Football in Ukraine
Encyclopedia
Football in Ukraine is the number one sport. It takes its direct heritage from the Soviet football, particularly of 1970s and 1980s. The major football events in Ukraine are supervised by the Football Federation of Ukraine
that was reorganized in 1991 in place of the Soviet Football Federation of Ukrainian SSR created in 1920s.
has representing own independent nation qualified for the FIFA World Cup
once. That was in the 2006 tournament when they reached the quarterfinals led by the former Soviet football star player Oleh Blokhin. Ukraine also has several younger squads that were little more successful yielding several new promising footballers.
On the club level the Ukrainian championship has primarily developed out of the Soviet competitions. With the unification of Ukraine in 1939-1940 on the newly acquired territories other than the Soviet clubs were dissolved or partially integrated into Soviet competitions, including selected players from Pogon Lwow
(Michał Matyas) and ST "Ukraina
" (Karlo Miklyosh). Among the notable Soviet footballers of that period deserved to be mentioned such as Makar Honcharenko, goalkeeper Mykola Trusevych, and others. Dynamo Kyiv and Shakhtar Donetsk are among the big European clubs nowadays. Dynamo Kyiv traces its fame from the Soviet
times as they won the European Cup Winners Cup twice; namely in 1975 and 1986. In 1975 Dynamo extended its success into the UEFA Super Cup as well. Among the famous players to come out of Ukraine
were Oleh Blokhin and Andriy Shevchenko
. Also the legendary coach Valeri Lobanovski who led Dynamo Kiev to their European Cup victories as well as coaching the former Soviet and later on the Ukraine national football team
is a Ukrainian football hero.
The Ukrainian football professional club competitions organized in the three tier league system. Parallel with them there is a knockout competition the Ukrainian Cup
. There is also a Super Cup
match up that is being conducted on annual basis among the top two best clubs in the country. Several amateur level tournaments are played nationally as well as in every region (oblast), for better perspective, please visit Ukrainian football league system
. The female football is less developed, however there is a female national team and a two-tier league system competition for clubs. Among the most successful female clubs are Lehenda Chernihiv and Zhytlobud Kharkiv.
Ukraine has also highly developed children and youth football. There is a national competition that is being conducted by the professional clubs of Ukraine and the best national sports school
s. It is a two tier league with several regional divisions. Each club is represented by four squads with players age restrictions being from under 14 to under 17. Parallel to that there is an independent Student League which encompasses teams of various universities and institutions of higher education. Selected players of that league successfully compete at student Olympics, the Universiada. The regional amateur football competitions also provide training opportunities for the young soccer stars.
that was part of Poland
the official football competitions started also in 1920s. The teams that were to enter the Polish League were Pogon Lwow
, Czarni Lwow
, Polonia Przemysl
, and Rewera Stanislawow
. Those are considered to be all-Polish teams consisting mostly of the Polish nationals. The Soviet-Ukrainian and Soviet-Polish wars prevented for the competition of 1920 to take place. At the end, only Pogon
was admitted, however, the other clubs entered the competition much later. The Lvivian
club was the most successful at the start of the League, winning it four times in a row 1922-1926. The club was coached then by the Austrian manager Karl Fischer. Another club Sparta Lwow
made the final of the first Polish Cup competition of 1926. The Ukrainian
football teams also existed at that time, but they competed on the amateur level, one of them was Ukraina Lwow
. The Soviet aggression of 1939 disrupted the football life in the region and all of the clubs were disbanded. The Soviet administration created its own local football clubs that were part of the Soviet Volunteer Societies.
Bukovina
Bukovina
in the interwar period was part of Romania
. There were several clubs all from Chernivtsi
that participated in the Romania
n football competitions. The most successful club was FC Dragoş Voda Cernauţi. It was all-Romanian club. As in Halychyna the football clubs were ethnically based. Beside the above mentioned club there were also Jewish clubs FC Maccabi Cernauţi, FC Hakoah Cernauţi, Polish
FC Polonia Cernauţi, and German
DFC Jahn Cernauţi. From 1922 to 1932 the clubs from Chernivtsi
participated annually in the Romanian championship that was organized by the Olympic-system of elimination. Since the introduction of the regular League in the national competitions those clubs disappeared. Only FC Dragoş Voda Cernauţi participated in the 1937-38 edition of the league placing last in its group. In 1940 Bukovina
became occupied by the Soviet Union
and all of the previously established sport organization were abandoned.
Carpathian Ruthenia
From 1925 to 1938 this territory was part of Czechoslovakia
, and later part of Hungary
. The most notable club of the region at that time was SK Rusj Užhorod from Užhorod/Ungvar
, later Ungvári Rusznyi. It was the only club that participated in Slovak championship from the region. The club became champion of Slovakia on two occasions: 1933 and 1936. Rusj became known in Europe as the Flying Teachers, because they were the first club that used airplanes to travel to their games. In 1938 the region became part of Hungary
. In 1939 there was tournament among seven teams of that region (Kárpátalja
), the winner of which would earn the right to participate on the professional level in the Hungarian
competitions. The tournament included four teams from Uzhhorod
, including SC Rusj Užhorod, plus each team from Mukacheve
, Chop
, and Palanky. SC Rusj Užhorod won the tournament, and because of that four teams were allowed to enter the Hungarian competition from the region, two from Uzhhorod
Rusj and Ungvári AC, and each from Berehove
(Beregszászi FTC) and Mukacheve
(Munkács SzE).
had its own football competition from 1921 to 1936. This competition was on a volunteer basis and were not held regularly. These football competitions were a continuation of the imperial football competitions that started at the beginning of the 20th century in the Russian Empire. The winner qualified for the All-Union competition.
The first Ukrainian championship took place in 1921, before the establishment of the Soviet Union. Not much is known of that and the following championships and nothing is known of the competitions between 1924-1927. Remarkable is the fact that the dominant team of that period was from Kharkiv
which until 1934 was the capital of the pseudo-state, Ukrainian SSR
.
1921. Final tournament (Kharkiv)
Quarterfinals
Semifinals
Final
Kharkiv: Vinnykov, Levin, Natarov, Shpakovsky, Bem, Bizyayev, Alfyorov, Kapustin, Varzhenynov, Makeyev, Ordin, Kazakov, Romanenko, Lazunenko.
1922. Final tournament (Kharkiv)
Quarterfinals
Semifinals
Final
Kharkiv: Romanenko, Kolotukhin, Natarov, Shpakovsky, Romatovsky, Privalov, Bandurin, Kapustin, Varzhenynov, Krotov, Kazakov.
1923. Final tournament (Kharkiv)
Group 1
Group finals
Group 2
Group finals
Group 3
Group finals
Semifinal
Final
1924. Final tournament (Kharkiv)
Preliminaries
Final tournament (Kiev forfeited)
Final group. 1) Kharkiv, 2) Odessa, 3) Donbas
Kharkiv: Norov, Krotov, K. Fomin, Privalov, V. Fomin, Kapustin, Kazakov, Alfyorov, Natarov, Shpakovsky, Kostykov, Us, Vinnykov, Bem, Hrushyn, Hubaryev.
1925-1926. ?
1927. Final tournament (Kharkiv)
A mass tournament with participation of some 41 teams took place. To the finals qualified Katerynoslav, Odessa, Mykolaiv, and Stalino. To the finals were also allowed Kharkiv and Kadiyevka, although they were defeated by Mykolaiv and Stalino, respectively.
Games
Kharkiv: Kravchenko, Kladko, Krotov, K.Fomin, Privalov, V.Fomin, Semenov, Lesny, Andreyev, Natarov, Shpakovsky, Myshchenko, Us, Sorokin, Bem, M.Fomin, Hubaryev.
1928. Final tournament (Kharkiv)
There were 30 teams participating in the qualifiers.
Games
Kharkiv: Norov, Kladko, Moskvin, K.Fomin, Privalov, V.Fomin, Semenov, Volodymyrsky, Alfyorov, Kapustin, Shpakovsky, Myshchenko, Hubaryev.
1929-1930. ?
1931. Final tournament (Kiev)
Quarterfinals
Semifinals
Final
Kiev: Idzkovsky, Denysov, Vesen'yev, Dolhov, Piontkowski, Tyutchev, Sadovsky, Korotkykh, Schultz-Serdyuk, Malkhasov, Svyrydovsky.
1932. Final tournament (Dnipropetrovsk / Zaporizhia)
Preliminaries
Games
1933. Holodomor
1934.
Quarterfinals
Semifinals
Final
Kharkiv: Moskvin, Kyryllov, K.Fomin, M.Fomin, V.Fomin, Shvedov, Kulykov, Lesny, Zub, Parovyshnykov, Privalov.
