The Ukrainian Premier League was first held in 1992 after the USSR collapse. It lasted only six months. It happened so because the last USSR championship was completed in fall, and the Football Federation of Ukraine decided to play according to the “fall-spring” system. 20 teams, divided into 2 groups of 10 clubs participated in the first Ukrainian Premier League competition. On the completion of the season, the groups winners took part in the championship, in which “Tavriya Simferopol” won over “Dynamo Kyiv”. After that, the number of teams in the top division changed from 14 to 18. 14 clubs play in the 2014/15 season.
The system of Ukrainian football leagues includes 3 divisions – the Premier League, the First League and the Second League.
Under the tournament regulations the Ukrainian Premier League is called “The EpiCentre Ukrainian Football Championship”. At the end of each season two worst teams dropped out being replaced by two best teams of the First League. The tournament was called “The Top League” until the 2007/08 season, then the Association of Professional Ukrainian Football Clubs “The Premier League” began to held the championship. The “golden match” rule was introduced in the 2005/06 season. If at the completion If at the end of the season, the first and the second teams have an equal number of points, they play the “golden match”. This rule was put into effect in the same season, “Shakhtar” and “Dynamo” scored 75 points each, and “Shakhtar” won in the decisive match. In the 2008/09 season a limit on foreign players was introduced, so there can be maximum seven foreigners on the field at the same time.
The most award-winning Ukrainian championship club is “Dynamo Kyiv”, having won 9 titles in a row excluding the 1st championship. In recent years “Shakhtar Donetsk” gets the garland, having won five last championships (seasons 2009/10–13/14). “Dynamo Kyiv” is the Ukrainian championship leader regarding points scored over the whole history of the tournament.
|
Team/Prize (place) |
1 |
2 |
3 |
Cup |
Super Cup |
|
Dynamo Kyiv |
13 |
8 |
1 |
10 |
5 |
|
Shakhtar |
9 |
10 |
|
9 |
6 |
|
Tavriya |
1 |
|
|
1 |
|
|
Dnipro |
|
2 |
5 |
|
|
|
Chornomorets |
|
2 |
3 |
2 |
|
|
Metalist |
|
1 |
7 |
|
|
|
Metalurh Donetsk |
|
|
3 |
|
|
|
Kryvbas |
|
|
2 |
|
|
|
Vorskla |
|
|
1 |
1 |
|
|
Karpaty |
|
|
1 |
|
|
Only three clubs managed to become champions of Ukraine: “Dynamo”, “Shakhtar” and “Tavriya”, the latter doing it only once.
For 21 seasons, “Dynamo Kyiv” did not fall below the second place.
The Ukrainian Premier League top scorer is Henrikh Mkhitaryan (“Shakhtar”), who scored 25 goals in the 2012/13 season.
The greatest number of goals in the history of the Premier League belongs to Maksim Shatskikh – 124 goals.
Oleh Shelayev played the highest number of matches in the Ukrainian championship – 412 games.
“Shakhtar Donetsk” was not defeated during 55 matches in the Ukrainian championship. This streak began in June 2000 and was interrupted in the 6th round of the 2002/03 season.
The largest series without missing a ball belongs to the goalkeeper of “Metalist Kharkiv” Oleksandr Horyainov, who hasn’t missed a ball for 944 minutes.
