2020–21_Ukrainian_First_League
2020–21 Ukrainian First League
Football league season
The 2020–21 Ukrainian First League is the 30th since its establishment. The league competition consists of 16 teams according to the decision of the PFL Council of Leagues.[1] The season commenced on 5 September 2020.[2] The final composition and regulations of the Professional Football League of Ukraine both leagues were adopted at the PFL Conference on 21 August 2020.[3]
Season | 2020–21 |
---|---|
Dates | 5 September 2020 – 11 June 2021 winter break 1 December 2020 – 18 March 2021 |
Matches played | 115 |
Goals scored | 299 (2.6 per match) |
Top goalscorer | 15 – Ruslan Chernenko (Ahrobiznes) |
Biggest home win | 6 – Mykolaiv 6–0 Krystal (Round 16) |
Biggest away win | 4 – VPK-Ahro 0–4 Mykolaiv (Round 12) Krystal 0–4 Chornomorets (Round 12) |
Highest scoring | 7 – Mykolaiv 6–1 Hirnyk-Sport (Round 6) |
Longest winning run | 7 – Ahrobiznes (Round 10–16) |
Longest unbeaten run | 8 – Chornomorets (Round 1–8) |
Longest winless run | 7 – Krystal (Round 1–8) |
Longest losing run | 7 – Krystal (Round 1–8) |
Highest attendance | 13,134 – Metalist 1925 0–1 Chornomorets (Round 28) |
Lowest attendance | 0 – 94 games |
Total attendance | 18644 |
Average attendance | 888[lower-alpha 1] |
← 2019–20 2021–22 →
All statistics correct as of 1 December 2020
. |
In this season, the bottom two teams of the First League are to be relegated to the Second League. The top two teams from each group of the Second League will gain promotion to the First League for the next season.[4]
Promotion and/or relegation play-off games that were in place since 2011 (with exclusion in 2013) were discontinued altogether for the season.
This league's season was expected to have number of team increased to eighteen,[1] however due to financial situation with both FC Karpaty Lviv and FC Balkany Zorya the PFL reinstated the sixteen team competition as per last season(see "Teams" section).
Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic attendance restriction in the league is still in effect, but was partially eased.[clarification needed] The postponed games[5][6][7][8][9][10] that the PFL was not able to reschedule for the later dates of fall half of the season, on 30 November 2020 were rescheduled for the spring half of 2021.[11]
This season, Ukrainian First League consist of 16 teams, which includes top two teams from the both groups of 2019–20 Ukrainian Second League and two relegation/promotion play-offs winners.
Promoted teams
The following teams have been promoted from the 2019–20 Ukrainian Second League:
- Nyva Ternopil – first place in Group A (returning after 5 seasons, last competed in the 2015–16 season)
- Polissia Zhytomyr – second place in Group A (debut, however another club named as Polissia Zhytomyr last competed in the 2004–05 season)
- Veres Rivne – play-off winner (returning after 3 seasons)
- VPK-Ahro Shevchenkivka – first place in Group B (debut)
- Krystal Kherson – second place in Group B (returning after 28 seasons, last competed in the 1992 league's inaugural season)
- Alians Lypova Dolyna – play-off winner (debut)
Relegated teams
- None – Karpaty Lviv that placed 12th in the 2019–20 Ukrainian Premier League, were excluded from the league for repeated absence from scheduled games.[12] A possibility was declared at first that the club might be admitted to the First League nonetheless,[13] but later it was announced that Karpaty will be admitted the Second League instead.[14][15] About a month later on 14 August 2020, Tribuna.ua informed that Karpaty never applied for certification for the next season in first or second leagues.[16]
Legal and other issues
- FC Hirnyk-Sport Horishni Plavni was approved by the Ukrainian Association of Football (UAF) to play, after the UAF Chamber of Dispute Resolution order the club to pay compensation to its former player and the club completely ignored it.[17]
- FC Balkany Zorya announced that it was considering withdrawing from the league as it is too expensive for the club.[18][19]
Renamed teams
- FC Obolon-Brovar Kyiv changed its name to FC Obolon Kyiv before the start of the season.[20]
- FC Veres Rivne changed its name to RNK Veres Rivne before the start of the season.[4]
- MFC Kremin Kremenchuk changed its name to FC Kremin Kremenchuk before the start of the season.[4]
- FC Avanhard Kramatorsk changed its name to Avanhard-SK Kramatorsk at the during the latter (May 30) part of the season.[21]
Location map
The following displays the location of teams.
