2020–21 Ukrainian Premier League
The 2020–21 Ukrainian Premier League season is the 30th top-level football club competition since the fall of the Soviet Union and the 13th since the establishment of the Ukrainian Premier League. The defending champion is the 13-times winner Shakhtar Donetsk.
![]() Official logo[1] | |
Season | 2020–21 |
---|---|
Dates | 21 August 2020 – 15 May 2021[2] (winter break 13 December 2020 – 13 February 2021) |
Matches played | 88 |
Goals scored | 242 (2.75 per match) |
Top goalscorer | 5 - Vladyslav Kulach (Vorskla), Shahab Zahedi (Olimpik Donetsk) |
Biggest home win | 4 – Kolos 4–0 Lviv (Round 2), Shakhtar 5–1 Lviv (Round 6), Zorya Luhansk 4-0 Rukh Lviv (Round 7) |
Biggest away win | 5 – Lviv 0–5 Zorya (Round 4) |
Highest scoring | 7 – Vorskla 5–2 Rukh (Round 1), Oleksandriya 4–3 Inhulets (Round 6) |
Total attendance | 32370[lower-alpha 1] |
Average attendance | 1904[lower-alpha 1] |
← 2019–20 2021–22 →
All statistics correct as of 29 November 2020
|
The season started on 21 August 2020 and is set to end on 15 May 2021.[2]
Summary
This season is the first since the 2015–16, when the league will consist of double round-robin tournament, without the second stage and division to the two groups. This season also had the latest start of the competition in history.[4]
A season, that usually starts in July, was postponed for a month due to the COVID-19 pandemic situation in Ukraine. From 10 September[5] to 13 October 2020, attendance restrictions were lifted and stadiums were allowed some spectators not to exceed about 25% of stadium capacity.[6]
At least four managers of the UPL openly expressed their opinion not to postpone any games due to the COVID-19 cases.[7] Nevertheless two games of the season's fall half were postponed to spring.
For the next 2021–22 season, the league is expected to expand again to 16 teams as part of the league's expansion plan. As a consequence, this season the lowest-ranked team from Ukrainian Premier League will get relegated to Ukrainian First League, and at the same time the top three teams from the First League will gain promotion to the Premier League next season.
Teams
This season, as it was announced earlier, the Ukrainian Premier League has been expanded to 14 teams, which includes 11 teams from the previous season and the top three teams from the 2019–20 Ukrainian First League.[8]
Promoted teams
- FC Mynai – the champion of the 2019–20 Ukrainian First League (debut)
- Rukh Lviv – runner-up of the 2019–20 Ukrainian First League (debut)
- Inhulets Petrove – third place of the 2019–20 Ukrainian First League (debut)
Location map
The following displays the location of teams.
![](../I/Ukraine_adm_location_map.svg.png.webp)
![](../I/Red_pog.svg.png.webp)
![](../I/TransparentPlaceholder.png.webp)
![](../I/Red_pog.svg.png.webp)
![](../I/Blue_pog.svg.png.webp)
![](../I/Red_pog.svg.png.webp)
![](../I/Blue_pog.svg.png.webp)
Teams in italics are from a conflict zone of the War in Donbass and are playing their home games in different cities.
Stadiums
Three of the qualified to the date teams play their matches outside of home towns. The minimum threshold for the stadium's capacity in the UPL is 5,000 (Article 10, paragraph 7.2).[9]
The following stadiums are regarded as home grounds:
Notes
- ^ INH–DN1: The Round 1 game Inhulets – Dnipro-1 was played at Dnipro-Arena and Inhulets was selected as a formal host, instead the Round 14 game with Dnipro-1 as formal host will be played at Zirka Stadium, which is the home stadium of Inhulets during the first half of the season.[12][14] Before the start of the season, there was uncertainty where Inhulets would be hosting its home games in the UPL if get promoted. Since Petrove is located about halfway between Dnipro and Kropyvnytskyi, Inhulets had some intentions to play at better stadium in Dnipro where it used to play at amateur level previously, but such arrangements go against certain administrative rules.