1935. Group 1
Games
Dnipropetrovsk: Makhovsky, Hutaryev, Aleksopolski, Chyzhov, Belov, V.Kryvosheyev, Butenko, Hreber, Andreyev, Borodin, Bily, Laiko, Korchanynov, Kornylov, Zabuha, Shpynyov, P.Kryvosheyev, Starostin
1936.
Quarterfinals
Semifinals
Final
Dynamo Kyiv: Trusevych, Pravoverov, Klymenko, Tyutchev, Kuzmenko, Putystin, Honcharenko, Shylovsky, Shehodsky, Komarov, Korotkykh, Makhynya. Coach: Moisei Tovarovsky.
Until WWII up to six clubs from Ukraine
competed in the Soviet Top League. The nine non-amateur clubs from Ukraine participated in the first season of the Soviet competition: Dynamo Kyiv (I Division
); Dynamo Dnipropetrovsk and Dynamo Kharkiv
(II Division
); Dynamo Odessa, Spartak Kharkiv, Vuhilnyki Staline, Lokomotyv Kyiv (III Division
); Traktor Plant Kharkiv, Stal Dnipropetrovsk (IV Division
). In 1938 the Soviet Top League
was combined into the Super League with 26 clubs playing each other once. Ukraine
was represented with six clubs. The following couple of years as the League was reduced only three Ukrainian teams had participated in it.
Short time since WWII Ukraine
was once again represented only by Dynamo Kyiv. Since 1949 and until 1964 the club was joined by Shakhtar Donetsk and Lokomotyv Kharkiv at the Top Level. In 1956 Lokomotyv was replaced by Avanhard, known today as Metalist. In 1965 Chornomorets Odessa returned to the Soviet Top League
and was joined together with the SCA Odessa. Since that time Ukraine
had four clubs in the League. In 1967 as the Odessa Army team was relegated, Zorya Luhansk has emerged and soon thereafter conquering the honors. The Luhansk
's team was the first club from a provincial city in the Soviet Union
that earned the top award. The club success indicated the big football boom in the region. At the start of 1970 Chornomorets Odessa and Shakhtar Donetsk were replaced with Karpaty Lviv
and Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk, respectively. By mid 1970s there were again six clubs participated from Ukraine
. Dynamo Kyiv earned the Cup Winner's Cup and the European Super Cup where in the finals it defeated FC Bayern Munich
the captain of which was Franz Beckenbauer
. In 1980 the representation of Ukraine
was reduced back to five clubs with the classic four: Dynamo Kyiv, Shakhtar Donetsk, Chornomorets Odessa, and Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk. Since 1982, those four were joined by Metalist Kharkiv and stayed at the top level to its dissolution in 1991, coincidentally all five of them represent the five metropoleis of Ukraine
with over a million in population. In 1990 Metalurh Zaporizhzhya joined the Soviet Premier League.
The first decade
The independent championship has taken place hastily at the start of the spring of 1992 after creation of the Ukrainian Vyscha Liha. The League was created out of the six teams that took part in the Soviet Top League
, two teams - the Soviet First League
, and nine out of eleven out of the Soviet Second League
. The other two of that eleven were placed in the Ukrainian Persha Liha as they were to be relegated no matter what. Also the two best teams of the Soviet Second League B
of the Ukrainian Zone were placed in the Vyscha Liha along with the winner of the 1991 Ukrainian Cup holder that placed ninth in the same group. The 20 participants were split in two groups with winners playing for the champion title and runners-up for the third place. Three teams from each group were to be relegated. As was expected, the five favorites, Dynamo Kyiv, Shakhtar Donetsk, Chornomorets Odessa, Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk, and Metalist Kharkiv placed at the top of each group. In the championship play-off game in Lviv
, a sensation took place as the Tavriya Simferopol beat Dynamo Kyiv 1-0. The Creamians earned the first Ukrainian title (thus far the only), losing only once to FC Temp Shepetivka
.
After being stunned in the first championship by the tragedy in Lviv, Dynamo Kyiv was anxious to earn its first title on the second go. In the second championship that had a regular League format of 16 teams, the main rival of the Kievans was Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk which won the first half of the season. By the end of the season both teams were going shoulder to shoulder and at the end they finished with the same amount of earned points. The champion title was awarded to Dynamo Kyiv as they had better goal difference. Neither the Golden match or the fact that Dnipro had better head-to-head record was considered.
The next seven years were known as the total hegemony of Dynamo Kyiv. During this period the Soviet stereotypes has changed as some of the best teams were going into a crisis. After the 1993-94
season suddenly Metalist Kharkiv was relegated to the Persha Liha. In the 1995-96
season Shakhtar Donetsk had its the worst year in the club's history, placing tenth. Chornomorets Odessa relegated twice during that first decade after Leonid Buriak has left the team. Also couple of newly created teams have emerged such as Arsenal Kyiv and Metalurh Donetsk and, in addition, FC Vorskla Poltava
has astonished everyone placing the third in the first club's season at the Top Level in 1997
.
The decade of Kiev
The next decade was marked by fierce competition between Dynamo Kyiv and Shakhtar Donetsk. Since 2000, Donetsk club proved to be the real challengers to Kiev's dominance. In 2000 Shakhtar earned their first qualification to the Champions League earning its place in the Group stage. Nonetheless, Dynamo is still considered to be the benchmark of excellence in the country and the primary feeder to the Ukrainian national football team. 2002 became the real cornerstone in the miners history when they earned their first national title under the management of the newly appointed Italian specialist, Nevio Scala, who managed to bring the Donetsk club to its next Ukrainian Cup
title as well. Since that time the issue of foreign players became particularly acute and brought series of court cases (see Players section). The FFU
and PFL
worked together to solve that issue, coming with the plan to force the transitional limitation of the foreign players over the time.
The clubs such as Dnipro and Chornomorets recent contenders for the title had to put up a fierce competition against the newly established contenders Metalurh from Donetsk
and Metalist from Kharkiv
to qualify for the European competitions. Especially brightly recommended itself FC Metalist Kharkiv
which in the late 2000s consistently was placing right behind Dynamo and Shakhtar. The remarkable was their participation in their 2009 European season when they had to contest against Dynamo Kyiv to earn their advancement to the Quarter-finals of the UEFA Cup 2009. Later the UEFA Cup edition was won for the first time by the Shakhtar Donetsk, the first club of the independent Ukraine
.
.
.
.
.
Other 2010 awards (ua-football.com readers):
Second symbolic team: Maksym Koval
- Vitaliy Denisov
, Milan Obradovic
, Papa Gueye
, Artem Fedetsky - Willian
, Fernandinho
, Oleksandr Aliyev, Denys Oliynyk
- Taison, Artem Milevsky - Coach: Myron Markevych
Football Federation of Ukraine
The Football Federation of Ukraine is the governing body of football in Ukraine. It governs the football competitions for the Ukrainian Professional League, including the Ukrainian Cup, the Amatory, the competitions among the youth , and also the Ukraine national football team. It also sets the...
that was reorganized in 1991 in place of the Soviet Football Federation of Ukrainian SSR created in 1920s.
Summary
Ukraine national football teamUkraine national football team
The Ukraine national football team is the national football team of Ukraine and is controlled by the Football Federation of Ukraine. After Ukrainian Independence and breakaway from the Soviet Union, they played their first match against Hungary on 29 April 1992...
has representing own independent nation qualified for the FIFA World Cup
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
once. That was in the 2006 tournament when they reached the quarterfinals led by the former Soviet football star player Oleh Blokhin. Ukraine also has several younger squads that were little more successful yielding several new promising footballers.
On the club level the Ukrainian championship has primarily developed out of the Soviet competitions. With the unification of Ukraine in 1939-1940 on the newly acquired territories other than the Soviet clubs were dissolved or partially integrated into Soviet competitions, including selected players from Pogon Lwow
Pogon Lwów
LKS Pogoń Lwów is a former Polish professional sports club which was located in Lwów , and existed from 1904 until the outbreak of World War II in 1939. It was the second oldest Polish football club behind other teams from Lwów - Czarni and Lechia...
(Michał Matyas) and ST "Ukraina
Ukraina Lwów
Ukraina Lwów was an ethnic Ukrainian sports club, located in the city of Lwów, which in the interbellum period belonged to the Second Polish Republic ....
" (Karlo Miklyosh). Among the notable Soviet footballers of that period deserved to be mentioned such as Makar Honcharenko, goalkeeper Mykola Trusevych, and others. Dynamo Kyiv and Shakhtar Donetsk are among the big European clubs nowadays. Dynamo Kyiv traces its fame from the Soviet
Soviet Top League
The Soviet Top League since 1970 was officially known as the Supreme League serving as the top division of Soviet Union football since 1936.It was one of the best football leagues in Europe ranking second among the UEFA members in 1988-1989 seasons...
times as they won the European Cup Winners Cup twice; namely in 1975 and 1986. In 1975 Dynamo extended its success into the UEFA Super Cup as well. Among the famous players to come out of Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
were Oleh Blokhin and Andriy Shevchenko
Andriy Shevchenko
Andriy Mykolayovych Shevchenko is a Ukrainian footballer who plays for Dynamo Kyiv and the Ukraine national team as a striker. He is the third-highest scorer in the history of European club competition with 67 goals as of 2011-03-10, behind Filippo Inzaghi and Raúl. With 175 goals scored with A.C...