The following stadiums were used as home grounds for the teams in the competition. The minimum capacity for stadiums of the First League clubs is set at 1,500 spectators.[22]
- Notes
- After over 16 years[23]
- Metalurh Stadium is not among UAF approved stadiums on the list that was published in summer of 2020[25]
- Before the season's start it was announced in news media that Polissia Zhytomyr may start to play their home games in Zhytomyr at Tsentralnyi Stadion,[27] but in reality plays most of their home matches at Bannikov Stadium in Kyiv
- Bohdan Markevych Stadium in Vynnyky, Lviv Oblast was used as home game for Ahrobiznes Volochysk in Round 10 & 12
- MFC Mykolaiv have played all their home games thus far in the season at the Upper Field of the Central City Stadium
Managerial changes
Team | Outgoing head coach | Manner of departure | Date of vacancy | Table | Incoming head coach | Date of appointment | Table |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Polissya Zhytomyr | Anatoliy Bezsmertnyi | Resigned | 4 July 2020[31] | Pre-season | Serhiy Shyshchenko | 7 July 2020[32] | Pre-season |
Kremin Kremenchuk | Serhiy Svystun | Undisclosed | 14 August 2020[33] | Oleksandr Holovko | 14 August 2020[34] | ||
Volyn Lutsk | Andriy Tlumak | End of contract | 14 August 2020[35] | Vasyl Sachko | 19 August 2020[36] | ||
Avanhard Kramatorsk | Oleksiy Horodov (interim) | Made permanent | 17 August 2020[37] | Oleksiy Horodov | 17 August 2020[37] | ||
Obolon Kyiv | Valeriy Ivashchenko (interim) | Made permanent | 18 August 2020[38] | Valeriy Ivashchenko | 18 August 2020[38] | ||
Metalist 1925 Kharkiv | Vyacheslav Khruslov (interim) | End of interim | 21 August 2020 | Valeriy Kriventsov | 21 August 2020[39] | ||
Prykarpattia Ivano-Frankivsk | Volodymyr Kovalyuk | Mutual consent | 2 September 2020[40] | Ruslan Mostovyi | 4 September 2020[41] | ||
Krystal Kherson | Eduard Khavrov | Resigned | 28 September 2020[42][43] | 16th | Serhiy Valyayev | 1 October 2020[44] | 16th |
Nyva Ternopil | Vasyl Malyk | Resigned | 10 October 2020[45] | 11th | Ihor Bilan | 10 October 2020[45] | 11th |
Obolon Kyiv | Valeriy Ivashchenko | Changed to assistant | 17 October 2020[46] | 15th | Pavlo Yakovenko | 18 October 2020[46] | 15th |
Krystal Kherson | Serhiy Valyayev | Resigned | 20 November 2020[47][48] | 16th | Serhiy Shevtsov (interim) | 21 November 2020[49][50] | 16th |
Kremin Kremenchuk | Oleksandr Holovko | Mutual consent | 11 December 2020[51] | 12th | Oleksiy Hodin | 6 January 2021[52] | 12th |
Krystal Kherson | Serhiy Shevtsov (interim) | Resigned | 8 January 2021[53] | 16th | Vadym Yevtushenko | 23 February 2021[54] | 16th |
Chornomorets Odesa | Serhiy Kovalets | Mutual consent | 17 February 2021[55] | 3rd | Oleksiy Antonov | 18 February 2021[55] | 3rd |
Nyva Ternopil | Ihor Bilan | Mutual consent | 12 April 2021[56] | 13th | Ihor Klymovskyi | 13 April 2021[57] | 13th |
Kremin Kremenchuk | Oleksiy Hodin | Resigned | 30 April 2021[58] | 14th | Serhiy Svystun (interim) | 30 April 2021[58] | 14th |
Prykarpattia Ivano-Frankivsk | Ruslan Mostovyi | Sacked | 1 May 2021[59] | 15th | Oleh Rypan (interim) | 1 May 2021[59] | 15th |
Obolon Kyiv | Pavlo Yakovenko | Mutual consent | 5 May 2021[60] | 8th | Valeriy Ivashchenko (interim) | 5 May 2021[60] | 8th |
Notes:
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion, qualification or relegation |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Veres Rivne (P, C) | 30 | 21 | 5 | 4 | 56 | 21 | +35 | 68 | Promotion to Ukrainian Premier League[61][4] |
