2021–22 Ukrainian First League
Football league season
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The 2021–22 Ukrainian First League was the 31st since its establishment. The league competition consisted of 16 teams.[1] Earlier in 2021, it was discussed to expand the league to 20 teams with discontinuation of the UPL U-21 competitions,[2] but that initiative was not realized.
Season2021–22
Dates25 July 2021 – 24 February 2022
(winter break 28 November 2021)
(winter break 28 November 2021)
PromotedMetalist
Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih
Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih
Relegated8 teams
| Season | 2021–22 |
|---|---|
| Dates | 25 July 2021 – 24 February 2022 (winter break 28 November 2021) |
| Promoted | Metalist Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih |
| Relegated | 8 teams |
| Matches | 156 |
| Goals | 367 (2.35 per match) |
| Top goalscorer | Matheus Peixoto (14 goals) |
| Biggest home win | 5 goals Kryvbas 5–0 Uzhhorod (12 September 2021) |
| Biggest away win | 6 goals Uzhhorod 0–6 Prykarpattia (24 July 2021) |
| Highest scoring | 6 goals 4 matches |
| Longest winning run | 8 matches Metalist |
| Longest unbeaten run | 13 matches Metalist |
| Longest winless run | 12 matches Kremin |
| Longest losing run | 8 matches Kremin |
| Highest attendance | 26,688 Metalist v Prykarpattia (13 November 2021) |
| Lowest attendance | 0 – 6 games[a] |
| Total attendance | 450197 |
| Average attendance | 3001 |
← 2020–21 2022–23 →
All statistics correct as of
| |
Right before the start of the second half, the competition was suspended due to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022. Scheduled originally to end on 21 May 2022, it was eventually recognized as abandoned at the PFL Council meeting on 6 May 2022.[3]
Teams
This season, the Ukrainian First League consisted of 16 teams.
Promoted teams
The following teams have been promoted from the 2020–21 Ukrainian Second League:
- Podillia Khmelnytskyi – first place in Group A (returning after 22 seasons, however FC Krasyliv that was playing as Podillya Khmelnytskyi last competed in the 2006–07 season)
- Uzhhorod – second place in Group A (debut)
- Metalist Kharkiv – first place in Group B (debut, a phoenix club based on the Second League superfinal champions Metal Kharkiv)
- Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih – second place in Group B (returning after 5 seasons, last competed in the 2015–16 as Hirnyk Kryvyi Rih)
Relegated teams
The following team has been relegated from the 2020–21 Ukrainian Premier League:
- Olimpik Donetsk – placed 13th (returning after 7 seasons, last competed in the 2013–14)
Renamed teams
- FC Kramatorsk is a successor of FC Avanhard Kramatorsk which since May 30 was called Avanhard-SK Kramatorsk.[4][5]
- FC Metalist Kharkiv is a successor of FC Metal Kharkiv.[6]
Location map
The following displays the location of teams.
Home venues of teams in the 2021–22 Ukrainian First League.
Stadiums
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.[7]
| Rank | Stadium | Location | Capacity | Club | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | OSC Metalist | Kharkiv | 40,003 | Metalist Kharkiv | |
| 2 | Yuvileiny Stadium | Sumy | 25,830 | Alians Lypova Dolyna | |
| 3 | Meteor Stadium | Dnipro | 24,381 | VPK-Ahro Shevchenkivka | |
| 4 | Ternopil City Stadium | Ternopil | 15,150 | Nyva Ternopil | |
| 5 | Avanhard Stadium | Lutsk | 12,080 | Volyn Lutsk | |
| 6 | Avanhard Stadium | Uzhhorod | 12,000 | FC Uzhhorod | |
| 7 | Sport Complex Podillya | Khmelnytskyi | 6,800 | Podillia Khmelnytskyi | |
| 8 | MCS Rukh | Ivano-Frankivsk | 6,500 | Prykarpattia Ivano-Frankivsk | |
| 9 | Prapor Stadium | Kramatorsk | 6,000 | FC Kramatorsk | |
| 10 | Central Stadium | Zhytomyr | 5,928 | Polissia Zhytomyr | |
| 11 | Obolon Arena | Kyiv | 5,100 | Obolon Kyiv | |
| 12 | Yunist Stadium | Chernihiv | 3,000 | Olimpik Donetsk | Matchday 12 |
| 13 | Yunist Stadium | Volochysk | 2,700 | Ahrobiznes Volochysk | |
| 14 | Hirnyk Stadium | Kryvyi Rih | 2,500 | Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih | |
