The 2020–21 Ukrainian Second League was the 30th since its establishment. The football competitions in the Second League kicked off on 6 September 2020, about half a month after promotion/relegation playoffs. The planned 12th week of the season that accomplished the first half took place on 21 November 2020, yet the extra week was provided for few games that were forced to be rescheduled before teams retired for the winter intermission. The second half is scheduled to restart on 19 March 2021.
Summary In this season, the bottom two teams of the First League were relegated to the Second League. The top two teams from each group of the Second League gained promotion to the First League for the next season.The statement of the 28th PFL Conference (ПОСТАНОВА ЧЕРГОВОЇ ХХVІІІ КОНФЕРЕНЦІЇ ПРОФЕСІОНАЛЬНОЇ ФУТБОЛЬНОЇ ЛІГИ). Professional Football League. 21 August 2020.
Teams Promoted teams Seven teams have been promoted from the 2019–20 Ukrainian Football Amateur League: Epitsentr Dunaivtsi – 2nd place of Group 1 (debut) Karpaty Halych – 4th place of Group 1 (debut) FC Chernihiv – 3rd place of Group 2 (debut) Rubikon Kyiv – 6th place of Group 2 (debut) Dnipro Cherkasy – 9th place of Group 2 (returning after 12 seasons, last played season in 2008–09) Yarud Mariupol – 4th place of Group 3 (debut) Peremoha Dnipro – 7th place of Group 3 (debut, the club was admitted despite disciplinary sanctions from the UAF about the last season "beef"Official. The UAF CDC decision in regard to FC Peremoha Dnipro (Офіційно. Рішення КДК УАФ щодо ФК «Перемога» (Дніпро)). Ukrainian Association of Football. 8 August 2019)
One reserve and one other team were added also without participation in the Ukrainian Football Amateur League: Volyn-2 Lutsk – (debut, based on Volyn U-19 Lutsk)Two Karpatys, two Cherkasy teams and eight debutants; new teams of the 2020–21 Second League (Двоє "Карпат", дві черкаські команди і вісім дебютів: нові команди у Другій лізі у сезоні 2020/21). Professional Football League. 24 August 2020 Metal Kharkiv – (debut)
Relegated teams Four teams have been relegated: Karpaty LvivOleh Semenchenko. Oleh Smaliychuk about rescue and future of "Karpaty", "They wanted to sell us by pieces (Олег Смалійчук - про порятунок та майбутнє "Карпат": "Нас хотіли роздеребанити по частинах"). Footboom. 22 August 2020 – 12th place in the 2019–20 Ukrainian Premier League (debut, the club was admitted despite being expelled from the Premier League for no show) Note: another club with the same name (Karpaty Lviv) was admitted to the 2020–21 Ukrainian Football Amateur League (lower tier) Balkany Zoria – 14th place in the 2019–20 Ukrainian First League (returning after 3 seasons, relegated on own initiative) Metalurh Zaporizhya – 15th place in the 2019–20 Ukrainian First League (returning after a season, lost relegation play-off) Cherkashchyna Cherkasy – 16th place in the 2019–20 Ukrainian First League (returning after a season, lost relegation play-off)
Withdrawn teams Avanhard-2 Kramatorsk – withdrawn before the season Chornomorets-2 Odesa – withdrawn before the season FC Kalush, after failing to arrive for the game against Epitsentr, it was confirmed that the club will not host the game against Karpaty Lviv.Artur Malkin. "Karpaty" confirmed that the game against "Kalush" will not take place ("Карпати" підтвердили, що матч із "Калушем" не відбудеться). Footboom. 9 September 2020 The club withdrew even after paying their season's duesArkadiy Kapelka. "Kalush" is withdrawing from the Second League ("Калуш" снимается со Второй лиги). Footboom. 9 September 2020 without playing a single game. Cherkashchyna Cherkasy – withdrawn during the winter break.Oles Khorunzhy. Lashkul: I invested in Cherkashchyna and Cherkashchyna-Akademiya 22 millions of hryvnias (Лашкул: Вложил в Черкащину и Черкащину-Академию 22 миллиона гривен). Sport Arena. 