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List of Ukrainian football champions

Ukrainian football championship
Founded1921 (as the Football champion of the UkrSSR)
Country Ukraine
ConfederationUEFA
Level on pyramidUkrainian football league system
Current championsDynamo Kyiv
(2020–21)

The Ukrainian football champions (Ukrainian: Чемпіон України з футболу) are currently identified at the annual football competition of the Ukrainian Premier League which is a top league football competition in the country since 2008.

The history of the title could be traced to 1921 in varying forms of competition as full-pledged nationwide competitions within the Ukrainian SSR (before it officially joined the Soviet Union).

The current champions Dynamo Kyiv has won a record 29 championship titles including 13 Soviet Union titles.

Historical outlook

The first national (or rather republican) Ukrainian football championship took place in 1921, just before the official establishment of the Soviet Union. The competition was known as the football championship of cities. It has developed out of a similar tournament that previously took place in the Russian Empire (1912). The detailed information about football competitions in 1920s and early 1930s is scarce. Remarkable is the fact that the dominant team (or teams) of that period was from Kharkiv which until 1934 was the capital of the Soviet pseudo state,[a] Ukrainian SSR. During that time main cities of Ukraine were conducting own annual competitions among which were Kyiv, Kharkiv, Odesa, at the same time in the east Ukraine existed a separate regional competition of Donets basin (Donbas). Winners of those regional competitions qualified for the football championship of cities, hence the name of the tournament.

Football in the West Ukraine has developed as part of the Central European football competitions that later sprang out of the dissolution of Austria-Hungary. Interrupted by the World War I, later it was completely abolished after the Polish occupation of Ukraine at the end of Polish-Ukrainian War. After Polish occupation Ukrainian clubs of West Ukraine that at first were conducting own competitions eventually joined the Polish Football Association among which are Ukraina Lwow, USC Skala Stryi and several others.

In 1936 there was established the Soviet professional football competitions, while the Ukrainian football competitions were integrated within the Soviet competition as republican and declassed to lower tiers. At the same time about three to six of the best clubs from the Soviet Ukraine competed in the Soviet Top League with Dynamo Kyiv competing in it consistently since its establishment. At same time until 1950s the Ukrainian Cup (Cup of the Ukrainian SSR) involved participation of all Ukrainian clubs regardless in which league they competed.

In 1959 a big reform occurred in the Soviet football and champion of Ukrainian football competitions was identified at the Class B football competitions for Ukraine which at first was the second and later the third tier. The Ukrainian football champions of the Soviet Union were not only unknown outside of the Soviet Union, but were also barely recognized within the Union. Nonetheless, over the span of years the Ukrainian club football was very competitive. FC Dynamo Kyiv won the record number of the Soviet top league titles and was the best Soviet club at the European club competitions. In 1991 Soviet Top League there was equal number of Ukrainian and Russian clubs in the league.

Finally after securing its independence in 1992, Ukraine conducts own national league competitions which are recognized worldwide.

List of winners before club competitions

Season Group Champion Runner-up Third place
1921 Kharkiv Odesa ?
1922 Kharkiv Odesa ?
1923 Kharkiv Yuzivka ?
1924 Kharkiv Odesa Donbas
1927 Kharkiv Mykolaiv Odesa
1928 Kharkiv Horlivka Mykolaiv
1931 Kyiv Kharkiv ?
1932 Kharkiv Donbas Dnipropetrovsk
1934 Kharkiv Kyiv
1935 Dnipropetrovsk Kyiv Kharkiv

Football competitions among Soviet clubs and Soviet sports societies

Best Ukrainian clubs in all-Union competitions

List of the best Ukrainian clubs in the top Soviet competitions[1]

