The 2018–19 Ukrainian Premier League season was the 28th top-level football club competitions since the fall of the Soviet Union and the eleventh since the establishment of the Ukrainian Premier League.
The tournament started on 21 July 2018 and ended on 25 May 2019. The league took its winter intermission after Round 18 on 8 December 2018 and resumed its competition of the Championship with Round 19 on 16 February 2019. The first stage ended with Round 22 games on 17 March 2019. The draw for the second stage was announced for 5 March 2019.There became disclosed the date for draw of the UPL second stage (Известна дата жеребьевки второго этапа УПЛ). UA-Football. 27 February 2019
The 11-time winner Shakhtar Donetsk were the two-time defending champions.
Teams Promoted teams Arsenal Kyiv – the champion of the 2017–18 Ukrainian First League (returning as a phoenix club of previous Arsenal Kyiv after five seasons absence) Desna Chernihiv – 3rd place of the 2017–18 Ukrainian First League, play-off winners (debut)
Shuffled teams FC Lviv – a team swap after merging with NK Veres Rivne (returning as a phoenix club of previous FC Lviv after nine seasons absence)
On completion of the 2017–18 Ukrainian Premier League season, Veres Rivne, who had moved their operations to Lviv during the season announced the merging with FC Lviv who competed in the 2017–18 Ukrainian Second League and retain their name. This is the first time of such "swap" that has occurred with a team from the Ukrainian Premier League. Its certification the club passed on 5 June 2018.FC Lviv received certification to play in UPL (ФК Львов получил аттестат для выступления в УПЛ). Sport Arena. 5 June 2018 Along with that the FFU certification committee is consulting with the UEFA in regards of the "clubs swap".FFU is consulting with UEFA regarding switching of Veres with Lviv (ФФУ консультируется с УЕФА касательно замены Вереса на Львов). Sport Arena. 5 June 2018 On 6 June 2018, it was announced that it is too early speculate composition of the league for the next season as the UEFA will make its final decision by allowing or not participation of FC Lviv. It is possible that some of already relegated clubs might be given a second chance if UEFA will insist on impossibility of the Lviv-Veres team swap.If UEFA will not allow FC Lviv in UPL, the team might change its name to ... "Veres" (Если УЕФА не допустит ФК "Львов" в УПЛ, команда может сменить название на... "Верес"). Footboom. 6 June 2018Zirka could take a place of FC Lviv in case if Lvivian won't be allowed in UPL (Зирка может занять место ФК Львов в случае недопуска львовян в УПЛ). Sport Arena. 6 June 2018 On 12 June 2018, Ukrainian Premier League updated its website removing any mentioning of NK Veres Rivne ever competing in the league and its record being awarded to FC Lviv. Few days later the league recovered the Veres' record. More to the story, in interview to "Tribuna" a head of the FFU Attestation Committee Viktor Bezsmernyi explained that it was Veres that received certificate for the 2018–19 Ukrainian Premier League and then the club changed its name.Savchuk, Ye. "Lviv" and "Veres" did not exchange their names on the moment of attestation, it happened later ("Львов" и "Верес" не менялись названиями на момент аттестации, это произошло позже). Footboom. 11 June 2018 At same time the old-new president of Veres Khakhlyov demonstrated the club's certificate for the 2018–19 Ukrainian Second League.Veres showed received certificate for Druha Liha (photo) (Верес показал полученный аттестат на Вторую лигу). Sport Arena. 12 June 2018
Withdrawn teams On 21 June 2018, during the club's conference of FC Poltava, the club's leadership announced that it dissolved the club.Proskurov, B., Semenko, O. FC Poltava was dissolved (ФК Полтава розпустили) . Hromadske Poltava. 21 June 2018Semenchenko, O. Source: after conference of the club's leadership, FC Poltava was dissolved (Джерело: після наради керівництва клубу ФК "Полтава" розпустили). Footboom. 21 June 2018Perehnyak, V. President of FC Poltava told why he took off the team from UPL (Президент ФК "Полтава" рассказал, почему снял команду с УПЛ). Footboom. 22 June 2018