2 | Chornomorets Odesa (P) | 30 | 18 | 7 | 5 | 45 | 23 | +22 | 61 | |
3 | Metalist 1925 Kharkiv (P) | 30 | 16 | 8 | 6 | 36 | 22 | +14 | 56 | |
4 | Mykolaiv (R) | 30 | 15 | 8 | 7 | 49 | 23 | +26 | 53 | Relegation to Ukrainian Second League[4] |
5 | Ahrobiznes Volochysk | 30 | 15 | 7 | 8 | 46 | 27 | +19 | 52 | |
6 | Alians Lypova Dolyna | 30 | 14 | 9 | 7 | 46 | 31 | +15 | 51 | |
7 | Volyn Lutsk | 30 | 13 | 7 | 10 | 39 | 28 | +11 | 46 | |
8 | Obolon Kyiv | 30 | 13 | 4 | 13 | 44 | 35 | +9 | 43 | |
9 | Hirnyk-Sport Horishni Plavni | 30 | 11 | 5 | 14 | 43 | 45 | −2 | 38 | |
10 | VPK-Ahro Shevchenkivka | 30 | 11 | 4 | 15 | 30 | 48 | −18 | 37 | |
11 | Polissia Zhytomyr | 30 | 9 | 8 | 13 | 32 | 37 | −5 | 35 | |
12 | Avanhard Kramatorsk | 30 | 9 | 5 | 16 | 32 | 51 | −19 | 32 | |
13 | Nyva Ternopil | 30 | 8 | 7 | 15 | 30 | 50 | −20 | 31 | |
14 | Prykarpattia Ivano-Frankivsk | 30 | 8 | 6 | 16 | 25 | 45 | −20 | 30 | |
15 | Kremin Kremenchuk | 30 | 6 | 6 | 18 | 23 | 50 | −27 | 24 | |
16 | Krystal Kherson (R) | 30 | 3 | 4 | 23 | 21 | 61 | −40 | 13 | Relegation to Ukrainian Second League[4] |
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Head-to-head points; 3) Head-to-head goal difference; 4) Head-to-head goals scored; 5) Goal difference in all games; 6) Goals scored in all games (Note: calculation by criteria indicated in rules 2, 3, 4 is conducted with consideration of all teams that have an equal number of tournament points at the moment of calculation and not only among those which after preliminary criteria have appeared more successful).[22]
(C) Champions; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated
Results
Home \ Away | AHR | ALD | AVK | CHO | HIS | KRE | KRY | M25 | MYK | NYV | OBL | POL | PRY | VER | VOL | VPK |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ahrobiznes Volochysk | 2–1 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 5–1 | 4–2 | 1–2 | 1–1 | 4–0 | 1–0 | 3–2 | 3–0 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 1–2 | |
Alians Lypova Dolyna | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–0 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 1–0 | 4–0 | 1–0 | 4–2 | 4–1 | 2–1 | 0–2 | 3–2 | |
Avanhard Kramatorsk | 1–1 | 0–3 | 1–2 | 0–3 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 0–1 | 0–1 | 3–1 | 1–2 | 0–3 | 3–1 | 1–2 | 2–1 | 2–3 | |
Chornomorets Odesa | 0–1 | 0–2 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 4–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 1–2 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 3–0 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 2–0 | |
Hirnyk-Sport Horishni Plavni | 0–0 | 2–3 | 0–2 | 0–1 | 2–0 | 3–0 | 3–0 | 0–3 | 4–1 | 2–3 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 0–3 | 1–2 | |
Kremin Kremenchuk | 0–1 | 0–2 | 0–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 0–4 | 1–1 | 1–3 | 1–0 | 0–2 | 0–1 | 1–2 | 1–2 | 2–0 | |
Krystal Kherson | 1–4 | 0–0 | 1–2 | 0–4 | 1–3 | 1–2 | 1–2 | 1–2 | 1–1 | 3–2 | 0–1 | 0–1 | 2–3 | 0–1 | 1–2 | |
Metalist 1925 Kharkiv | 1–0 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 0–1 | 3–2 | 0–1 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 0–0 | 1–0 | 4–1 | 1–1 | 1–2 | |
MFC Mykolaiv | 0–2 | 2–0 | 0–0 | 1–1 | 6–1 | 2–0 | 6–0 | 1–2 | 4–0 | 5–3 | 0–1 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 2–1 | 1–0 | |
