like FC Karpaty Lviv, FC Zorya Luhansk, FC Chornomorets Odesa, FC Shakhtar Donetsk, FC Dnipro, and FC Metalist Kharkiv have also played in Europe.
Five Ukrainian clubs have played in the top European tournaments, the European Cup and the UEFA Champions League. These are FC Dynamo Kyiv, FC Dnipro, FC Metalist Kharkiv, FC Shakhtar Donetsk, and SC Tavriya Simferopol.
Two teams, Dynamo and Shakhtar, have won European trophies. Dynamo won two European Cup Winners' Cups and one European Super Cup. Shakhtar won one UEFA Cup. FC Dnipro almost won the Europa League in 2015 but lost in the final.
League Records and Players
Top Goal Scorers
Maksim Shatskikh and Serhii Rebrov, both former Dynamo Kyiv players, hold the record for the most goals in the Ukrainian Premier League with 123 goals each. Shatskikh was the top scorer in two seasons, and Rebrov was once.
Since 1992, 22 different players have been the top scorer. Only five players have won the top scorer title more than once: Tymerlan Huseynov, Maksim Shatskikh, Yevhen Seleznyov, Alex Teixeira, and Júnior Moraes.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan holds the record for the most goals in a single season with 25 goals. Serhii Rebrov and Maksim Shatskikh are the only players to score at least 20 goals in two different seasons.
| Player | Goals | Games | Years | |
 Maksim Shatskikh |
124 | 341 | 2000–2015 | |
 Serhii Rebrov |
123 | 261 | 1992–2000, 2006–2008 | |
| Yevhen Seleznyov |
117 | 257 | 2007–2017, 2020–2023 | |
| Andriy Vorobey |
105 | 315 | 1998–2013 | |
| Júnior Moraes |
103 | 189 | 2013–2022 | |
| Andriy Yarmolenko |
103 | 234 | 2008–2018, 2023– | |
| Oleksandr Hladkyy |
99 | 359 | 2005–2018, 2020–2023 | |
| Oleksandr Haydash |
95 | 259 | 1993–2004 | |
| Marko Dević |
90 | 219 | 2005–2014 | |
| Serhiy Mizin |
90 | 342 | 1993–2008 | |
| Players in bold are still playing in Premier League Data as of 21 December 2023 |
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| Player | Games | Years | |
| Oleksandr Shovkovskyi |
426 | 1994–2017 | |
| Oleh Shelayev |
412 | 1994–2014 | |
| Vyacheslav Checher |
410 | 1994–2017 | |
| Oleksandr Chizhevskiy |
400 | 1992–2006, 2008, 2010 | |
| Oleksandr Horyainov |
391 | 1994–2015 | |
| Ruslan Rotan |
375 | 2000–2018 | |
| Serhiy Nazarenko |
373 | 2000, 2002–2017 | |
| Serhiy Shyshchenko |
363 | 1993–2010 | |
| Ruslan Kostyshyn |
359 | 1997–2012 | |
| Oleksandr Hladkyi |
359 | 2005–2023 | |
| Players in bold are still playing in Premier League Data as of 14 November 2023 |
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| Player | C/S Games | Total Games | Years | |
| Oleksandr Shovkovskyi |
233 | 426 | 1994–2017 | |
| Andriy Pyatov |
174 | 344 | 2003–2023 | |
| Oleksandr Horyainov |
151 | 391 | 1994–2015 | |
| Vitaliy Reva |
128 | 341 | 1996–2014 | |
| Dmytro Shutkov |
122 | 266 | 1992–2008 | |
| Serhiy Dolhanskyi |
96 | 328 | 1993–2013 | |
| Ihor Shukhovtsev |
94 | 349 | 1992–2013 | |
| Mykola Medin |
91 | 205 | 1993–2006 | |
| Vyacheslav Kernozenko |
86 | 195 | 1997–2010 | |
| Yuriy Pankiv |
268 | 2012–2023 | ||
| Players in bold are still playing in Premier League Data as of 4 January 2024 |
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League Managers
The manager with the most league wins is Mircea Lucescu. He has won 9 titles with Shakhtar Donetsk and Dynamo Kyiv.