On 22 June 2018, the UPL published an official announcement about situation with FC Poltava, and while shocked with the club's decision the league is confirming that the club is withdrawing and that the league will be seeking its replacement.The UPL statement in regards to withdrawal of FC Poltava from competitions (Заява УПЛ щодо зняття ФК «Полтава» зі змагань). Ukrainian Premier League. 22 June 2018Inhulets was offered the place in UPL instead of Poltava (Ингульцу предлагали место в УПЛ вместо Полтавы). Sport Arena. 22 June 2018 Following withdrawal of FC Poltava, a crisis has seemed to ripen in the league as there is no other team can replace Poltava due to financing or infrastructure issues.Malkin, A. Artem Frankov: Sooner than anything it seems that Chornomorets will be playing in UPL (Артем Франков: "По всему пока получается, что играть в УПЛ будет "Черноморец"). Footboom. 23 June 2018 Based on the voting conducted among the UPL members, on 26 June 2018, the league picked FC Chornomorets Odesa for the Poltava's replacement and submitted its selection for approval by the FFU Executive Committee.The UPL is proposing to admit FC Chornomorets Odesa among participants of the league's composition (УПЛ пропонує включити до складу учасників Ліги ФК «Чорноморець» (Одеса)). Ukrainian Premier League. 26 June 2018Boiko, I. The UPL simply scorns by returning Chornomorets (УПЛ просто знущається, повертаючи Чорноморець). Sport Arena. 26 June 2018Fesun, A. "Poltava": pressure lever and chaos ("Полтава": рычаг давления и хаос). Footboom. 26 June 2018 On 3 July 2018, Chornomorets was officially approved by FFU as 2018–19 Ukrainian Premier League participant.
Location map The following displays the location of teams.
Stadiums Three teams play their matches outside of home towns. The minimum threshold for the stadium's capacity in the UPL is 5,000 (Article 10, paragraph 7.2).Locations where completion is conducted (Місця проведення змагань). 2018–19 Ukrainian Premier League regulations.
The following stadiums are regarded as home grounds:
RankStadiumPlaceClubCapacityNotes1NSC OlimpiyskiyKyivDynamo Kyiv 70,0502OSC MetalistKharkivShakhtar Donetsk 40,003used as home ground during the season.3Arena LvivLvivFC Lviv 34,9154Chornomorets StadiumOdesaChornomorets Odesa 34,1645Ukraina StadiumLvivKarpaty LvivFC Lviv 28,051 used in Round 5, home ground since Round 196Vorskla StadiumPoltavaVorskla Poltava 24,7957Lobanovsky Dynamo StadiumKyivOlimpik DonetskArsenal Kyiv 16,873used as home ground during the season.8Volodymyr Boiko StadiumMariupolFC Mariupol 12,6809Chernihiv StadiumChernihivDesna Chernihiv 12,06010Slavutych-ArenaZaporizhzhiaZorya Luhansk 12,000used as home ground during the season.11CSC Nika StadiumOleksandriyaFC Oleksandriya 7,000
Notes:
Personnel and sponsorship TeamPresidentHead coachCaptainKit manufacturerShirt sponsor Arsenal Kyiv Ivica Pirić Ihor Leonov Serhiy Vakulenko Zeus Favorite Sport, Vegeta Chornomorets Odesa Leonid Klimov Angel Chervenkov Serhiy Litovchenko Legea Gefest Desna Chernihiv Volodymyr Levin Oleksandr Ryabokon Denys Favorov Nike Favorite Sport Dynamo Kyiv Ihor Surkis Alyaksandr Khatskevich Serhiy Sydorchuk New Balance No to racism Karpaty Lviv Petro Dyminskyi Oleksandr Chyzhevskyi (interim) Artem Fedetskyi Joma Marathonbet, ZIK FC Lviv Bohdan KopytkoSukhkenko, M. How Kopytko took over Veres and transformed it into Lviv (Як Копитко захопив Верес и перетворив його на Львів). Sport Arena. 23 May 2018 Bohdan Blavatskyi Oleksandr Bandura Legea Glusco FC Mariupol Tariq Mehmood Chaudhry Oleksandr Babych Rustam Khudzhamov Nike Favorite Sport FC Oleksandriya Serhiy Kuzmenko Volodymyr Sharan Andriy Zaporozhan Nike UkrAhroKom Olimpik Donetsk Vladyslav Helzin Ihor Klymovskyi (interim) Dmytro Hryshko Joma Pari-Match Shakhtar Donetsk Rinat Akhmetov Paulo Fonseca Taison Nike SCM Vorskla Poltava Roman Cherniak Vitaliy Kosovskyi (interim) Volodymyr Chesnakov adidas Ferrexpo Zorya Luhansk Yevhen Heller Yuriy Vernydub Mykyta Kamenyuka Nike Favorite Sport