  • † — Soviet tier 1
  • ‡ — Soviet tier 2
  • (no sign) — Soviet tier 3
Season Best 2nd Best 3rd Best
1936 (spring) Dynamo Kyiv FC Dynamo Dnipropetrovsk FC Dynamo Kharkiv
1936 (fall) Dynamo Kyiv FC Silmash Kharkiv Spartak Kharkiv
1937 Dynamo Kyiv FC Chornomorets Odesa FC Lokomotyv Kyiv / Stakhanovets
1938 Dynamo Kyiv Dynamo Odesa Stakhanovets Stalino
1939 Dynamo Kyiv Stakhanovets Stalino Dynamo Odesa
1940 Dynamo Kyiv Stakhanovets Stalino FC Dynamo Kharkiv
1941-45 no competitions World War II
1945 Dynamo Kyiv Stakhanovets Stalino Pishchevik Odesa
1946 Dynamo Kyiv FC Lokomotyv Kharkiv Pishchevik Odesa
1947 Dynamo Kyiv FC Lokomotyv Kharkiv Shakhtar Stalino
1948 Dynamo Kyiv FC Lokomotyv Kharkiv Stal Dnipropetrovsk
1949 Dynamo Kyiv FC Lokomotyv Kharkiv Shakhtar Stalino
1950 Shakhtar Stalino Dynamo Kyiv FC Lokomotyv Kharkiv
1951 Shakhtar Stalino Dynamo Kyiv FC Lokomotyv Kharkiv
1952 Dynamo Kyiv Shakhtar Stalino FC Lokomotyv Kharkiv
1953 Dynamo Kyiv FC Lokomotyv Kharkiv Shakhtar Stalino
1954 Dynamo Kyiv FC Lokomotyv Kharkiv Shakhtar Stalino
1955 Dynamo Kyiv Shakhtar Stalino ODO Kyiv
1956 Dynamo Kyiv Shakhtar Stalino FC Metalurh Zaporizhia
1957 Dynamo Kyiv Shakhtar Stalino Spartak Stanislav
1958 Dynamo Kyiv Shakhtar Stalino SKVO Odesa
SKCF Sevastopol
SKA Lviv
1959 Dynamo Kyiv Shakhtar Stalino FC Nyva Vinnytsia
1960 Dynamo Kyiv Avangard Kharkiv Shakhtar Stalino
1961 Dynamo Kyiv Avangard Kharkiv Shakhtar Stalino
1962 Dynamo Kyiv FC Shakhtar Donetsk Avangard Kharkiv
1963 Dynamo Kyiv FC Shakhtar Donetsk Avangard Kharkiv
1964 FC Shakhtar Donetsk Dynamo Kyiv SKA Odesa
1965 Dynamo Kyiv FC Shakhtar Donetsk FC Chornomorets Odesa
1966 Dynamo Kyiv FC Shakhtar Donetsk FC Chornomorets Odesa
1967 Dynamo Kyiv FC Shakhtar Donetsk FC Zorya Luhansk
1968 Dynamo Kyiv FC Chornomorets Odesa FC Zorya Luhansk
1969 Dynamo Kyiv FC Chornomorets Odesa FC Shakhtar Donetsk
1970 FC Zorya Luhansk Dynamo Kyiv FC Shakhtar Donetsk
1971 Dynamo Kyiv FC Zorya Luhansk FC Karpaty Lviv
1972 FC Zorya Luhansk Dynamo Kyiv FC Dnipro
1973 Dynamo Kyiv FC Shakhtar Donetsk FC Zorya Luhansk
1974 Dynamo Kyiv FC Chornomorets Odesa FC Dnipro
1975 Dynamo Kyiv FC Shakhtar Donetsk FC Karpaty Lviv
1976 (spring) FC Karpaty Lviv FC Shakhtar Donetsk Dynamo Kyiv
1976 (fall) Dynamo Kyiv FC Karpaty Lviv FC Chornomorets Odesa
1977 Dynamo Kyiv FC Shakhtar Donetsk FC Chornomorets Odesa
1978 Dynamo Kyiv FC Shakhtar Donetsk FC Chornomorets Odesa
1979 FC Shakhtar Donetsk Dynamo Kyiv FC Chornomorets Odesa
1980 Dynamo Kyiv FC Shakhtar Donetsk FC Chornomorets Odesa
1981 Dynamo Kyiv FC Shakhtar Donetsk FC Dnipro
1982 Dynamo Kyiv FC Dnipro FC Chornomorets Odesa
1983 FC Dnipro Dynamo Kyiv FC Chornomorets Odesa
1984 FC Dnipro FC Chornomorets Odesa Dynamo Kyiv
1985 Dynamo Kyiv FC Dnipro FC Metalist Kharkiv
1986 Dynamo Kyiv FC Shakhtar Donetsk FC Dnipro
1987 FC Dnipro Dynamo Kyiv FC Shakhtar Donetsk
1988 FC Dnipro Dynamo Kyiv FC Shakhtar Donetsk
1989 FC Dnipro Dynamo Kyiv FC Chornomorets Odesa
1990 Dynamo Kyiv FC Dnipro FC Shakhtar Donetsk
1991 FC Chornomorets Odesa Dynamo Kyiv FC Dnipro