| Manager | Club(s) | Wins | Winning years |
|---|---|---|---|
 Mircea Lucescu |
Shakhtar Donetsk Dynamo Kyiv |
9 | 2004–05, 2005–06, 2007–08, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2011–12, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2020–21 |
| Valery Lobanovsky |
Dynamo Kyiv | 5 | 1996–97, 1997–98, 1998–99, 1999–2000, 2000–01 |
 Paulo Fonseca |
Shakhtar Donetsk | 3 | 2016–17, 2017–18, 2018–19 |
| Yozhef Sabo |
Dynamo Kyiv | 2 | 1993–94, 1995–96 |
| Oleksiy Mykhailychenko |
2002–03, 2003–04 | ||
| Serhii Rebrov |
2014–15, 2015–16 | ||
| Anatoliy Zayaev |
Tavriya Simferopol | 1 | 1992 |
| Mykhailo Fomenko |
Dynamo Kyiv | 1992–93 | |
| Mykola Pavlov |
1994–95 | ||
 Nevio Scala |
Shakhtar Donetsk | 2001–02 | |
| Anatoliy Demyanenko |
Dynamo Kyiv | 2005–06 | |
 Yuri Semin |
2008–09 | ||
| Luis Castro |
Shakhtar Donetsk | 2019–20 | |
 Igor Jovićević |
2022–23 | ||
| Marino Pušić |
2023–24 |
The manager with the most games in the league is Myron Markevych.
| Rank | Coach | Games | First | Last |
| 1 | Myron Markevych |
622 | 7 March 1992 | 15 May 2016 |
| 2 | Mykola Pavlov |
549 | 7 March 1992 | 30 May 2015 |
| 3 | Mircea Lucescu |
432 | 22 May 2004 | 3 November 2023 |
| 4 | Vitaliy Kvartsyanyi |
340 | 23 September 1994 | 31 May 2017 |
| 5 | Valeriy Yaremchenko |
297 | 7 March 1992 | 2 October 2011 |
| 6 | Mykhailo Fomenko |
293 | 13 March 1993 | 27 September 2008 |
| 7 | Oleh Taran |
273 | 9 July 1997 | 1 November 2014 |
| 8 | Yuriy Vernydub |
266 | 3 December 2011 | |
| 9 | Volodymyr Sharan |
265 | 29 September 2007 | 10 November 2023 |
| 10 | Semen Altman |
257 | 7 August 1999 | 10 May 2012 |
| Coaches in bold are still active in the League Data as of 8 January 2024 |
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| Nat. | Name | Club | Appointed | Time as manager |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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Valeriy Ivashchenko | Obolon Kyiv | 5 May 2021 | 4 years, 88 days |
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Yuriy Kalitvintsev | Polissya Zhytomyr | 13 June 2021 | 4 years, 49 days |
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Yaroslav Vyshnyak | Kolos Kovalivka | 28 November 2021 | 3 years, 246 days |
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Roman Hryhorchuk | Chornomorets Odesa | 30 December 2021 | 3 years, 214 days |
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Yuriy Vernydub | Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih | 21 June 2022 | 3 years, 41 days |
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Ruslan Rotan | FC Oleksandriya | 21 December 2022 | 2 years, 223 days |
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Vitaliy Ponomaryov | Rukh Lviv | 20 March 2023 | 2 years, 134 days |
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Oleg Dulub | LNZ Cherkasy | 30 August 2023 | 1 year, 336 days |
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Yuriy Maksymov | SC Dnipro-1 | 14 September 2023 | 1 year, 321 days |
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Marino Pušić | Shakhtar Donetsk | 24 October 2023 | 1 year, 281 days |
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Oleksandr Shovkovskyi | Dynamo Kyiv | 4 November 2023 | 1 year, 270 days |
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Yuriy Koval (caretaker) | Zorya Luhansk | 11 November 2023 | 1 year, 263 days |
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Željko Ljubenović | FC Mynai | 18 November 2023 | 1 year, 256 days |
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Oleh Shandruk | Veres Rivne | 12 December 2023 | 1 year, 232 days |
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Viktor Skrypnyk | Metalist 1925 Kharkiv | 20 December 2023 | 1 year, 224 days |
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Serhiy Dolhanskyi (caretaker) | Vorskla Poltava | 4 January 2024 | 1 year, 209 days |
Rivalries and Derbies
Klasychne Derby
The biggest rivalry in the league is the Klasychne derby between Shakhtar Donetsk and Dynamo Kyiv. This rivalry became very strong in the late 1990s when both teams consistently finished in the top two spots. It became even more intense after Shakhtar won its first national title in 2002.