. Also the legendary coach Valeri Lobanovski who led Dynamo Kiev to their European Cup victories as well as coaching the former Soviet and later on the Ukraine national football team
Ukraine national football team
The Ukraine national football team is the national football team of Ukraine and is controlled by the Football Federation of Ukraine. After Ukrainian Independence and breakaway from the Soviet Union, they played their first match against Hungary on 29 April 1992...
is a Ukrainian football hero.
The Ukrainian football professional club competitions organized in the three tier league system. Parallel with them there is a knockout competition the Ukrainian Cup
Ukrainian Cup
The Ukrainian Cup is a national knockout cup competition in Ukrainian football, run by the Football Federation of Ukraine. The winner of the competition is awarded a qualification to the UEFA Cup , under special circumstances the finalist also may enter...
. There is also a Super Cup
Ukrainian Super Cup
Ukrainian Super Cup acts as the grand-opening for every new football competition season in Ukraine, officially having the winners of the previous season's Ukrainian Championship and Ukrainian Cup face-off against each other...
match up that is being conducted on annual basis among the top two best clubs in the country. Several amateur level tournaments are played nationally as well as in every region (oblast), for better perspective, please visit Ukrainian football league system
Ukrainian football league system
Ukrainian football league system has developed over the years. If the top two tiers have developed a fixed number of participants, the number of competitors in the tiers below the second has been changing almost every year.-League system:...
. The female football is less developed, however there is a female national team and a two-tier league system competition for clubs. Among the most successful female clubs are Lehenda Chernihiv and Zhytlobud Kharkiv.
Ukraine has also highly developed children and youth football. There is a national competition that is being conducted by the professional clubs of Ukraine and the best national sports school
Sports School
Sports School may refer to:* Sports school* Singapore Sports School, a specialized independent school in Singapore* National Sport School , a public high school in Calgary, Alberta...
s. It is a two tier league with several regional divisions. Each club is represented by four squads with players age restrictions being from under 14 to under 17. Parallel to that there is an independent Student League which encompasses teams of various universities and institutions of higher education. Selected players of that league successfully compete at student Olympics, the Universiada. The regional amateur football competitions also provide training opportunities for the young soccer stars.
Halychyna (1920-1939)
In the western part of UkraineUkraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
that was part of Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
the official football competitions started also in 1920s. The teams that were to enter the Polish League were Pogon Lwow
Pogon Lwów
LKS Pogoń Lwów is a former Polish professional sports club which was located in Lwów , and existed from 1904 until the outbreak of World War II in 1939. It was the second oldest Polish football club behind other teams from Lwów - Czarni and Lechia...
, Czarni Lwow
Czarni Lwów
Czarni Lwów was one of the first Polish professional sports clubs with the well developed football section as well as hockey among the several other sports. The football club was started in the late 19th century in Lwów as a school football section Sława Lwów...
, Polonia Przemysl
Polonia Przemysl
Polonia Przemyśl is a Polish sports club, located in the southeastern city of Przemyśl. Founded in 1909, it is one of the oldest sports associations in Poland.- History :...
, and Rewera Stanislawow
Rewera Stanislawów
Wojskowo-Cywilny Klub Sportowy Rewera Stanisławów was a Polish football team, located in Stanisławów , on the historic territory of Kresy Wschodnie ....
. Those are considered to be all-Polish teams consisting mostly of the Polish nationals. The Soviet-Ukrainian and Soviet-Polish wars prevented for the competition of 1920 to take place. At the end, only Pogon
Pogon Lwów
LKS Pogoń Lwów is a former Polish professional sports club which was located in Lwów , and existed from 1904 until the outbreak of World War II in 1939. It was the second oldest Polish football club behind other teams from Lwów - Czarni and Lechia...
was admitted, however, the other clubs entered the competition much later. The Lvivian
Pogon Lwów
LKS Pogoń Lwów is a former Polish professional sports club which was located in Lwów , and existed from 1904 until the outbreak of World War II in 1939. It was the second oldest Polish football club behind other teams from Lwów - Czarni and Lechia...
club was the most successful at the start of the League, winning it four times in a row 1922-1926. The club was coached then by the Austrian manager Karl Fischer. Another club Sparta Lwow
Sparta Lwów
LKS Sparta Lwów was a football club based in Lwów, Poland . The club was formed in 1910. It was disbanded in September 1939 after the Soviets occupied Eastern Poland. Sparta reached the final of the Polish Cup in 1926 losing to Wisła Kraków 1:2.-References:*...
made the final of the first Polish Cup competition of 1926. The Ukrainian
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
football teams also existed at that time, but they competed on the amateur level, one of them was Ukraina Lwow
Ukraina Lwów
Ukraina Lwów was an ethnic Ukrainian sports club, located in the city of Lwów, which in the interbellum period belonged to the Second Polish Republic ....
. The Soviet aggression of 1939 disrupted the football life in the region and all of the clubs were disbanded. The Soviet administration created its own local football clubs that were part of the Soviet Volunteer Societies.
BukovinaBukovinaBukovina is a historical region on the northern slopes of the northeastern Carpathian Mountains and the adjoining plains.-Name:The name Bukovina came into official use in 1775 with the region's annexation from the Principality of Moldavia to the possessions of the Habsburg Monarchy, which became...
(1922-1940)
BukovinaBukovina
Bukovina is a historical region on the northern slopes of the northeastern Carpathian Mountains and the adjoining plains.-Name:The name Bukovina came into official use in 1775 with the region's annexation from the Principality of Moldavia to the possessions of the Habsburg Monarchy, which became...
in the interwar period was part of Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
. There were several clubs all from Chernivtsi
Chernivtsi
Chernivtsi is the administrative center of Chernivtsi Oblast in southwestern Ukraine. The city is situated on the upper course of the River Prut, a tributary of the Danube, in the northern part of the historic region of Bukovina, which is currently divided between Romania and Ukraine...
that participated in the Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
n football competitions. The most successful club was FC Dragoş Voda Cernauţi. It was all-Romanian club. As in Halychyna the football clubs were ethnically based. Beside the above mentioned club there were also Jewish clubs FC Maccabi Cernauţi, FC Hakoah Cernauţi, Polish
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
FC Polonia Cernauţi, and German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
DFC Jahn Cernauţi. From 1922 to 1932 the clubs from Chernivtsi
Chernivtsi
Chernivtsi is the administrative center of Chernivtsi Oblast in southwestern Ukraine. The city is situated on the upper course of the River Prut, a tributary of the Danube, in the northern part of the historic region of Bukovina, which is currently divided between Romania and Ukraine...
participated annually in the Romanian championship that was organized by the Olympic-system of elimination. Since the introduction of the regular League in the national competitions those clubs disappeared. Only FC Dragoş Voda Cernauţi participated in the 1937-38 edition of the league placing last in its group. In 1940 Bukovina
Bukovina
Bukovina is a historical region on the northern slopes of the northeastern Carpathian Mountains and the adjoining plains.-Name:The name Bukovina came into official use in 1775 with the region's annexation from the Principality of Moldavia to the possessions of the Habsburg Monarchy, which became...
became occupied by the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
and all of the previously established sport organization were abandoned.
Carpathian RutheniaCarpathian RutheniaCarpathian Ruthenia is a region in Eastern Europe, mostly located in western Ukraine's Zakarpattia Oblast , with smaller parts in easternmost Slovakia , Poland's Lemkovyna and Romanian Maramureş.It is...
(1925-1944)
From 1925 to 1938 this territory was part of CzechoslovakiaCzechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
, and later part of Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
. The most notable club of the region at that time was SK Rusj Užhorod from Užhorod/Ungvar
Uzhhorod
Uzhhorod or Uzhgorod is a city located in western Ukraine, at the border with Slovakia and near the border with Hungary. It is the administrative center of the Zakarpattia Oblast , as well as the administrative center of the surrounding Uzhhorodskyi Raion within the oblast...
, later Ungvári Rusznyi. It was the only club that participated in Slovak championship from the region. The club became champion of Slovakia on two occasions: 1933 and 1936. Rusj became known in Europe as the Flying Teachers, because they were the first club that used airplanes to travel to their games. In 1938 the region became part of Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
. In 1939 there was tournament among seven teams of that region (Kárpátalja
Carpathian Ruthenia
Carpathian Ruthenia is a region in Eastern Europe, mostly located in western Ukraine's Zakarpattia Oblast , with smaller parts in easternmost Slovakia , Poland's Lemkovyna and Romanian Maramureş.It is...