List of winners of Ukrainian republican football competitions

Season Group Champion Runner-up Third place
1936 Ordzhonikidze Factory Kramatorsk Stal Dnipropetrovsk UDKA Kyiv
1937 Spartak Dnipropetrovsk Zenit Staline Stalinets Kharkiv
1938 Dzerzhynets Voroshylovhrad Stal Dniprodzerzhynsk Dynamo Mykolaiv
1939 Lokomotyv Zaporizhia Kharchovyk Odesa Lokomotyv Kharkiv
1940 Lokomotyv Zaporizhia Stakhanovets Ordzhonikidze Avanhard Kramatorsk
1941-45 no competitions World War II
1946 Spartak Uzhhorod DO Kyiv Dzerzhynets Kharkiv
1947 Bilshovyk Mukacheve Avanhard Kramatorsk Lokomotyv Kyiv
1948 1 Torpedo Odesa Dynamo Uzhhorod Dynamo Vinnytsia
2 Stal Kostiantynivka Military Unit 25750 (Kyiv) Stal Dniprodzerzhynsk
Play-off Torpedo Odesa Stal Kostiantynivka Dynamo Uzhhorod
1949 1 Metalurh Dniprodzerzhynsk Metalurh Kostiantynivka Traktor Kirovohrad
2 DO Kyiv Spartak Stanislav Lokomotyv Ternopil
Play-off DO Kyiv Metalurh Dniprodzerzhynsk
1950 Spartak Uzhhorod Trudovi Rezervy Voroshylovhrad DO Kyiv
1951 DO Kyiv SKA Lviv Mashynobudivnyk Kyiv
1952 Metalurh Zaporizhia Chervonyi Prapor Mykolaiv Iskra Mukacheve
1953 Spartak Uzhhorod Spartak Kherson Torpedo Taganrog
1954 Mashynobudivnyk Kyiv Spartak Stanislav Budivelnyk Mykolaiv
1955 Spartak Stanislav Spartak Kherson Torpedo Kirovohrad
1956 Shakhtar Stakhanov Mashynobudivnyk Kyiv ODO Odesa
1957 SKVO Odesa Lokomotyv Artemivsk Mashynobudivnyk Kyiv
1958 Arsenal Kyiv Metalurh Nikopol Naftovyk Drohobych
1959 Avanhard Zhovti Vody Torpedo Kharkiv SKVO Odesa
1960 1 Sudnobudivnyk Mykolaiv Lokomotyv Vinnytsia Arsenal Kyiv
2 Metalurh Zaporizhia SKA Odesa Trudovi Rezervy Luhansk
1961 1 Chornomorets Odesa Lokomotyv Vinnytsia Zirka Kirovohrad
2 SKA Odesa Trudovi Rezervy Luhansk Avanhard Zhovti Vody
1962 1 Chornomorets Odesa Polissya Zhytomyr Lokomotyv Donetsk
2 SKA Odesa Metalurh Zaporizhia SKA Kyiv
3 Trudovi Rezervy Luhansk Avanhard Simferopol Lokomotyv Vinnytsia
1963 1 Lokomotyv Vinnytsia SKA Lviv Zirka Kirovohrad
2 SKA Odesa Azovstal Zhdanov Torpedo Kharkiv
1964 1 Polissya Zhytomyr SKA Lviv Verkhovyna Uzhhorod
2 SKA Kyiv Lokomotyv Vinnytsia Zirka Kirovohrad
3 Tavriya Simferopol Shakhtar Kadievka Hirnyk Kryvyi Rih