| 15 | Yunist Stadium | Horishni Plavni | 2,500 | Hirnyk-Sport Horishni Plavni | |
| 16 | Bannikov Stadium | Kyiv | 1,678 | Olimpik Donetsk | |
| 17 | Kremin Stadium | Kremenchuk | 1,500 | Kremin Kremenchuk |
Personnel and sponsorship
Managerial changes
| Team | Outgoing head coach | Manner of departure | Date of vacancy | Table | Incoming head coach | Date of appointment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Polissya Zhytomyr |  Serhiy Shyshchenko |
Sacked | 13 June 2021[8] | Pre-season | Yuriy Kalitvintsev |
13 June 2021[8] |
| VPK-Ahro Shevchenkivka | Serhiy Solovyov |
Resigned | 14 June 2021[9] | Oleksandr Hrytsay |
29 June 2021[10] | |
| FC Uzhhorod | Volodymyr Vasyutyk |
Mutual consent | 21 June 2021[11] | Mykhaylo Ivanytsia |
7 July 2021[12] | |
| Kremin Kremenchuk | Serhiy Svystun (interim) |
End of interim | 22 June 2021[13] | Ihor Stolovytskyi |
22 June 2021[13] | |
| Volyn Lutsk | Vasyl Sachko |
Resigned | 26 June 2021[14] | Albert Shakhov |
27 June 2021[15] | |
| Olimpik Donetsk | Roman Sanzhar |
Change of ownership | 13 July 2021[16] | Serhiy Litovchenko |
19 July 2021[17] | |
| Prykarpattia Ivano-Frankivsk | Oleh Rypan (interim) |
End of interim period | 20 July 2021 | Oleh Rypan |
20 July 2021[18] | |
| FC Uzhhorod | Mykhaylo Ivanytsia |
Resigned | 23 August 2021[19][20] | 16th | Bohdan Blavatskyi (interim) |
23 August 2021[19] |
| Nyva Ternopil | Ihor Klymovskyi |
Mutual consent | 29 September 2021[21] | 6th | Andriy Kuptsov |
8 October 2021[22] |
| Kremin Kremenchuk | Ihor Stolovytskyi |
Mutual consent | 26 October 2021[23] | 13th | Roman Loktionov (interim) |
28 October 2021[24] |
| VPK-Ahro Shevchenkivka | Oleksandr Hrytsay |
Undisclosed | 25 December 2021 | 14th | Oleksandr Poklonskyi |
25 December 2021[25] |
| Alians Lypova Dolyna | Yuriy Yaroshenko |
Changed position | 26 January 2022[26] | 3rd | Anatoliy Bezsmertnyi |
26 January 2022[26] |
League table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion, qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Metalist Kharkiv (P) | 20 | 17 | 2 | 1 | 52 | 9 | +43 | 53 | Promotion to Ukrainian Premier League[27] |
| 2 | Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih (P) | 20 | 12 | 6 | 2 | 38 | 17 | +21 | 42 | |
| 3 | Alians Lypova Dolyna[a] | 19 | 10 | 3 | 6 | 33 | 24 | +9 | 33[b] | Withdrew after season |
| 4 | Obolon Kyiv | 19 | 10 | 3 | 6 | 24 | 16 | +8 | 33[b] | |
| 5 | Nyva Ternopil | 20 | 8 | 5 | 7 | 22 | 22 | 0 | 29[c] | |
| 6 | Hirnyk-Sport Horishni Plavni | 20 | 8 | 5 | 7 | 15 | 17 | −2 | 29[c] | |
| 7 | Prykarpattia Ivano-Frankivsk | 20 | 8 | 4 | 8 | 27 | 26 | +1 | 28 | |
| 8 | Podillya Khmelnytskyi[a] | 20 | 7 | 5 | 8 | 19 | 18 | +1 | 26 | Withdrew after season |
| 9 | Polissia Zhytomyr | 18 | 7 | 4 | 7 | 21 | 17 | +4 | 25 | |
| 10 | Volyn Lutsk | 19 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 17 | 20 | −3 | 25 | Withdrew after season |
| 11 | Olimpik Donetsk[a] | 19 | 7 | 2 | 10 | 19 | 23 | −4 | 23 | |
| 12 | Kramatorsk | 18 | 7 | 1 | 10 | 16 | 24 | −8 | 22 | |
| 13 | Ahrobiznes Volochysk[a] | 20 | 4 | 9 | 7 | 16 | 23 | −7 | 21 | |
| 14 | VPK-Ahro Shevchenkivka[a] | 20 | 5 | 3 | 12 | 16 | 28 | −12 | 18 | |
| 15 | Uzhhorod[a] | 20 | 4 | 4 | 12 | 16 | 40 | −24 | 16 | |
| 16 | Kremin Kremenchuk | 20 | 4 | 1 | 15 | 16 | 43 | −27 | 13 |
Source: PFL.ua
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).[7]
(P) Promoted
Notes:
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).[7]
(P) Promoted
Notes:
Results
Top goalscorers
As of 29 November 2021[update][34]
|
Hat-tricks
| Player | For | Against | Result | Date | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oleksiy Khoblenko4 |
Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih | Uzhhorod | 5–0 (H) | 12 September 2021 | [35] |
4 Player scored four goals
Awards
Monthly awards
| Month | Player of the Month | Ref. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Club | ||
| August 2021 | Oleksiy Khoblenko |
Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih | [36] |
| September 2021 | no data | ||
| October 2021 | |||
| November 2021 | |||