Other Rivalries
There are also smaller regional rivalries, such as between Karpaty and Volyn, Metalist and Dnipro, and Zorya and Shakhtar.
City derbies, where two teams from the same city play each other, have also existed. Some notable past city derbies include the Zaporizhzhia derby (Metalurh vs. Torpedo), the Kyiv derby (Dynamo vs. Arsenal), and the Donetsk derby (Shakhtar vs. Metalurh).
Stadiums and Attendance
Ukraine has several large stadiums. Some can hold over 30,000 people, and two can hold over 50,000. These larger stadiums are considered "elite" by UEFA. Many stadiums were improved for the Euro 2012 football tournament. However, since 2014, access to some stadiums has been limited due to the war.
UEFA Elite Stadiums
| # | Stadium | Capacity | City | Club | Opened |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Olimpiysky National Sports Complex | 70,050 | Kyiv | Ukraine, Dynamo Kyiv | 1923, 2011 |
| 2 | Donbass Arena | 52,518 | Donetsk | Shakhtar Donetsk | 2009 |
Other Major Stadiums
Other large stadiums that can hold over 30,000 fans include Arena Lviv, Chornomorets Stadium, Dnipro-Arena, and Metalist Stadium.
Other UEFA 4-category stadiums in the league:
| # | Stadium | Capacity | City | Club | Opened | UEFA category |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Metalist Stadium | 40,003 | Kharkiv | Metalist Kharkiv Metalist 1925 Kharkiv |
1926 |  |
| 2 | Arena Lviv | 34,915 | Lviv | Lviv Rukh Lviv |
2011 | |
| 3 | Chornomorets Stadium | 34,164 | Odesa | Chornomorets Odesa | 1935 | |
| 4 | Dnipro-Arena | 31,003 | Dnipro | Dnipro Dnipro-1 |
1940 | |
| 5 | Butovsky Vorskla Stadium | 24,795 | Poltava | Vorskla Poltava | 1951 | |
| 6 | Slavutych-Arena | 11,883 | Zaporizhzhia | Metalurh Zaporizhya Zorya Luhansk |
1938 | |
Fan Attendance
Source:
Images for kids
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A banner with Soyuz(S•V)Viktan in 2007 at Valeriy Lobanovskyi Dynamo Stadium
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Aerial duel between players of Shakhtar and Metalist in September 2009 including Fernandinho and Marko Devic
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The 2017 Liha Pari-Match champions FC Shakhtar Donetsk with a pennant (Hrayemo Chesno, We Play Fair)
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Former Shakhtar Donetsk and current Dynamo Kyiv manager Mircea Lucescu is the most successful manager in Ukrainian Premier League history with 9 championships and the only who won it with multiple clubs.
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Myron Markevych has managed the most games in Ukrainian Premier League, participating in every season from the inaugurational 1992 to 2015–16 (with the exception of 2004–05).
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Shakhtar Donetsk against Arsenal in the 2010–11 UEFA Champions League
See also
In Spanish: Liga Premier de Ucrania para niños