22 March 2021 Before the break the club played 10 games winning 5 of them, tying 4 and losing one game with goal difference having 14 scored and 7 allowed. Soon after the announcement, the newly elected President of PFL, Oleksandr Kadenko denied fact of withdrawal as no official request has been made.Aleksandr Oleinik. The President of PFL Kadenko: Cherkashchyna did not provide any documentation about stopping its participation (Президент ПФЛ Каденко: Черкащина не предоставляла документы о прекращении выступлений). Sport Arena. 28 January 2021 On 3 March 2021 the club has sent a letter confirming that it is leaving the competitions.Sergei Oleksyuk. Cherkashchyna announced that it will not finish the season. The PFL is moving the club from the competition (Черкащина объявила, что не доиграет сезон. ПФЛ снимет клуб с чемпионата). Sport Arena. 3 March 2021Official. Cherkashchyna has stopped its participation in the PFL (Официально. Черкащина прекратила выступление в ПФЛ). UA-Football. 3 March 2021
Merged and renamed teams FC Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih – it was restructured from FC Hirnyk Kryvyi Rih. On 29 July 2020 the president of Hirnyk Kostiantyn Karamanits confirmed that his team is being renamed into Kryvbas-2020 next season.Sergei Oleksiuk. The president of Hirnyk Karamanits confirmed renaming of his club into Kryvbass-2020 (Президент Горняка Караманиц подтвердил переименование клуба в Кривбасс-2020). Sport Arena. 29 July 2020 Later it changed to Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih.Vyacheslav Ch. Hirnyk was officially renamed into Kryvbas (Горняк официально переименовали в Кривбасс). Sport Arena. 20 August 2020 The club's rebranding was triggered on petition of President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who is a native of Kryvyi Rih.FC Kryvbas which Zelensky instructed Yuzik to revive will be playing in the Second League (ФК "Кривбасс", который Зеленский поручил возродить Юзику, будет выступать во Второй лиге). Gordonua.com. 3 August 2020Liubomyr Chotyrbok. Revived "Kryvbas" by killing "Hirnyk": How deputy Yuzik fulfilled the request of Zelensky (Восстановили "Кривбасс", убив "Горняк": Как депутат Юзик выполнил поручение Зеленского) . Sector.depo.ua. 5 August 2020Photo. The revival happened. Kryvbas conducted presentation of its new team (ФОТО. Есть возрождение. Кривбасс провел презентацию новой команды). Sport.ua. 20 August 2020Ivan Serdiuk. Who and why began to revive FC Kryvbas after 7 years of nonexistence (Кто и зачем принялся возрождать ФК «Кривбасс» после 7 лет небытия?). Kryvbass.city. 19 August 2020 Earlier in 2020, FC Chernihiv merged with Avanhard Koriukivka as Chernihiv-Avanhard and kept its original team Chernihiv-YSB during the 2019–20 Ukrainian Football Amateur League.In Chernihiv region could become by one professional team more (На Чернігівщині може стати на одну професійну футбольну команду Більше). Chernihiv City portal. 4 March 2020FC Chernihiv goes to the Second League! (ФК Чернигов идет во Вторую лигу!). FC Chernihiv. 2 March 2020 During the season Avanhard Koriukivka had more points and even played in post season play-offs. In August 2020 to the Second League instead of the merged club was admitted FC Chernihiv only.For the first time in history in Chernihiv simultaneously will play two professional football clubs (У Чернігові вперше в історії одночасно гратимуть два професійні футбольні клуби). 0462.ua. 21 August 2020 There is no real procedure on promotion from the amateur championship and clubs are being selected regardless of final standings such as FC Dnipro Cherkasy or FC Peremoha Dnipro. SC Tavriya Simferopol merged with FC Tavriya Novotroitske.Tavria united with amateur team from Novotroitske (Таврия объединилась с аматорской командой из Новотроицкого). Sport Arena. 22 August 2020
Location map The following map displays the location of teams. Group A teams marked in red. Group B teams marked in green.