), the winner of which would earn the right to participate on the professional level in the Hungarian
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
competitions. The tournament included four teams from Uzhhorod
Uzhhorod
Uzhhorod or Uzhgorod is a city located in western Ukraine, at the border with Slovakia and near the border with Hungary. It is the administrative center of the Zakarpattia Oblast , as well as the administrative center of the surrounding Uzhhorodskyi Raion within the oblast...
, including SC Rusj Užhorod, plus each team from Mukacheve
Mukacheve
Mukachevo or Mukacheve is a city located in the valley of the Latorica river in the Zakarpattia Oblast , in southwestern Ukraine. Serving as the administrative center of the Mukachivskyi Raion , the city itself is also designated as a separate raion within the oblast...
, Chop
Chop
Chop, CHOP, Chops, or CHOPS may refer to:-Music:*Embouchure, in music, a synonym for chops*CHOPS, Asian-American hip-hop producer, rapper and member of rap group Mountain Brothers*Chops , 2006...
, and Palanky. SC Rusj Užhorod won the tournament, and because of that four teams were allowed to enter the Hungarian competition from the region, two from Uzhhorod
Uzhhorod
Uzhhorod or Uzhgorod is a city located in western Ukraine, at the border with Slovakia and near the border with Hungary. It is the administrative center of the Zakarpattia Oblast , as well as the administrative center of the surrounding Uzhhorodskyi Raion within the oblast...
Rusj and Ungvári AC, and each from Berehove
Berehove
Berehove is a city located in the Zakarpattia Oblast in western Ukraine, near the border with Hungary.Serving as the administrative center of the Berehove Raion , the city itself is also designated as a separate raion within the oblast...
(Beregszászi FTC) and Mukacheve
Mukacheve
Mukachevo or Mukacheve is a city located in the valley of the Latorica river in the Zakarpattia Oblast , in southwestern Ukraine. Serving as the administrative center of the Mukachivskyi Raion , the city itself is also designated as a separate raion within the oblast...
(Munkács SzE).
Soviet championship prior 1936
Before the establishment of a consistent Soviet football competition in 1936, the Ukrainian SSRUkrainian SSR
The Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic or in short, the Ukrainian SSR was a sovereign Soviet Socialist state and one of the fifteen constituent republics of the Soviet Union lasting from its inception in 1922 to the breakup in 1991...
had its own football competition from 1921 to 1936. This competition was on a volunteer basis and were not held regularly. These football competitions were a continuation of the imperial football competitions that started at the beginning of the 20th century in the Russian Empire. The winner qualified for the All-Union competition.
The first Ukrainian championship took place in 1921, before the establishment of the Soviet Union. Not much is known of that and the following championships and nothing is known of the competitions between 1924-1927. Remarkable is the fact that the dominant team of that period was from Kharkiv
Kharkiv
Kharkiv or Kharkov is the second-largest city in Ukraine.The city was founded in 1654 and was a major centre of Ukrainian culture in the Russian Empire. Kharkiv became the first city in Ukraine where the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic was proclaimed in December 1917 and Soviet government was...
which until 1934 was the capital of the pseudo-state, Ukrainian SSR
Ukrainian SSR
The Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic or in short, the Ukrainian SSR was a sovereign Soviet Socialist state and one of the fifteen constituent republics of the Soviet Union lasting from its inception in 1922 to the breakup in 1991...
.
1921. Final tournament (Kharkiv)
Quarterfinals
- Kharkiv - Kherson 5:0
- Tahanroh - Kiev 1:0
- Odessa - Katerynoslav 5:1
- Mykolaiv - Poltava 7:0
Semifinals
- Kharkiv - Tahanroh 2:1
- Odessa - Mykolaiv 1:0
Final
- Kharkiv - Odessa 2:1
Kharkiv: Vinnykov, Levin, Natarov, Shpakovsky, Bem, Bizyayev, Alfyorov, Kapustin, Varzhenynov, Makeyev, Ordin, Kazakov, Romanenko, Lazunenko.
1922. Final tournament (Kharkiv)
Quarterfinals
- Kharkiv - Katerynoslav 2:0
- Kiev - Poltava 3:0
- Odessa - Crimea +:-
- Mykolaiv - Druzhkivka 2:1
Semifinals
- Kharkiv - Mykolaiv 4:0
- Odessa - Kiev 5:2
Final
- Kharkiv - Odessa 1:0
Kharkiv: Romanenko, Kolotukhin, Natarov, Shpakovsky, Romatovsky, Privalov, Bandurin, Kapustin, Varzhenynov, Krotov, Kazakov.
1923. Final tournament (Kharkiv)
Group 1
- Kharkiv - Mykolaiv +:-
- Odessa - Kiev +:-
Group finals
- Kharkiv - Odessa 1:0
Group 2
- Druzhkivka - Poltava 5:1
- Crimea - Katerynoslav 2:1
Group finals
- Druzhkivka - Crimea 2:0
Group 3
- Yuzovka - Chernihiv +:-
- Vinnytsia - Zhytomyr 2:1
Group finals
- Yuzovka - Vinnytsia 8:0
Semifinal
- Yuzivka - Druzhkivka 1:0
Final
- Kharkiv - Yuzovka 1:1, 5:1 (replay)
1924. Final tournament (Kharkiv)
Preliminaries
- Stalino - Katerynoslav 5:0
- Odessa - Podillya +:-
- Kharkiv - Poltava 1:0
- Kiev - Chernihiv +:-
Final tournament (Kiev forfeited)
- Kharkiv - Donbas 2:0
- Kharkiv - Odessa 1:0
- Odessa - Donbas 6:1
Final group. 1) Kharkiv, 2) Odessa, 3) Donbas
Kharkiv: Norov, Krotov, K. Fomin, Privalov, V. Fomin, Kapustin, Kazakov, Alfyorov, Natarov, Shpakovsky, Kostykov, Us, Vinnykov, Bem, Hrushyn, Hubaryev.
1925-1926. ?
1927. Final tournament (Kharkiv)
A mass tournament with participation of some 41 teams took place. To the finals qualified Katerynoslav, Odessa, Mykolaiv, and Stalino. To the finals were also allowed Kharkiv and Kadiyevka, although they were defeated by Mykolaiv and Stalino, respectively.
| 1 | Kharkiv | 4 | 1 | 0 | 24-5 | 9 |
| 2 | Mykolaiv | 4 | 0 | 1 | 14-14 | 8 |
| 3 | Odessa | 3 | 1 | 1 | 13-5 | 7 |
| 4 | Dnipropetrovsk | 1 | 0 | 4 | 13-17 | 2 |
| 5 | Kadiyevka | 0 | 1 | 4 | 4-14 | 1 |
| 6 | Stalino | 0 | 1 | 4 | 2-15 | 1 |
Games
- Kharkiv: Mykolaiv 10:2, Odessa 1:1, Dnipropetrovsk 4:2, Kadiyevka 4:0, Stalino 5:0
- Mykolaiv: Odessa 2:1, Dnipropetrovsk 5:3, Kadiyevka 3:0, Stalino 2:0
- Odessa: Dnipropetrovsk 4:0, Kadiyevka 3:1, Stalino 4:1
- Dnipropetrovsk: Kadiyevka 4:3, Stalino 4:1
- Kadiyevka: Stalino 0:0
Kharkiv: Kravchenko, Kladko, Krotov, K.Fomin, Privalov, V.Fomin, Semenov, Lesny, Andreyev, Natarov, Shpakovsky, Myshchenko, Us, Sorokin, Bem, M.Fomin, Hubaryev.
1928. Final tournament (Kharkiv)
There were 30 teams participating in the qualifiers.
| 1 | Kharkiv | 3 | 0 | 0 | 9-3 | 6 |
| 2 | Horlivka | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4-5 | 3 |
| 3 | Mykolaiv | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4-4 | 2 |
| 4 | Dnipropetrovsk | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2-7 | 1 |
Games
- Kharkiv: Horlivka 3:1, Mykolaiv 2:1, Dnipropetrovsk 4:1
- Horlivka: Mykolaiv 2:1, Dnipropetrovsk 1:1
- Mykolaiv: Dnipropetrovsk 2:0
Kharkiv: Norov, Kladko, Moskvin, K.Fomin, Privalov, V.Fomin, Semenov, Volodymyrsky, Alfyorov, Kapustin, Shpakovsky, Myshchenko, Hubaryev.
1929-1930. ?