1965 1 SKA Kyiv Avanhard Zhovti Vody Kolos Poltava
2 SKA Lviv Avanhard Ternopil Zirka Kirovohrad
3 Tavriya Simferopol Shakhtar Kadievka Kommunarets Kommunarsk
1966 1 Dynamo Khmelnytskyi Desna Chernihiv SKCF Sevastopol
2 Avanhard Zhovti Vody Lokomotyv Kherson Dnipro Kremenchuk
1967 1 Avtomobilist Zhytomyr Dnipro Cherkasy Dnipro Kremenchuk
2 Khimik Severodonetsk Torpedo Kharkiv Shakhtar Kadievka
1968 1 Avanhard Ternopil Bukovyna Chernivtsi Dynamo Khmelnytskyi
2 Lokomotyv Donetsk Spartak Sumy Desna Chernihiv
1969 1 Spartak Ivano-Frankivsk Prometey Dniprodzerzhynsk Karpaty Mukacheve
2 Spartak Sumy Shakhtar Horlivka Shakhtar Sverdlovsk
1970 2nd A Metalurh Zaporizhia Tavriya Simferopol Avtomobilist Zhytomyr
B Khimik Severodonetsk Lokomotyv Vinnytsia Lokomotyv Donetsk
1971 Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih Sudnobudivnyk Mykolaiv Avtomobilist Zhytomyr
1972 Spartak Ivano-Frankivsk Hoverla Uzhhorod Tavriya Simferopol
1973 Tavriya Simferopol Avtomobilist Zhytomyr Sudnobudivnyk Mykolaiv
1974 Sudnobudivnyk Mykolaiv Metalist Kharkiv Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih
1975 Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih Avtomobilist Zhytomyr SC Lutsk
1976 Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih Metalist Kharkiv SKA Odesa
1977 SKA Odesa SKA Kyiv Kolos Nikopol
1978 Metalist Kharkiv Kolos Nikopol SKA Kyiv
1979 Kolos Nikopol SKA Kyiv SKA Lviv
1980 SKA Kyiv Bukovyna Chernivtsi SKA Lviv
1981 Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih Nyva Vinnytsia Avanhard Rivne
1982 Bukovyna Chernivtsi Desna Chernihiv Kolos Pavlohrad
1983 SKA Kyiv Kolos Pavlohrad Nyva Vinnytsia
1984 Nyva Vinnytsia Kolos Pavlohrad Sudnobudivnyk Mykolaiv
1985 Tavriya Simferopol Nyva Vinnytsia Sudnobudivnyk Mykolaiv
1986 Zoria Voroshylovhrad Tavriya Simferopol SKA Kyiv
1987 Tavriya Simferopol Nyva Ternopil Prykarpattia Ivano-Frankivsk
1988 Bukovyna Chernivtsi Vorskla Poltava SKA Kyiv
1989[2][3] Volyn Lutsk Bukovyna Chernivtsi Nyva Ternopil
1990 Torpedo Zaporizhia Sudnobudivnyk Mykolaiv Avanhard Rivne
1991 Naftovyk Okhtyrka Prykarpattia Ivano-Frankivsk Kolos Nikopol