- ^ MYN–DYN: The Round 4 game Mynai – Dynamo was played at NSC Olimpiyskiy and Mynai was selected as a formal host, instead the Round 17 game with Dynamo as formal host will be played at Avanhard Stadium.[20]
Personnel and sponsorship
Managerial changes
Team | Outgoing manager | Manner of departure | Date of vacancy | Table | Incoming manager | Date of appointment | Table |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Dynamo Kyiv | ![]() |
Mutual agreement[22] | 20 July 2020[23] | Pre-season | ![]() |
23 July 2020[24] | Pre-season |
Olimpik Donetsk | ![]() |
Made permanent | 20 July 2020[25] | ![]() |
20 July 2020[25] | ||
FC Mariupol | ![]() |
End of contract | 30 July 2020[26] | ![]() |
3 August 2020[27] | ||
SC Dnipro-1 | ![]() |
Resigned[28] | 18 September 2020[29] | 11th | ![]() |
22 September 2020[30] | 11th |
FC Lviv | ![]() |
Resigned | 24 October 2020[31] | 14th | ![]() |
28 October 2020[32] | 14th |
League table
Standings
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Dynamo Kyiv | 13 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 25 | 10 | +15 | 30 | Qualification to Champions League group stage |
2 | Shakhtar Donetsk | 12 | 7 | 5 | 0 | 30 | 11 | +19 | 26 | Qualification to Champions League third qualifying round |
3 | Desna Chernihiv | 13 | 6 | 5 | 2 | 18 | 11 | +7 | 23 | Qualification to Europa Conference League third qualifying round |
4 | Zorya Luhansk | 12 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 23 | 10 | +13 | 20 | Qualification to Europa Conference League second qualifying round |
5 | Vorskla Poltava | 13 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 17 | 10 | +7 | 20 | |
6 | Kolos Kovalivka | 13 | 4 | 6 | 3 | 18 | 16 | +2 | 18 | |
7 | Olimpik Donetsk | 12 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 20 | 20 | 0 | 17 | |
8 | FC Oleksandriya | 13 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 19 | 18 | +1 | 16[lower-alpha 1] | |
9 | FC Mariupol | 13 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 14 | 19 | −5 | 16[lower-alpha 1] | |
10 | Inhulets Petrove | 12 | 1 | 8 | 3 | 13 | 17 | −4 | 11 | |
11 | FC Mynai | 12 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 9 | 23 | −14 | 10 | |
12 | Rukh Lviv | 13 | 1 | 6 | 6 | 12 | 23 | −11 | 9 | |
13 | FC Lviv | 12 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 8 | 26 | −18 | 9 | |
14 | SC Dnipro-1 | 13 | 2 | 2 | 9 | 16 | 28 | −12 | 8 | Relegation to the Ukrainian First League |
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Head-to-head points; 3) Head-to-head goal difference; 4) Head-to-head bigger amount of goals scored; 5) Goal difference; 6) Bigger amount of goals scored; 7) Draw or "Golden match" if two teams tied for title (Article 22, paragraph 3).[33]
Notes:
- Head-to-head points: Oleksandriya 3, Mariupol 0
Results
Teams play each other twice on a home and away basis.
Season statistics
Attendance
Only selected matches are held with spectators depending on the epidemiological situation in the respective location due to the COVID-19 pandemic. All such matches have attendance restrictions of 25% stadium capacity.[3]
The ranking is sorted by average attendance, while "Pos" column indicates position of each team in tournament standings.
Pos | Team | Total | High | Low | Average | Change |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
12 | Rukh Lviv | 14,846 | 7,953 | 2,952 | 4,949 | +74.9%3 |
2 | Vorskla Poltava | 2,523 | 2,523 | 2,523 | 2,523 | −35.8% |
9 | Zorya Luhansk | 2,482 | 2,482 | 2,482 | 2,482 | −10.3%1 |
11 | Mynai | 2,106 | 2,106 | 2,106 | 2,016 | +74.5%3 |
7 | Oleksandriya | 2,625 | 1,800 | 825 | 1,313 | −23.1% |
5 | Kolos Kovalivka | 3,765 | 1,261 | 1,248 | 1,255 | −55.2%2 |
4 | Desna Chernihiv | 1,897 | 1,300 | 597 | 949 | −75.8% |
10 | Inhulets Petrove | 1,528 | 766 | 762 | 764 | +4.1%1,3 |
13 | Dnipro-1 | 700 | 700 | 700 | 700 | −85.1% |
14 | Lviv | 253 | 253 | 253 | 253 | −88.8% |
1 | Dynamo Kyiv | NA | ||||
3 | Shakhtar Donetsk | NA1 | ||||
6 | Mariupol | NA | ||||
8 | Olimpik Donetsk | NA1 | ||||
League total | 32,370 | 7,953 | 253 | 1,904 | −54.9% |
Updated to games played on 6 October 2020
Source: UA-Football, Footboom
Notes:
1: Team plays its matches outside of home city.