Stadiums + Group A Team Stadium Position in2019–20Karpaty Lviv Ukraina Stadium PLDinaz Vyshhorod Dinaz StadiumStadion im.BrukvenkaKoncha-Zaspa training 4thPodillia Khmelnytskyi Sport Complex PodilliaStadion Rukh6thChaika Stadion im.BrukvenkaArsenal Arena 7thBukovyna Chernivtsi Bukovyna StadiumStadion Olimpiya 8thNyva Vinnytsia Tsentralnyi Miskyi StadionStadion Khimik9thFC Uzhhorod Avanhard Stadium 10thObolon-2 Bucha Yuvileinyi Stadium 11thFC Chernihiv Chernihiv ArenaLivyi Bereh ArenaThe Livyi Bereh Arena hosted its first game of the PFL competitions (Арена «Лівий берег» прийняла перший матч змагань ПФЛ ). PFL. 7 November 2020Stadion ChampionAmEpitsentr Dunaivtsi Kolos StadiumSkif StadiumYunist Stadium AmKarpaty Halych Enerhetyk Stadium AmRubikon Kyiv Arsenal Arena AmVolyn-2 Lutsk Pidshypnyk Stadium — + Group B Team Stadium Position in2019–20Balkany Zoria Stadion im.B.TropantsiaStadion LiustdorfStadion im.Liubchika1LCherkashchyna Cherkasy Zorya Stadium1LMetalurh Zaporizhya Slavutych-Arena1LKryvbas Kryvyi Rih Hirnyk Stadium 4thEnerhiya Nova Kakhovka Enerhiya Stadium5thFC Nikopol Elektrometalurh Stadium 6thMFC Mykolaiv-2 Park Peremohy Stadium 7thTavriya Simferopol Marianivskyi Stadium8thReal Pharma Odesa Stadion Ivan9thDnipro Cherkasy Tsentralnyi StadionAmPeremoha Dnipro Stadion Olimpiyski RezervyAmYarud Mariupol Zakhidnyi StadiumAmMetal Kharkiv Soniachny StadiumThe PFL administration decision: "Polissia" will play in Kyiv, while "Metal" will be hosting games at "Soniachny" (Рішення Адміністрації ПФЛ: "Полісся" гратиме у Києві, а "Метал" - на "Сонячному"). Footboom. 8 September 2020—
Managers ClubHead coachReplaced coach Balkany Zoria Denys Kolchin Andriy Parkhomenko Bukovyna Chernivtsi Yevhen Kovalenko Stepan Makoviychuk Chaika Petropavlivska Borshchahivka Viacheslav Bohodyelov (interim) Taras Ilnytskyi Oleksandr Protchenko (interim) Oleksandr Shcherbakov Cherkashchyna Cherkasy Vacant Anatoliy Bezsmertnyi FC Chernihiv Valeriy Chornyi (interim) Vadym Postovoy Dinaz Vyshhorod Volodymyr Bondarenko Dnipro Cherkasy Ihor Stolovytskyi Enerhiya Nova Kakhovka Eduard Khavrov Oleh Fedorchuk Epitsentr Dunaivtsi Ihor Badlo Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih Hennadiy Prykhodko FC Kalush Stepan Matviyiv Karpaty Halych Roman Hnativ Karpaty Lviv Lyubomyr Vovchuk Metal Kharkiv Oleksandr Kucher Metalurh Zaporizhya Volodymyr Mykytyn MFC Mykolaiv-2 Anatoliy Didenko Mykola Popelyshko FC Nikopol Oleksandr Poklonskyi Hryhoriy Varzhelenko Yevhen Yarovenko Serhiy Vorobei Nyva Vinnytsia Volodymyr Tsytkin Oleh Shumovytskyi Obolon-2 Bucha Andriy Kornyev (interim) Oleksandr Antonenko Peremoha Dnipro Serhiy Vorobei Yevhen Yarovenko Pavlo Taran Dmytro Ryabyi Podillya Khmelnytskyi Vitaliy Kostyshyn Real Pharma Odesa Artem Riazantsev Rubikon Kyiv Serhiy Litovchenko Viktor Kuriata Tavriya Simferopol Serhiy Puchkov Serhiy Shevchenko Oleh Fedorchuk Yuriy Chumak (Interim) FC Uzhhorod Volodymyr Vasiutyk Volyn-2 Lutsk Albert Shakhov Yarud Mariupol Oleh Krasnopyorov Volodymyr Kilikevych
Managerial changes