1931. Final tournament (Kiev)
Quarterfinals
- Kiev - Dnipropetrovsk 4:0
- Kadiyevka - Horlivka 2:1
- Stalino - Kharkiv 2:6
- Mykolaiv - Odessa 3:2
Semifinals
- Kiev - Kadiyevka 3:1
- Kharkiv - Mykolaiv 5:2
Final
- Kiev - Kharkiv 3:1
Kiev: Idzkovsky, Denysov, Vesen'yev, Dolhov, Piontkowski, Tyutchev, Sadovsky, Korotkykh, Schultz-Serdyuk, Malkhasov, Svyrydovsky.
1932. Final tournament (Dnipropetrovsk / Zaporizhia)
Preliminaries
- Stalino - Moldavian Autonomy 17:0
- Kharkiv - Stalino +:-
- Dnipropetrovsk - Odessa Region +:-
- Vinnytsia - Kiev 3:1
1 Kharkiv 2 0 1 11-3 4 2 Donbas 2 0 1 8-7 4 3 Dnipropetrovsk 1 0 2 4-11 2 4 Vinnytsia 1 0 2 5-7 2
Games
- Kharkiv: Donbas 4:1, Dnipropetrovsk 6:0, Vinnytsia 1:2
- Donbas: Dnipropetrovsk 4:1, Vinnytsia 3:2
- Dnipropetrovsk: Vinnytsia 3:1
1933. Holodomor
Holodomor
The Holodomor was a man-made famine in the Ukrainian SSR between 1932 and 1933. During the famine, which is also known as the "terror-famine in Ukraine" and "famine-genocide in Ukraine", millions of Ukrainians died of starvation in a peacetime catastrophe unprecedented in the history of...
1934.
Quarterfinals
- Kiev - Dnipropetrovsk 6:0
- Moldavian Autonomy - Vinnytsia 0:7
- Khakriv - Chernihiv 10:2
- Odessa - Donbas 5:2
Semifinals
- Vinnytsia - Kiev 0:4
- Kharkiv - Odessa 7:0
Final
- Kiev - Kharkiv 0:1
Kharkiv: Moskvin, Kyryllov, K.Fomin, M.Fomin, V.Fomin, Shvedov, Kulykov, Lesny, Zub, Parovyshnykov, Privalov.
1935. Group 1
| 1 | Dnipropetrovsk | 2 | 1 | 1 | 9-6 | 9 |
| 2 | Kiev | 2 | 1 | 1 | 8-6 | 9 |
| 3 | Kharkiv | 1 | 2 | 1 | 7-8 | 8 |
| 4 | Odessa | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5-6 | 7 |
| 5 | Stalino | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5-8 | 7 |
Games
- Dnipropetrovsk: Kiev 3:3, Kharkiv 1:2, Odessa 2:1, Stalino 3:0
- Kiev: Kharkiv 3:2, Odessa 1:0, Stalino 0:1
- Kharkiv: Odessa 1:1, Stalino 2:2
- Odessa: Stalino 3:2
Dnipropetrovsk: Makhovsky, Hutaryev, Aleksopolski, Chyzhov, Belov, V.Kryvosheyev, Butenko, Hreber, Andreyev, Borodin, Bily, Laiko, Korchanynov, Kornylov, Zabuha, Shpynyov, P.Kryvosheyev, Starostin
1936.
Quarterfinals
- Dynamo Kyiv - Dynamo Dnipropetrovsk 5:2
- KhTZ Kharkiv - Lokomotyv Kyiv 0:1
- Stakhanovets Stalino - Dynamo Odessa 2:3 (in HorlivkaHorlivkaHorlivka is a city in the Donetsk Oblast of eastern Ukraine. As of 2001, the city's population was 292,000. It is a coal mining and chemical industry centre...
) - Dynamo KharkivFC Dynamo KharkivFC Dynamo Kharkiv is the former non-amateur Soviet football club based in Kharkiv .- USSR competitions :Dynamo initially was allowed to play in the Soviet Second division known as Class B. The team had forfeited all its games for the spring part and was demoted to the third division Class V for...
- ZiL Dnipropetrovsk 0:2
Semifinals
- Dynamo Kyiv - Lokomotyv Kyiv 2:1
- Dynamo Odessa - ZiL Dnipropetrovsk 1:0
Final
- Dynamo Kyiv - Dynamo Odessa 6:0
Dynamo Kyiv: Trusevych, Pravoverov, Klymenko, Tyutchev, Kuzmenko, Putystin, Honcharenko, Shylovsky, Shehodsky, Komarov, Korotkykh, Makhynya. Coach: Moisei Tovarovsky.
| Team | Winners | Runners-Up | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kharkiv | 8 | 1 | 1921, 1922, 1923, 1924, 1927, 1928, 1932, 1934 |
| Kiev | 2 | 2 | 1931, 1936 |
| Dnipropetrovsk | 1 | 0 | 1935 |
| Odessa | 0 | 4 | |
| Donbas (Horlivka) | 0 | 2 | |
| Stalino | 0 | 1 | |
| Mykolaiv | 0 | 1 | |
Soviet championship (1936-1991)
Until the creation of the independent competition, the Ukrainian republican championship had taken place in the Soviet First League after the WWII, the Soviet Second League (since 1963) or in the lowr levels of the competition. About three to six of the best Ukrainian clubs competed in the Soviet Top League with Dynamo Kyiv competing in it consistently since its establishment; therefore, the Ukrainian champion was considered the team that has won the Ukrainian republican group which was part of Soviet lower leagues.Until WWII up to six clubs from Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
competed in the Soviet Top League. The nine non-amateur clubs from Ukraine participated in the first season of the Soviet competition: Dynamo Kyiv (I Division
Soviet Top League
The Soviet Top League since 1970 was officially known as the Supreme League serving as the top division of Soviet Union football since 1936.It was one of the best football leagues in Europe ranking second among the UEFA members in 1988-1989 seasons...
); Dynamo Dnipropetrovsk and Dynamo Kharkiv
FC Dynamo Kharkiv
FC Dynamo Kharkiv is the former non-amateur Soviet football club based in Kharkiv .- USSR competitions :Dynamo initially was allowed to play in the Soviet Second division known as Class B. The team had forfeited all its games for the spring part and was demoted to the third division Class V for...
(II Division
Soviet First League
The Soviet First League was the second highest division of Soviet football, below the Soviet Top League. The division lasted from the inception of Soviet league football in 1936 to the dissolution of the USSR in 1991.-Overview:...
); Dynamo Odessa, Spartak Kharkiv, Vuhilnyki Staline, Lokomotyv Kyiv (III Division
Soviet Second League
The Soviet Second League was the third highest division of Soviet football, below the Soviet First League. The division lasted from the inception of Soviet league football in 1936 to the dissolution of USSR in 1991.-Overview:...
); Traktor Plant Kharkiv, Stal Dnipropetrovsk (IV Division
Soviet Second League B
The Soviet Second League B was an auxiliary tier of the Soviet league system, because it was not consistent as it existed only for six seasons and somewhat randomly...
). In 1938 the Soviet Top League
Soviet Top League
The Soviet Top League since 1970 was officially known as the Supreme League serving as the top division of Soviet Union football since 1936.It was one of the best football leagues in Europe ranking second among the UEFA members in 1988-1989 seasons...
was combined into the Super League with 26 clubs playing each other once. Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
was represented with six clubs. The following couple of years as the League was reduced only three Ukrainian teams had participated in it.
Short time since WWII Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
was once again represented only by Dynamo Kyiv. Since 1949 and until 1964 the club was joined by Shakhtar Donetsk and Lokomotyv Kharkiv at the Top Level. In 1956 Lokomotyv was replaced by Avanhard, known today as Metalist. In 1965 Chornomorets Odessa returned to the Soviet Top League
Soviet Top League
The Soviet Top League since 1970 was officially known as the Supreme League serving as the top division of Soviet Union football since 1936.It was one of the best football leagues in Europe ranking second among the UEFA members in 1988-1989 seasons...
and was joined together with the SCA Odessa. Since that time Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
had four clubs in the League. In 1967 as the Odessa Army team was relegated, Zorya Luhansk has emerged and soon thereafter conquering the honors. The Luhansk
Luhansk
Luhansk also known as Lugansk is a city in southeastern Ukraine. It is the administrative center of the Luhansk Oblast . The city itself is also designated as its own separate municipality within the oblast...
's team was the first club from a provincial city in the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
that earned the top award. The club success indicated the big football boom in the region. At the start of 1970 Chornomorets Odessa and Shakhtar Donetsk were replaced with Karpaty Lviv
FC Karpaty Lviv
FC Karpaty Lviv is a Ukrainian professional football club from the city of Lviv. Named after the Carpathian Mountains, they are one of perennial mid-table clubs in Ukraine.-Early years :...
and Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk, respectively. By mid 1970s there were again six clubs participated from Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
. Dynamo Kyiv earned the Cup Winner's Cup and the European Super Cup where in the finals it defeated FC Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich , is a German sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. It is best known for its professional football team, which is the most successful football club in Germany, having won 22 national titles and 15 cups....
the captain of which was Franz Beckenbauer
Franz Beckenbauer
Franz Anton Beckenbauer is a German football coach, manager, and former player, nicknamed Der Kaiser because of his elegant style, his leadership, his first name "Franz" , and his dominance on the football pitch...