Nyva Ternopil | 1–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 0–3[lower-alpha 1] | 2–2 | 2–0 | 1–2 | 0–0 | 2–1 | 2–0 | 2–1 | 0–1 | 0–2 | 1–2 | |
Obolon Kyiv | 1–0 | 2–0 | 5–0 | 2–3 | 0–1 | 3–0 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 3–0 | 4–1 | 0–2 | 2–1 | 0–0 | |
Polissia Zhytomyr | 1–3 | 1–2 | 1–2 | 1–1 | 3–2 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 0–0 | 1–3 | 0–1 | 1–2 | 1–1 | 0–0 | 1–0 | 3–1 | |
Prykarpattia Ivano-Frankivsk | 2–1 | 1–0 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 0–3 | 0–1 | 2–1 | 1–2 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 2–0 | 0–1 | |
Veres Rivne | 2–0 | 3–3 | 5–1 | 4–0 | 3–0 | 2–1 | 2–0 | 0–0 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 1–0 | 2–0 | 3–0 | 2–0 | 1–0 | |
Volyn Lutsk | 2–1 | 2–2 | 0–1 | 1–2 | 2–0 | 2–3 | 2–0 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 2–2 | 2–1 | 1–0 | 2–0 | 2–1 | 2–0 | |
VPK-Ahro Shevchenkivka | 2–3 | 1–3 | 2–1 | 0–2 | 0–3 | 3–0 | 1–2 | 0–1 | 0–4 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 1–1 | 0–4 | 1–1 |
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.
Notes:
As of 12 June 2021[update][65]
|
Monthly awards
The award is being selected on initiative of the PFL media partner UA-Football.
Month | Player of the Month | ||
---|---|---|---|
Player | Club | Reference | |
September 2020 | Bohdan Kohut | Veres Rivne | [66] |
October 2020 | Robert Hehedosh | Veres Rivne | [67] |
November 2020 | Oleksiy Maydanevych | Obolon Kyiv | [68] |
April 2021 | Dmytro Kryskiv | Metalist 1925 Kharkiv | [69] |
May 2021 | Mykola Ahapov | Alians Lypova Dolyna | [70] |
June 2021 | Vitaliy Dakhnovskyi | Veres Rivne | [71] |
Round awards
Notes:
- Being diagnosed with the COVID-19 and quarantined, the club's manager Serhiy Solovyov was temporarily spotted by the club's director in position of head coach[78]
- The 28th PFL Conference agenda (Порядок денний XХVІІІ Конференції ПФЛ). PFL. 20 August 2020
- The statement of the 28th PFL Conference (ПОСТАНОВА ЧЕРГОВОЇ ХХVІІІ КОНФЕРЕНЦІЇ ПРОФЕСІОНАЛЬНОЇ ФУТБОЛЬНОЇ ЛІГИ). Professional Football League. 21 August 2020.
- Artur Malkin. (У Першій та Другій лізі через захворювання на COVID-19 перенесені одразу три матчі). Footboom. 2 October 2020
- Aleksandr Oleinik. The PFL postponed the game Alians and Polissia (ПФЛ перенесла матч Альянса и Полесья). Sport Arena. 12 October 2020
- Vlad Vlasenko. The postponed due to coronavirus among Lutsk players game Volyn – Nyva will take place on 1 October (Перенесенный из-за коронавируса у лучан матч Волынь — Нива состоится 1 октября). Sport Arena. 25 September 2020
- The First League: three games of starting round were postponed (Перша ліга: три матчі стартового туру перенесені). Professional Football League. 2 September 2020
- Artur Malkin. "Balkany" is ready to withdraw from the First League and enter the Second ("Балканы" готовы сняться с первой лиги и заявиться во вторую). Footboom. 18 August 2020
- "РЕГЛАМЕНТ Всеукраїнських змагань з футболу серед команд клубів Професіональної футбольної ліги сезону 2020/21" (PDF) (in Ukrainian). 28 August 2020. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2020-09-07. Retrieved 6 September 2020.
- "У м.Житомирі відкрито реконструйований стадіон "Спартак-Арена" (The opening of the reconstructed stadium "Spartak-Arena" in Zhytomyr)". Житомирська обласна державна адміністрація (Zhytomyr Oblast Administration (in Ukrainian). 23 August 2019. Retrieved 21 October 2020.