2: Team played last season outside of home city due to stadium reconstruction.
3: Team played last season in the First League.
Awards
Monthly awards
Month | Player of the Month | Coach of the Month | Ref. | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Player | Club | Coach | Club | ||
September 2020 | ![]() |
Vorskla Poltava | ![]() |
Vorskla Poltava | [36] |
October 2020 | ![]() |
Vorskla Poltava | ![]() |
SC Dnipro-1 | [37] |
November 2020 | ![]() |
Zorya Luhansk | ![]() |
Inhulets Petrove | [38] |
December 2020 | ![]() |
Zorya Luhansk | ![]() |
Rukh Lviv | [39] |
February 2021 | |||||
March 2021 | |||||
April 2021 | |||||
May 2021 |
Round awards
Round | Player | Coach | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Player | Club | Reference | Coach | Club | Reference | |
Round 1 | ![]() |
Kolos Kovalivka | [40] | ![]() |
Desna Chernihiv | [41] |
Round 2 | ![]() |
Kolos Kovalivka | [42] | ![]() |
Olimpik Donetsk | [43] |
Round 3 | ![]() |
Olimpik Donetsk | [44] | ![]() |
Vorskla Poltava | [45] |
Round 4 | ![]() |
Zorya Luhansk | [46] | ![]() |
FC Oleksandriya | [47] |
Round 5 | ![]() |
Desna Chernihiv | [48] | ![]() |
Olimpik Donetsk | [49] |
Round 6 | ![]() |
Shakhtar Donetsk | [50] | ![]() |
SC Dnipro-1 | [51] |
Round 7 | ![]() |
Vorskla Poltava | [52] | ![]() |
Zoria Luhansk | [53] |
Round 8 | ![]() |
Dynamo Kyiv | [54] | ![]() |
FC Lviv | [55] |
Round 9 | ![]() |
Shakhtar Donetsk | [56] | ![]() |
Kolos Kovalivka | [57] |
Round 10 | ![]() |
FC Mynai | [58] | ![]() |
Vorskla Poltava | [59] |
Round 11 | ![]() |
Dynamo Kyiv | [60] | ![]() |
Inhulets Petrove | [61] |
Round 12 | ![]() |
Zoria Luhansk | [62] | ![]() |
Zoria Luhansk | [63] |
Round 13 | ![]() |
Rukh Lviv | [64] | ![]() |
Rukh Lviv | [65] |
winter break | ||||||
Round 14 | ||||||
Round 15 | ||||||
Round 16 | ||||||
Round 17 | ||||||
Round 18 | ||||||
Round 19 | ||||||
Round 20 | ||||||
Round 21 | ||||||
Round 22 | ||||||
Round 23 | ||||||
Round 24 | ||||||
Round 25 | ||||||
Round 26 | ||||||
See also
Notes
References
- Official Logo. Ukrainian Premier League website.
- UAF Executive committee approved plan-calendar of the 2020/21 season (Виконком УАФ затвердив план-календар сезону 2020/21 років). Ukrainian Premier League. 12 August 2020
- Renewed documents regarding the possibility of holding matches with spectators (Оновлені документи щодо можливості проведення матчів із глядачами). Ukrainian Premier League. 10 September 2020
- Starting late as never before (Стартуємо пізно, як ніколи досі). Ukrainian Premier League. 18 August 2020
- Artur Malkin. The Ministry of Healthcare amended its documents in relation to possibly conduct games with spectators (МОЗ відкоригувало документи щодо можливості проведення матчів із глядачами). Footboom. 10 September 2020
- Vsevolod Mazur. In Ukraine prohibited to conduct any sports events with spectators, except for international competitions (В Украине запретили проводить спортивные мероприятия со зрителями, кроме международных соревнований). Sport Arena. 13 October 2020
- Artur Malkin. Sharan, Markevych, and Klymovskyi are against postponement of the UPL games due to coronavirus (Шаран, Маркевич и Климовский против переноса матчей УПЛ из-за коронавируса). Footboom. 10 September 2020
- There was approved the first half season calendar of the 2020–21 FavBet Liha (Затверджено календар першого кола Favbet Ліги 2020/21 років). Ukrainian Premier League. 10 August 2020
- Locations where completion is conducted (Місця проведення змагань). 2018–19 Ukrainian Premier League regulations.