List of winners since the post-Soviet independence

Vyshcha Liha

Season Champion Runner-up Third place Top goalscorer Rank
1992 Tavriya Simferopol Dynamo Kyiv Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk Ukraine Yuri Hudymenko (Tavriya Simferopol, 12 goals) N/A[4]
1992–93 Dynamo Kyiv Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk Chornomorets Odesa Ukraine Serhiy Husyev (Chornomorets Odesa, 17 goals) 28/39
1993–94 Dynamo Kyiv Shakhtar Donetsk Chornomorets Odesa Ukraine Timerlan Huseinov (Chornomorets Odesa, 18 goals) 24/44
1994–95 Dynamo Kyiv Chornomorets Odesa Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk Tajikistan Arsen Avakov (Torpedo Zaporizhzhia, 21 goals) 24/47
1995–96 Dynamo Kyiv Chornomorets Odesa Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk Ukraine Timerlan Huseinov (Chornomorets Odesa, 20 goals) 19/48
1996–97 Dynamo Kyiv Shakhtar Donetsk Vorskla Poltava Ukraine Oleh Matveyev (Shakhtar Donetsk, 21 goals) 22/48
1997–98 Dynamo Kyiv Shakhtar Donetsk Karpaty Lviv Ukraine Serhii Rebrov (Dynamo Kyiv, 22 goals) 17/49
1998–99 Dynamo Kyiv Shakhtar Donetsk Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih Ukraine Andriy Shevchenko (Dynamo Kyiv, 18 goals) 15/50
1999–00 Dynamo Kyiv Shakhtar Donetsk Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih Uzbekistan Maksim Shatskikh (Dynamo Kyiv, 20 goals) 12/50
2000–01 Dynamo Kyiv Shakhtar Donetsk Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk Ukraine Andriy Vorobei (Shakhtar Donetsk, 21 goals) 13/51
2001–02 Shakhtar Donetsk Dynamo Kyiv Metalurh Donetsk Ukraine Serhiy Shyschenko (Metalurh Donetsk, 12 goals) 13/51
2002–03 Dynamo Kyiv Shakhtar Donetsk Metalurh Donetsk Uzbekistan Maksim Shatskikh (Dynamo Kyiv, 22 goals) 14/52
2003–04 Dynamo Kyiv Shakhtar Donetsk Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk Georgia (country) Georgi Demetradze (Metalurh Donetsk, 18 goals) 14/52
2004–05 Shakhtar Donetsk Dynamo Kyiv Metalurh Donetsk Ukraine Oleksandr Kosyrin (Chornomorets Odesa, 14 goals) 15/52
2005–06 Shakhtar Donetsk Dynamo Kyiv Chornomorets Odesa Brazil Brandão (Shakhtar Donetsk, 15 goals)
Nigeria Emmanuel Okoduwa (Arsenal Kyiv, 15 goals)
13/52
2006–07 Dynamo Kyiv Shakhtar Donetsk Metalist Kharkiv Ukraine Oleksandr Hladky (FC Kharkiv, 13 goals) 11/52
2007–08 Shakhtar Donetsk Dynamo Kyiv Metalist Kharkiv (bronze stripped) Serbia Marko Dević (Metalist Kharkiv, 19 goals) 12/53

Premier League

Season Champion Runner-up Third place Top goalscorer Rank[5]
2008–09 Dynamo Kyiv Shakhtar Donetsk Metalist Kharkiv Ukraine Oleksandr Kovpak (Tavriya Simferopol, 17 goals) 7/53
2009–10 Shakhtar Donetsk Dynamo Kyiv Metalist Kharkiv Ukraine Artem Milevskyi (Dynamo Kyiv, 17 goals) 7/53
2010–11 Shakhtar Donetsk Dynamo Kyiv Metalist Kharkiv Ukraine Yevhen Seleznyov (Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk, 17 goals) 8/53
2011–12 Shakhtar Donetsk Dynamo Kyiv Metalist Kharkiv Ukraine Yevhen Seleznyov (Shakhtar Donetsk, 14 goals)
Brazil Maicon (Volyn Lutsk, 14 goals)
9/53
2012–13 Shakhtar Donetsk Metalist Kharkiv Dynamo Kyiv Armenia Henrikh Mkhitaryan (Shakhtar Donetsk, 25 goals) 7/53
2013–14 Shakhtar Donetsk Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk Metalist Kharkiv Brazil Luiz Adriano (Shakhtar Donetsk, 20 goals) 9/53
2014–15 Dynamo Kyiv Shakhtar Donetsk Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk Brazil Alex Teixeira (Shakhtar Donetsk, 17 goals)
Romania Eric Bicfalvi (Volyn Lutsk, 17 goals)
8/54
2015–16 Dynamo Kyiv Shakhtar Donetsk Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk Brazil Alex Teixeira (Shakhtar Donetsk, 22 goals) 8/54
2016–17 Shakhtar Donetsk Dynamo Kyiv Zorya Luhansk Ukraine Andriy Yarmolenko (Dynamo Kyiv, 15 goals) 8/55
2017–18 Shakhtar Donetsk Dynamo Kyiv Vorskla Poltava Argentina Facundo Ferreyra (Shakhtar Donetsk, 21 goal) 8/55
2018–19 Shakhtar Donetsk Dynamo Kyiv Oleksandriya Ukraine Brazil Júnior Moraes (Shakhtar Donetsk, 19 goals) 9/55
2019–20 Shakhtar Donetsk Dynamo Kyiv Zorya Luhansk Ukraine Júnior Moraes (Shakhtar Donetsk, 20 goals) 9/55
2020–21 Dynamo Kyiv Shakhtar Donetsk Zorya Luhansk Ukraine Vladyslav Kulach (Vorskla Poltava, 15 goals) 12/55
2021–22 Competition abandoned due to Russian invasion of Ukraine Ukraine Artem Dovbyk (Dnipro-1, 14 goals) 12/55
2022–23 Shakhtar Donetsk Dnipro-1 Zorya Luhansk Ukraine Artem Dovbyk (Dnipro-1, 24 goals) 14/55
2023–24 Shakhtar Donetsk Dynamo Kyiv Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih Ukraine Vladyslav Vanat (Dynamo Kyiv, 14 goals) 18/55