...змонтовано нову глядацьку трибуну на 2500 місць з накриттям;... (...built a new covered grandstand for 2,500 spectators...)
- "Стадіон Вишнівецької об'єднаної селищної громади". 5 December 2017.
- Vadim Samoilov. The Agro-barons are on the move: a breakthrough of agricultural football (Агробароны идут: прорыв сельскохозяйственного футбола). Terrikon. 24 September 2019
- Sergei Oleksyuk. Krystal announced about appointment of Yevtushenko as a head coach (Кристалл объявил о назначении Евтушенко главным тренером). Sport Arena. 23 February 2021
- Head coach of Polissia Bezsmertnyi left the club (Главный тренер Полесья Бессмертный покинул клуб). Sport Arena. 4 July 2020
- Sergei Oleksiuk. Polissia appointed Shyshchenko as a new head coach (Полесье назначило Шищенко новым главным тренером). Sport Arena. 7 July 2020
- Sergei Oleksiuk. Oleksandr Holovko is the new head coach of Kremin («Будемо грати в той футбол, який вважається сьогодні сучасним»: новий тренер «Кременя» Олександр Головко). FC Kremin Kremenchuk. 14 August 2020
- Yuriy Samotkan. Andriy Tlumak is leaving the post of head coach of "Volyn" (Андрей Тлумак покидает пост главного тренера "Волыни"). Footboom. 14 August 2020
- Vasyl Sachko is the head coach of FC Volyn (Василь Сачко – головний тренер ФК «Волинь»). FC Volyn Lutsk. 19 August 2020
- Oleksiy Horodov is the head coach of Avanhard (Олексій Городов - головний тренер Авангарду!). FC Avanhard Kramatorsk. 17 August 2020
- Valeriy Ivashchenko is the head coach of FC Obolon-Brovar Kyiv(Валерій Іващенко – головний тренер ФК «Оболонь Бровар»). FC Obolon-Brovar Kyiv. 18 August 2020
- Valeriy Ivashchenko is the head coach of FC Metalist 1925 Kharkiv(Валерій Кривенцов - головний тренер ФК "Металіст 1925"). FC Metalist 1925 Kharkiv. 21 August 2020
- Volodymyr Kovalyuk leaves the position of head coach (Офіційно: Володимир Ковалюк залишає посаду головного тренера). FC Prykarpattia Ivano-Frankivsk. 2 September 2020
- Ruslan Mostovyi is a head coach of Prykarpattia (Офіційно: Руслан Мостовий - новий головний тренер «Прикарпаття»). FC Prykarpattia Ivano-Frankivsk. 4 September 2020
- Artur Malkin. Eduard Khavrov left "Krystal" (Едуард Хавров залишив "Кристал"). Footboom. 28 September 2020
- Valiaev left post of the Krystal's head coach (Валяев покинул должность главного тренера Кристалла). Sport Arena. 20 November 2020
- Krystal – VPK-Ahro game report. PFL.ua. 20 November 2020
- Aleksandr Oleinik. Krystal confirmed the Valiaev's departure from the post of head coach (Кристалл подтвердил уход Валяева с поста главного тренера). Sport Arena. 21 November 2020
- Kremin ended the partnership with head coach Oleksandr Holovko («Кремінь» припинив співпрацю з головним тренером Олександром Головком). FC Kremin Kremenchuk. 11 December 2020
- Young coaches duo to lead Kremin («Кремінь» очолив дует молодих тренерів). FC Kremin Kremenchuk. 6 January 2021
- "Serhiy Kovalets left Chornomorets (Сергей Ковалец покидает «Черноморец»)". FC Choronomorets (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 2023-02-25.
- Prykarpattia sacked its head coach (Прикарпатье уволило главного тренера). UA-Football. 1 May 2021
- League's standing. Google cache.
- "Магічна ліва. Роберт Гегедош моментально вписався у "Верес" та став гравцем жовтня у Першій лізі". Archived from the original on 2020-11-09.
- "Игрок месяца в Первой лиге - №4 киевской Оболони". 3 December 2020.
- "Віталій Дахновський - напористий і зухвалий. Найкращий гравець червня у Першій лізі". Archived from the original on 2021-06-26. Retrieved 2021-06-26.
- "Личности 4-го тура Первой лиги: Жабченко, Сорокин, Калайтан и яркий Мурза". 28 September 2020.