. In 1980 the representation of Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
was reduced back to five clubs with the classic four: Dynamo Kyiv, Shakhtar Donetsk, Chornomorets Odessa, and Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk. Since 1982, those four were joined by Metalist Kharkiv and stayed at the top level to its dissolution in 1991, coincidentally all five of them represent the five metropoleis of Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
with over a million in population. In 1990 Metalurh Zaporizhzhya joined the Soviet Premier League.
The first decadeUkraineUkraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
(1992-2000)
The independent championship has taken place hastily at the start of the spring of 1992 after creation of the Ukrainian Vyscha Liha. The League was created out of the six teams that took part in the Soviet Top LeagueSoviet Top League
The Soviet Top League since 1970 was officially known as the Supreme League serving as the top division of Soviet Union football since 1936.It was one of the best football leagues in Europe ranking second among the UEFA members in 1988-1989 seasons...
, two teams - the Soviet First League
Soviet First League
The Soviet First League was the second highest division of Soviet football, below the Soviet Top League. The division lasted from the inception of Soviet league football in 1936 to the dissolution of the USSR in 1991.-Overview:...
, and nine out of eleven out of the Soviet Second League
Soviet Second League
The Soviet Second League was the third highest division of Soviet football, below the Soviet First League. The division lasted from the inception of Soviet league football in 1936 to the dissolution of USSR in 1991.-Overview:...
. The other two of that eleven were placed in the Ukrainian Persha Liha as they were to be relegated no matter what. Also the two best teams of the Soviet Second League B
Soviet Second League B
The Soviet Second League B was an auxiliary tier of the Soviet league system, because it was not consistent as it existed only for six seasons and somewhat randomly...
of the Ukrainian Zone were placed in the Vyscha Liha along with the winner of the 1991 Ukrainian Cup holder that placed ninth in the same group. The 20 participants were split in two groups with winners playing for the champion title and runners-up for the third place. Three teams from each group were to be relegated. As was expected, the five favorites, Dynamo Kyiv, Shakhtar Donetsk, Chornomorets Odessa, Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk, and Metalist Kharkiv placed at the top of each group. In the championship play-off game in Lviv
Lviv
Lviv is a city in western Ukraine. The city is regarded as one of the main cultural centres of today's Ukraine and historically has also been a major Polish and Jewish cultural center, as Poles and Jews were the two main ethnicities of the city until the outbreak of World War II and the following...
, a sensation took place as the Tavriya Simferopol beat Dynamo Kyiv 1-0. The Creamians earned the first Ukrainian title (thus far the only), losing only once to FC Temp Shepetivka
FC Temp Shepetivka
FC Temp Shepetivka is a former Ukrainian football team. The team was situated in Shepetivka, Ukraine. Temp Shepetivka took part in the first Ukrainian Premier League season in 1992, after being initially chosen to participate for winning the Ukrainian Amateur Cup in 1991.Temp Shepetivka took last...
.
After being stunned in the first championship by the tragedy in Lviv, Dynamo Kyiv was anxious to earn its first title on the second go. In the second championship that had a regular League format of 16 teams, the main rival of the Kievans was Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk which won the first half of the season. By the end of the season both teams were going shoulder to shoulder and at the end they finished with the same amount of earned points. The champion title was awarded to Dynamo Kyiv as they had better goal difference. Neither the Golden match or the fact that Dnipro had better head-to-head record was considered.
The next seven years were known as the total hegemony of Dynamo Kyiv. During this period the Soviet stereotypes has changed as some of the best teams were going into a crisis. After the 1993-94
Ukrainian Premier League 1993-94
Ukrainian Premier League 1993–94 was the third season of the Ukrainian Premier League.Last season the league champions Dynamo received a fierce competition from the Pavlov led Dnipro out of Dnipropetrovsk. The third season was promising to be even more exiting...
season suddenly Metalist Kharkiv was relegated to the Persha Liha. In the 1995-96
Ukrainian Premier League 1995-96
-Preseason changes:Managers-Final standings:Note:* In bold are the participants of the 1996 Ukrainian Cup Final.-Top goalscorers:Notable Transfers*Oleksandr Palyanytsia, FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk to FC Karpaty Lviv...
season Shakhtar Donetsk had its the worst year in the club's history, placing tenth. Chornomorets Odessa relegated twice during that first decade after Leonid Buriak has left the team. Also couple of newly created teams have emerged such as Arsenal Kyiv and Metalurh Donetsk and, in addition, FC Vorskla Poltava
FC Vorskla Poltava
FC Vorskla Poltava ,is a professional football team which plays in the Ukrainian Premier League and represents the city of Poltava.- History :...
has astonished everyone placing the third in the first club's season at the Top Level in 1997
Ukrainian Premier League 1996-97
-Preseason changes:Managers-Final standings:Note:* In bold are the participants of the 1997 Ukrainian Cup Final.-Top goalscorers:Notable Transfers*Andrei Fedkov, FC Torpedo Zaporizhia to FC Baltika Kaliningrad...
.
The decade of KievKievKiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....
- DonetskDonetskDonetsk , is a large city in eastern Ukraine on the Kalmius river. Administratively, it is a center of Donetsk Oblast, while historically, it is the unofficial capital and largest city of the economic and cultural Donets Basin region...
stand-off (2001-2010)
The next decade was marked by fierce competition between Dynamo Kyiv and Shakhtar Donetsk. Since 2000, Donetsk club proved to be the real challengers to Kiev's dominance. In 2000 Shakhtar earned their first qualification to the Champions League earning its place in the Group stage. Nonetheless, Dynamo is still considered to be the benchmark of excellence in the country and the primary feeder to the Ukrainian national football team. 2002 became the real cornerstone in the miners history when they earned their first national title under the management of the newly appointed Italian specialist, Nevio Scala, who managed to bring the Donetsk club to its next Ukrainian CupUkrainian Cup
The Ukrainian Cup is a national knockout cup competition in Ukrainian football, run by the Football Federation of Ukraine. The winner of the competition is awarded a qualification to the UEFA Cup , under special circumstances the finalist also may enter...
title as well. Since that time the issue of foreign players became particularly acute and brought series of court cases (see Players section). The FFU
Football Federation of Ukraine
The Football Federation of Ukraine is the governing body of football in Ukraine. It governs the football competitions for the Ukrainian Professional League, including the Ukrainian Cup, the Amatory, the competitions among the youth , and also the Ukraine national football team. It also sets the...
and PFL
Professional Football League of Ukraine
Professional Football League of Ukraine is a sport organization that represents the Union of all professional level clubs in Ukraine. The League organizes the football competition for football clubs in the second and the third level of the Ukrainian league system...
worked together to solve that issue, coming with the plan to force the transitional limitation of the foreign players over the time.
The clubs such as Dnipro and Chornomorets recent contenders for the title had to put up a fierce competition against the newly established contenders Metalurh from Donetsk
Donetsk
Donetsk , is a large city in eastern Ukraine on the Kalmius river. Administratively, it is a center of Donetsk Oblast, while historically, it is the unofficial capital and largest city of the economic and cultural Donets Basin region...
and Metalist from Kharkiv
Kharkiv
Kharkiv or Kharkov is the second-largest city in Ukraine.The city was founded in 1654 and was a major centre of Ukrainian culture in the Russian Empire. Kharkiv became the first city in Ukraine where the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic was proclaimed in December 1917 and Soviet government was...
to qualify for the European competitions. Especially brightly recommended itself FC Metalist Kharkiv
FC Metalist Kharkiv
FC Metalist Kharkiv is a Ukrainian professional football club based in Kharkiv. It competes in the Ukrainian Premier League, the highest football level in the country. Founded in 1925, the team worked its way up the rungs of the Soviet football system, eventually being promoted to the Soviet Top...
which in the late 2000s consistently was placing right behind Dynamo and Shakhtar. The remarkable was their participation in their 2009 European season when they had to contest against Dynamo Kyiv to earn their advancement to the Quarter-finals of the UEFA Cup 2009. Later the UEFA Cup edition was won for the first time by the Shakhtar Donetsk, the first club of the independent Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
.