- Shakhtar and Dynamo will be sharing Olimpiyskiy NSC the next season (Шахтер и Динамо будут делить НСК Олимпийский в следующем сезоне). Sport Arena. 11 August 2020
- Viktoriya Kuranova. Shakhtar in Kyiv, Mariupol – away: where the UPL clubs will play home matches in 2020/21 season (Шахтар у Києві, Маріуполь – на виїзді: де клуби УПЛ гратимуть домашні матчі у сезоні 2020/21). TSN. 18 August 2020
- Match Inhulets – Dnipro-1 will take place at Dnipro-Arena (Матч "Інгулець" - "Дніпро-1" відбудеться на "Дніпро-Арені"). FC Inhulets Petrove. 18 August 2020
- Artur Malkin. There took place a session of the UAF Committee in certification of clubs to play in the 2020–21 seasons of the Premier or First leagues (Відбулося засідання Комітету з атестування УАФ щодо участі клубів у Прем’єр-лізі та першій лізі сезону-2020/2021 ). Footboom. 13 August 2020
- Vlad Vlasenko. The game Inhulets – Dnipro-1 will take place at Dnipro-Arena. Others home games will take place in Kropyvnytskyi (Матч Ингулец — Днепр-1 состоится на Днепр-Арене. Остальные домашние игры пройдут в Кропивницком). Sport Arena. 19 August 2020
- Vsevolod Mazur. Mariupol all its games of the first half of the 2020–21 FavBet Liha will play away (Мариуполь все матчи первого круга Favbet Лиги 2020/21 проведет на выезде). Sport Arena. 10 August 2020
- Stadium reconstruction continues! (Реконструкція стадіону триває!). FC Kolos Kovalivka.
- The Kolos Stadium was opened! (Стадіон «Колос» відкрито!). Ukrainian Premier League. 2 September 2020
- Kolos will play of their own stadium in the next UPL season (Колос будет выступать на своем стадионе в следующем сезоне УПЛ). Football.ua. 27 January 2020.
- "Kolos" will play its games of the Europe League at its stadium («Колос» будет играть матчи Лиги Европы на своем стадионе). Xsport. 1 August 2020
- Match Mynai – Dynamo will take place in Kyiv (Матч «Минай» - «Динамо» відбудеться в Києві). FC Dynamo Kyiv. 18 September 2020
- Sukhkenko, M. How Kopytko took over Veres and transformed it into Lviv (Як Копитко захопив Верес и перетворив його на Львів). Sport Arena. 23 May 2018
- "Олексій Михайличенко повернеться на посаду спортивного директора" [Oleksiy Mykhaylychenko will return to the position of Sports director] (in Ukrainian). Dynamo Kyiv. 30 July 2020. Retrieved 3 August 2020.
- "New coaching staff to prepare Dynamo for the new season". Dynamo Kyiv. 20 July 2020. Retrieved 20 July 2020.
- "Mircea Lucescu – FC Dynamo Kyiv head coach". FC Dynamo Kyiv. 23 July 2020. Retrieved 23 July 2020.
- ""Олимпик" утвердил Климовского главным тренером, без приставки и.о." [Olimpik approved Klymovskyi as a head coach without prefix interim] (in Russian). Footboom. 20 July 2020. Retrieved 20 July 2020.
- "Александр Бабич и его штаб завершили работу в ФК Мариуполь" [Oleksandr Babych and his stuff finished their work in FC Mariupol] (in Russian). FC Mariupol. 30 July 2020. Retrieved 30 July 2020.
- "Остап Маркевич — главный тренер ФК Мариуполь" [Ostap Markevych is a head coach of FC Mariupol] (in Russian). FC Mariupol. 3 August 2020. Retrieved 3 August 2020.