Note: the Rank column shows the ranking of the league amongst members of UEFA.

Performance by club

Performance by club since 1992.

Club Winners Runners-up Third place Winning years
Dynamo Kyiv 16 13 1 1992–93, 1993–94, 1994–95, 1995–96, 1996–97, 1997–98, 1998–99, 1999–2000, 2000–01, 2002–03, 2003–04, 2006–07, 2008–09, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2020–21
Shakhtar Donetsk 15 13 2001–02, 2004–05, 2005–06, 2007–08, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2011–12, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2019–20, 2022–23, 2023–24
Tavriya Simferopol 1 1992
Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk 2 7
Chornomorets Odesa 2 3
Metalist Kharkiv 1 6
Dnipro-1 1
Zorya Luhansk 4
Metalurh Donetsk 3
Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih 3
Vorskla Poltava 2
Karpaty Lviv 1
Oleksandriya 1
Total 32 32 31
  • Note: Defunct teams marked in Italics.

Percentage of titles won by club since 1992

  Dynamo Kyiv - 16 (50.0%)
  FC Shakhtar Donetsk - 15 (46.8%)
  SC Tavriya Simferopol -1 (3.2%)

Separate notes about Soviet clubs

  • FC Chornomorets Odesa, historically traces its lineage based on performance of Chornomorets only as a team of Black Sea Shipping Company with 1959 being the date of the club's establishment.
    • Since the club was acquired by Leonid Klimov, the club has also assumed history of other sports societies such as the city's trade union Kharchovyk (Pischevik), and later both FC Dynamo Odesa and Metalurh Odesa.
  • FC Zorya Luhansk, always keeps the history of football club of Luhanskteplovoz, while existence of sports association of students Trudovi Rezervy also was mentioned
  • FC Metalist Kharkiv, always keeps the history of football club of Malyshev Factory, while existence of the Southern Railways Lokomotyv also was mentioned, yet FC Dynamo Kharkiv not at all
  • FC Dnipro, keeps history of the Yuzhmash's football club Dnepr, part of the Soviet Zenit sports society and successor of Metalurh sports society of the local Petrovsky factory that existed since 1925 as Stal. Since dissolution of the Soviet Union, historical claims were laid for club that existed since 1918.

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Ukrainian SSR was not recognized until 1945.

References and notes

  1. ^ Teams out of Ukraine in championships of the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union (Команди з України у чемпіонатах Російської імперії та СРСР). www.kopanyi-myach.info.
  2. ^ Two other teams were participating in another group: FC Karpaty Lviv and FC Desna Chernihiv. Karpaty placed third in that group.
  3. ^ The first nine teams from each group were to form the three buffer groups as a medium between the First League and the Second League.
  4. ^ part of Soviet Union
  5. ^ UEFA.com. "Country coefficients | UEFA Coefficients". UEFA.com. Retrieved 2023-04-24.

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