Performance of Ukraine based professional clubs in different championships
| Club | Winners | Runners-Up | 3rd Position | Seasons Won |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dynamo Kyiv FC Dynamo Kyiv FC Dynamo Kyiv is a professional football club based in the Ukrainian capital city of Kyiv. Founded in 1927, the club currently participates in the Ukrainian Premier League and has spent its entire history in the top league of Soviet and later Ukrainian football... |
26 | 16 | 3 | 1992-93 Ukrainian Premier League 1992-93 The Ukrainian Premier League 1992–93 season was the second since the nation's independence in 1991.-Overview:It started on August 15, 1992 and finished on June 15, 1993 with the winter break between November 22 and March 14. The Crimean Tavria were the defending champions, but managed only to place... , 1993-94 Ukrainian Premier League 1993-94 Ukrainian Premier League 1993–94 was the third season of the Ukrainian Premier League.Last season the league champions Dynamo received a fierce competition from the Pavlov led Dnipro out of Dnipropetrovsk. The third season was promising to be even more exiting... , 1994-95 Ukrainian Premier League 1994-95 -Preseason changes:Managers-Final standings:Legend:Note:* In bold are the participants of the 1995 Ukrainian Cup Final.-Top goalscorers:Notable Transfers... , 1995-96 Ukrainian Premier League 1995-96 -Preseason changes:Managers-Final standings:Note:* In bold are the participants of the 1996 Ukrainian Cup Final.-Top goalscorers:Notable Transfers*Oleksandr Palyanytsia, FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk to FC Karpaty Lviv... , 1996-97 Ukrainian Premier League 1996-97 -Preseason changes:Managers-Final standings:Note:* In bold are the participants of the 1997 Ukrainian Cup Final.-Top goalscorers:Notable Transfers*Andrei Fedkov, FC Torpedo Zaporizhia to FC Baltika Kaliningrad... , 1997-98 Ukrainian Premier League 1997-98 -Preseason changes:Managers-Final table of Ukrainian Premier League season 1997-98:Note:* In bold are the participants of the 1998 Ukrainian Cup Final.-Top goalscorers:-Managers:-External links:*... , 1998-99 Ukrainian Premier League 1998-99 -Preseason changes:Managers-Final table of Ukrainian Premier League season 1998-99:Note:* In bold are the participants of the 1999 Ukrainian Cup Final.-Top goalscorers:Notable Transfers... , 1999-00 Ukrainian Premier League 1999-00 -Preseason changes:Managers-Final table of Ukrainian Premier League season 1999-00:Note:* In bold are the participants of the 2000 Ukrainian Cup Final.-Top goalscorers:Notable Transfers... , 2000-01 Ukrainian Premier League 2000-01 -Preseason changes:Managers-Final table of Ukrainian Premier League season 2000-01:Note:* In bold are the participants of the 2001 Ukrainian Cup Final.-Top goalscorers:Notable Transfers... , 2002-03 Ukrainian Premier League 2002-03 -Final standings:-Top goal scorers:-European competitions:Champion's Cup Champion's Cup UEFA Cup UEFA Cup -External links:*... , 2003-04 Ukrainian Premier League 2003-04 -Final standings:-Top goal scorers:-European competitions:Champion's Cup Champion's Cup UEFA Cup UEFA Cup -External links:*... , 2006-07 Ukrainian Premier League 2006-07 The 2006-07 Ukrainian Premier League season is the sixteenth since its establishment. The official name of the competition was Soyuz-Viktan Ukrainian football championship. Soyuz-Viktan became the first title sponsor in the League's history.... , 2008-09 Ukrainian Premier League 2008-09 The 2008–09 Ukrainian Premier League season was the eighteenth since its establishment. Shakhtar Donetsk were the defending champions, having won their fourth league title. The season began on 16 July 2008 with a scoreless draw between Tavriya and Dnipro. The last round of matches were played on 26... |
| Shakhtar Donetsk FC Shakhtar Donetsk FC Shakhtar Donetsk is a Ukrainian professional football club from the city of Donetsk. Shakhtar has appeared in several European competitions and currently is often a participant of the UEFA Champions League. The club became the first Ukrainian club to win the UEFA Cup in 2009, the last year... |
5 | 12 | 2 | 2001-02 Ukrainian Premier League 2001-02 -Final standings:Note:* In bold are the participants of the 2002 Ukrainian Cup Final.Play-off:-Top goalscorers:-European competitions:Champion's Cup Champion's Cup... , 2004-05 Ukrainian Premier League 2004-05 The 2004–05 Ukrainian Premier League season was the fourteenth since its establishment.The season started on July 15, 2004 with all eight games of the first round. The last day of the competition was June 16, 2005. Shakhtar Donetsk has managed to win its second champion's title place ahead of the... , 2005-06 Ukrainian Premier League 2005-06 The 2005–06 Ukrainian Premier League season was the fifteenth since its establishment.The season started on July 12, 2005 with six games of the first round. The last day of the competition was May 10, 2006. However, because the top two teams have finished with equal amount of points, it was decided... , 2007-08 Ukrainian Premier League 2007-08 The 2007–08 Ukrainian Premier League season is the seventeenth since its establishment. This season competition was sponsored by Biola which became the title sponsor of the League for the season. It began on July 17, 2007, and ended on May 18, 2008... , 2009-10 |
| Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk Football Club Dnipro is a Ukrainian professional football club from the city of Dnipropetrovsk.-BRIT:The club's franchise traces its history all the way back when the first team that was formed in 1918 by the Petrovsky factory and was called as BRIT . The team participated in the regional competition... |
2 | 3 | 7 | |
| Tavriya Simferopol SC Tavriya Simferopol SC Tavriya Simferopol is a football club from Simferopol, Crimea, which plays in the Ukrainian Premier League. Tavriya is Crimea's most successful football club and is the winner of the very first Ukrainian Premier League, making them one out of 3 teams that have ever held this title.- History... |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1992 Ukrainian Premier League 1992 Ukrainian Premier League 1992 was the very first football championship organized in Ukraine after the dissolution of the Soviet Union and disbandment of the Soviet Football Union... |
| Zorya Luhansk | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| Chornomorets Odessa FC Chornomorets Odessa FC Chornomorets Odesa is a Ukrainian professional football club from the city of Odessa. The club's home ground is the 34,164 Chornomorets Stadium opened in 1935 and rebuilt in 2011. During the reconstruction , the team played in the 4,610 Spartak Stadium... |
0 | 2 | 4 | |
| Metalist Kharkiv FC Metalist Kharkiv FC Metalist Kharkiv is a Ukrainian professional football club based in Kharkiv. It competes in the Ukrainian Premier League, the highest football level in the country. Founded in 1925, the team worked its way up the rungs of the Soviet football system, eventually being promoted to the Soviet Top... |
0 | 0 | 3 | |
| Metalurh Donetsk FC Metalurh Donetsk FC Metalurh Donetsk is a Ukrainian professional football club from the city of Donetsk. The club currently plays in the Ukrainian Premier League.- Pre-history :... |
0 | 0 | 3 | |
| Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih FC Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih FC Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih is a Ukrainian professional football club from the city of Kryvyi Rih. The club currently plays in Ukrainian Premier League and is based in the Metalurh Stadium, which seats 29,734.... |
0 | 0 | 2 | |
| Vorskla Poltava FC Vorskla Poltava FC Vorskla Poltava ,is a professional football team which plays in the Ukrainian Premier League and represents the city of Poltava.- History :... |
1 | 0 | 1 | |
| Karpaty Lviv FC Karpaty Lviv FC Karpaty Lviv is a Ukrainian professional football club from the city of Lviv. Named after the Carpathian Mountains, they are one of perennial mid-table clubs in Ukraine.-Early years :... |
0 | 0 | 1 | |
Titles by Region and Championship
The following table lists the Ukraine-based football champions by the Ukrainian regionsAdministrative divisions of Ukraine
Ukraine is subdivided into 24 oblasts , one autonomous republic, and two "cities with special status".- Overview :...
.
| Region |  |
 |
|---|---|---|
 City of KievKiev Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press.... |
|
|
 Donetsk OblastDonetsk Oblast Donetsk Oblast is an oblast of eastern Ukraine. Its administrative center is Donetsk. Historically, the province is an important part of the Donbas region... |
|
— |
 Dnipropetrovsk OblastDnipropetrovsk Oblast Dnipropetrovsk Oblast is an oblast of central Ukraine, the most important industrial region of the country. Its administrative center is Dnipropetrovsk.... |
— | |
 CrimeaCrimea Crimea , or the Autonomous Republic of Crimea , is a sub-national unit, an autonomous republic, of Ukraine. It is located on the northern coast of the Black Sea, occupying a peninsula of the same name... |
|
— |
 Luhansk OblastLuhansk Oblast Luhansk Oblast ) is the easternmost oblast of Ukraine. Its administrative center is Luhansk. The oblast was established in 1938 and bore the name Voroshilovgrad Oblast in honor of Kliment Voroshilov.... |
— | |
UEFA Champions League
The following teams have qualified for elimination rounds in the UEFA Champions LeagueUEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
.