Notes:
Managerial changes TeamOutgoing managerManner of departureDate of vacancyTableIncoming managerDate of appointmentTable FC Lviv Andriy Khanas (interim) Club reorganized unannouncedPre-season Andriy Demchenko (interim) 8 June 2018Pre-season Chornomorets Odesa Kostyantyn Frolov Dismissed 13 June 2018 Angel Chervenkov 13 June 2018Arsenal Kyiv Serhiy Litovchenko"Laid off"22 June 2018 Fabrizio Ravanelli22 June 2018Valerko, A. Ravanelli was introduced as a new coach of Arsenal (Раванелли представлен новым тренером Арсенала). Sport Arena. 22 June 2018FC Lviv Andriy DemchenkoEnd of interim29 June 2018FC Lviv parted with coach Demchenko (ФК Львов расстался с тренером Демченко). Sport Arena. 29 June 2018 Gilmar3 July 2018 GilmarResigned14 August 20187th Yuriy Bakalov16 August 20187thKarpaty Lviv Oleh BoychyshynSacked16 August 20188th José Morais16 August 20188thArsenal Kyiv Fabrizio RavanelliResigned22 September 201812th Vladyslav Humenyuk22 September 201812th Vladyslav HumenyukEnd of interim1 October 2018 Vyacheslav Hroznyi1 October 2018Olimpik Donetsk Roman SanzharMutual consent3 October 20187th Vyacheslav Shevchuk3 October 20187thKarpaty Lviv José MoraisContract terminated28 November 201810th Oleh Boychyshyn (interim)28 November 201810thArsenal Kyiv Vyacheslav HroznyiMutual agreement9 January 201912th Ihor Leonov16 January 201912thKarpaty Lviv Oleh BoychyshynEnd of interim13 January 201910th Fabri 13 January 201910thVorskla Poltava Vasyl SachkoContract terminated27 March 20197th Vitaliy Kosovskyi (interim)28 March 20197thFC Lviv Yuriy BakalovMutual consent8 April 20196th Taras Hrebenyuk (interim)8 April 20196th Taras HrebenyukEnd of interim16 April 20195th Bohdan Blavatskyi16 April 20195thOlimpik Donetsk Vyacheslav ShevchukMutual consent17 April 201910th Ihor Klymovskyi (interim)17 April 201910thKarpaty Lviv FabriResigned (heath concerns)27 May 201910th Oleksandr Chyzhevskyi (interim)27 May 201910thFor changes that took place after 30 May 2019 (last round game day), see 2019–20 Ukrainian Premier League
Notes:
First stage First stage table
First stage results Teams play each other twice on a home and away basis, before the league split into two groups – the top six and the bottom six.
Notes:
First stage positions by round The following table represents the teams position after each round in the competition played chronologically.
Championship round
Championship round table
Championship round results
Championship round positions by round
Relegation round
Relegation round table
Relegation round results
Relegation round positions by round
Relegation play-offs Teams that placed 10th and 11th in the 2018–19 Ukrainian Premier League play two-leg play-off with the second and third teams of the 2018–19 Ukrainian First League. The draw for play-offs took place on 24 May 2019There took place a draw of the UPL Championship play-off (Відбулося жеребкування плей-офф Чемпіонату УПЛ). Ukrainian Premier League. 24 May 2019 and the games will be played on 4 and 8 June 2019.The draw for the UPL play-off round will take place on 24 May (Жеребьевка плей-офф раунда УПЛ состоится 24 мая). UA-Football. 22 May 2019
First leg
Second leg
Kolos Kovalivka won 2–0 on aggregate and were promoted to the 2019–20 Ukrainian Premier League. Chornomorets Odesa were relegated to the 2019–20 Ukrainian First League
Karpaty Lviv won 3–0 on aggregate and retained their spot in the 2019–20 Ukrainian Premier League. Volyn Lutsk remained in the 2019–20 Ukrainian First League