- "Михайленко подав у відставку з посади головного тренера СК Дніпро-1" [Mykhaylenko resigned from the position of head coach of SC Dnipro-1] (in Ukrainian). Football24. 18 September 2020. Retrieved 23 September 2020.
- "Дякуємо, Дмитро Станіславовичу!" [Our gratitude to Dmytro Stanislavovych] (in Ukrainian). SC Dnipro-1. 18 September 2020. Retrieved 18 September 2020.
- "Ігор Йовічевич очолив «Дніпро-1»" [Igor Jovićević will lead Dnipro-1] (in Ukrainian). SC Dnipro-1. 22 September 2020. Retrieved 22 September 2020.
- "Георгій Цецадзе: «У будь-якої людини настає момент, коли краще піти геть»" [Giorgi Tsetsadze: Each person gets the moment when it's better to leave] (in Ukrainian). FC Lviv. 24 October 2020. Retrieved 24 October 2020.
- "До «Ворскли» команду готує Віталій Шумський" [Vitaliy Shumskyi to prepare the team for the fixture with Vorskla] (in Ukrainian). FC Lviv. 28 October 2020. Retrieved 28 October 2020.
- Defining of teams' places in competitions (Визначення місць команд у змаганнях). 2020–21 Ukrainian Premier League regulations.
- Top scorers. Ukrainian Premier League.
- (in Ukrainian) Ковалець – найкращий серед асистентів Favbet Ліги. Ukrainian Premier League. 8 December 2020
- "Степанюк і Максимов — найкращі гравець і тренер місяця Favbet Ліги!".
- "Кулач і Йовічевіч — найкращі гравець і тренер місяця Favbet Ліги!".
- "Кочергін і Лавриненко — найкращі гравець і тренер місяця Favbet Ліги!".
- "Іванісеня та Федик — найкращі гравець і тренер місяця Favbet Ліги!".
- "Євгеній Волинець — найкращий гравець 1-го туру Favbet Ліги!".
- "Олександр Рябоконь – найкращий тренер 1-го туру Favbet Ліги".
- "Володимир Лисенко — найкращий гравець 2-го туру Favbet Ліги!".
- "Ігор Климовський – найкращий тренер 2-го туру Favbet Ліги".
- "Шахаб — найкращий гравець 3-го туру Favbet Ліги!".
- "Юрій Максимов – найкращий тренер 3-го туру Favbet Ліги".
- "Олександр Гладкий — найкращий гравець 4-го туру Favbet Ліги!".
- "Володимир Шаран – найкращий тренер 3-го туру Favbet Ліги".
- "Олексій Гуцуляк — найкращий гравець 5-го туру Favbet Ліги!".
- "Ігор Климовський – найкращий тренер 5-го туру Favbet Ліги".
- "Віктор Коваленко — найкращий гравець 6-го туру Favbet Ліги!".
- "Ігор Йовічевіч – найкращий тренер 6-го туру Favbet Ліги!".
- "Дмитро Різник — найкращий гравець 7-го туру Favbet Ліги!".
- "Віктор Скрипник — найкращий тренер 7-го туру Favbet Ліги!".
- "Віктор Циганков — найкращий гравець 8-го туру Favbet Ліги!".
- "Віталій Шумський – найкращий тренер 8-го туру Favbet Ліги".
- "Тарас Степаненко — найкращий гравець 9-го туру Favbet Ліги!".
- "Руслан Костишин – найкращий тренер 9-го туру Favbet Ліги".
- "Анатолій Нурієв — найкращий гравець 10-го туру Favbet Ліги!".
- "Юрій Максимов – найкращий тренер 10-го туру Favbet Ліги!".
- "Беньямін Вербич — найкращий гравець 11-го туру Favbet Ліги!".
- "Сергій Лавриненко – найкращий тренер 11-го туру Favbet Ліги!".
- "Артем Громов — найкращий гравець 12-го туру Favbet Ліги!".
- "Віктор Скрипник – найкращий тренер 12-го туру Favbet Ліги".
- "Валерій Федорчук — найкращий гравець 13-го туру Favbet Ліги!".
- "Іван Федик – найкращий тренер 13-го туру Favbet Ліги".