- Dynamo KyivFC Dynamo KyivFC Dynamo Kyiv is a professional football club based in the Ukrainian capital city of Kyiv. Founded in 1927, the club currently participates in the Ukrainian Premier League and has spent its entire history in the top league of Soviet and later Ukrainian football...
(1972-73European Cup 1972-73The 1972–73 season of the European Cup football club tournament was won by for the third consecutive time by Ajax in the final against Juventus at Stadion FK Crvena Zvezda in Belgrade...
, 1975-76, 1981-82European Cup 1981-82The 1981–82 season of the European Cup football club tournament was won for the only time by Aston Villa in the final against Bayern Munich. The final is remembered mainly for the performance of young stand-in goalkeeper Nigel Spink who made a host of saves from the experienced Bayern players...
, 1982-83European Cup 1982-83The 1982–83 season of the European Cup football club tournament was won for the first time by Hamburg in the final against Juventus. It was the first time since 1976 that the trophy did not go to a club from England....
, 1984-85European Cup 1984-85The season 1984–85 of the European Cup football club tournament was won for the first time by Juventus in a close final against defending champions Liverpool. However, the result was left meaningless after the deaths of 39 spectators in the Heysel Stadium disaster...
, 1997-98UEFA Champions League 1997-98The 1997–98 UEFA Champions League was the 43rd edition of UEFA's premier club football tournament, and the sixth since its rebranding as the UEFA Champions League. The tournament was won 1–0 by Real Madrid, winning for the first time in 32 years, beating Juventus who were playing in a third...
- Quarter-finals, 1976-77European Cup 1976-77The 1976–77 season of the European Cup football club tournament was won for the first time by Liverpool in the final against Borussia Mönchengladbach. Three-time defending champions Bayern Munich were knocked out by Dynamo Kyiv in the quarter-finals. It was only the second time an English side won...
, 1986-87European Cup 1986-87The season 1986–87 of the European Cup football club tournament was won by Porto, coming from behind in the final against Bayern Munich, giving Portugal its first title since 1962....
, 1998-99UEFA Champions League 1998-99The 1998–99 UEFA Champions League was the seventh season of the UEFA Champions League, Europe's premier club football tournament, since it was renamed from the "European Champion Clubs' Cup" or "European Cup". The competition was won by Manchester United, coming back from a goal down in the last...
- Semi-finals)
- Dnipro DnipropetrovskFC Dnipro DnipropetrovskFootball Club Dnipro is a Ukrainian professional football club from the city of Dnipropetrovsk.-BRIT:The club's franchise traces its history all the way back when the first team that was formed in 1918 by the Petrovsky factory and was called as BRIT . The team participated in the regional competition...
(1984-85, 1989-90 - Quarter-finals)
- Shakhtar Donetsk FC Shakhtar DonetskFC Shakhtar Donetsk is a Ukrainian professional football club from the city of Donetsk. Shakhtar has appeared in several European competitions and currently is often a participant of the UEFA Champions League. The club became the first Ukrainian club to win the UEFA Cup in 2009, the last year...
(2010-11 - Quarter-finals)
UEFA Cup Winners' Cup
The following teams have qualified for elimination rounds in the UEFA Cup Winners' CupUEFA Cup Winners' Cup
The UEFA Cup Winners' Cup was a football club competition contested annually by the most recent winners of all European domestic cup competitions. The cup is one of the many inter-European club competitions that have been organised by UEFA. The first competition was held in the 1960–61 season—but...
.
- Dynamo KyivFC Dynamo KyivFC Dynamo Kyiv is a professional football club based in the Ukrainian capital city of Kyiv. Founded in 1927, the club currently participates in the Ukrainian Premier League and has spent its entire history in the top league of Soviet and later Ukrainian football...
(1965-66UEFA Cup Winners' Cup 1965-66The season 1965-66 of the European Cup Winners' Cup football club tournament was won by Borussia Dortmund in an extra-time final victory at Hampden Park against Liverpool.-First round:-First leg:------Second leg:...
, 1990-91 - Quarter-finals, 1974-75UEFA Cup Winners' Cup 1974-75The 1974–75 season of the European Cup Winners' Cup club football tournament was won by Dynamo Kyiv in a convincing final victory against Ferencváros...
, 1985-86UEFA Cup Winners' Cup 1985-86The European Cup Winners' Cup was won in season 1985-86 by FC Dynamo Kyiv in the final against Atlético Madrid. It was their second title in the competition, having already won it in 1975...
- Winner)
- Shakhtar DonetskFC Shakhtar DonetskFC Shakhtar Donetsk is a Ukrainian professional football club from the city of Donetsk. Shakhtar has appeared in several European competitions and currently is often a participant of the UEFA Champions League. The club became the first Ukrainian club to win the UEFA Cup in 2009, the last year...
(1983-84UEFA Cup Winners' Cup 1983-84The season 1983-84 of the European Cup Winners' Cup was won by Juventus F.C. in a final against FC Porto. The next year, the club went on to complete a full complement of European trophies with the European Cup.-Preliminary round:-First round:-First leg:...
- Quarter-finals)
UEFA Cup
The following teams have qualified for elimination rounds of the UEFA CupUEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
.
- Dynamo KyivFC Dynamo KyivFC Dynamo Kyiv is a professional football club based in the Ukrainian capital city of Kyiv. Founded in 1927, the club currently participates in the Ukrainian Premier League and has spent its entire history in the top league of Soviet and later Ukrainian football...
(2008-09 - Semi-finals) - Shakhtar DonetskFC Shakhtar DonetskFC Shakhtar Donetsk is a Ukrainian professional football club from the city of Donetsk. Shakhtar has appeared in several European competitions and currently is often a participant of the UEFA Champions League. The club became the first Ukrainian club to win the UEFA Cup in 2009, the last year...
(2008-09 - Winner)
Awards
| Symbolic team of 2010 by the readers of ua-football.com. Head coach: Mircea Lucescu Mircea Lucescu Mircea Lucescu is a Romanian former football player and current coach, and one of the most successful Romanian football managers. He is also the father of Rapid Bucharest coach, Răzvan Lucescu... . |
Other 2010 awards (ua-football.com readers):
Second symbolic team: Maksym Koval
Maksym Koval
Maksym Koval is a professional Ukrainian football goalkeeper who plays for Dynamo Kyiv in the Ukrainian Premier League.-Career:Koval is a product of Metalurh Zaporizhya Youth school system. He first appeared on the bench for the first team on the 26 July 2009. He was there for just 5 games before...
- Vitaliy Denisov
Vitaliy Denisov
Vitaliy Gennadievich Denisov is an Uzbekistani footballer with Russian origins, currently playing for Ukrainian Premier League club FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk as a defender.He is a member of the Uzbekistan national football team....
, Milan Obradovic
Milan Obradovic
Milan Obradović is a Serbian footballer who currently plays for FC Metalist Kharkiv....
, Papa Gueye
Papa Gueye
Papa Gueye is a professional Senegalese football player. He is a central defender or defensive midfielder for FC Metalist Kharkiv...
, Artem Fedetsky - Willian
Willian
Willian is a small village in North Hertfordshire, with a population of approximately 326. Along with Norton and Old Letchworth, it is one of the original villages which the new town of Letchworth Garden City grew up around. Despite this, it retains a distinctive character...
, Fernandinho
Fernandinho
Fernando Luiz Rosa or simply Fernandinho was born May 4, 1985 in Londrina, Brazil and is a footballer who currently plays for FC Shakhtar Donetsk...
, Oleksandr Aliyev, Denys Oliynyk
Denys Oliynyk
Denys Oliynyk is a Ukrainian football midfielder for Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk in the Ukrainian Premier League. Oliynyk also played for the Ukraine national under-21 football team, and now plays for the Ukraine national football team.- Dynamo Kyiv :Oliynyk arrived in Dynamo Kyiv in 2004...
- Taison, Artem Milevsky - Coach: Myron Markevych
Myron Markevych
Myron Bohdanovych Markevych is a former football midfielder and current head coach of Metalist Kharkiv in the Ukrainian Premier League and former head coach of the Ukrainian national football team...
- Discovery of the season - Karpaty Lviv
- Best rookie - Yaroslav Rakytsky
- Best legionnaire - Darijo SrnaDarijo SrnaDarijo Srna is a Croatian footballer who plays for Shakhtar Donetsk as a captain and is also the captain of the Croatian national team.-Club career:Srna's talent was seen by many scouts in Croatia while he was young...
- Best Ukrainian player - Ihor KhudobyakIhor KhudobyakIhor Yaroslavovych Khudobyak is a Ukrainian football midfielder. He plays for the Ukrainian Premier League club FC Karpaty Lviv. He was born on 20 February 1985 in Ivano-Frankivsk. Before joining Karpaty, Khudobyak played for the club Spartak Ivano-Frankivsk...
- Team of the season - Ukraine U-21