The 2022–23 Ukrainian Premier League season, referred to as the VBet Liha for sponsorship reasons, was the 32nd top-level football club competition since the fall of the Soviet Union and the 15th since the establishment of the Ukrainian Premier League. The competition took place during the ongoing war with the Russia since late February 2022.
The defending champions were the 16-time winners Dynamo Kyiv. The previous 2021–22 season was abandoned due to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.Официально: Титульным спонсором УПЛ стала букмекерская компания VBET. UA-Football. 1 July 2021 Although Shakhtar Donetsk were at the top of the table when the league was abandoned, no title was officially awarded ("The handing out of awards to the league's medalists will not take place").There took place the UPL Members General Assembly (Відбулися Загальні збори учасників УПЛ). Ukrainian Premier League. 26 April 2022
The current season began on 23 August 2022 and ended on 3 June 2023.Fixture calendar. Ukrainian Premier League. Shakhtar Donetsk were crowned champions for the 14th time in their history.
Preparation War in Ukraine Due to the full-scale invasion of Russia, teams were discussing the possibility of playing in western Ukraine as well as Poland. On 27 May 2022, a conference was held in the House of Football involving participants of the Ukrainian Premier League along with the UAF presidium. Topics discussed at the conference included the continuation of the league, possible places and dates of conducting it as well as its format for the future season.There took place a work conference of the UPL Members (Відбулася робоча нарада учасників Української Прем’єр-Ліги). Ukrainian Premier League. 27 May 2022 On 25 June, the league's executive director, Yevhen Dykyi, explained that the season was expected to start on 20 August in the usual format with 16 participants.Дикий: На данный момент можно утверждать, что сезон сто процентов начнется. UA-Football. 25 June 2022Дикий: Рабочая дата начала нового сезона УПЛ - 20 августа. UA-Football. 25 June 2022 Later, the president of the Ukrainian Association of Football clarified that the only teams allowed to play abroad would be those still in continental competitions, subject to their opponents' agreement.Павелко пояснил, какие клубы получат право играть матчи УПЛ за границей. sport.ua. 4 July 2022
Some football functionaries criticised conducting the competitions due to risks of deliberate Russian missile attacks.Стороженко: Не стоит начинать чемпионат - враг обязательно нанесет удар во время матча. UA-Football. 8 July 2022
Official ball PUMA Orbita Ball is official football ball of the 2022–23 Ukrainian Premier League, and the Puma brand became an official technical sponsor. It is the leading ball model, certified by FIFA, designed specifically for professional football. The ball formed with high frequency technology provides excellent stability and reduced water absorption, as well as a soft ball feel. New 12-panel concept: identical sized panels for a perfectly balanced weight and flight behavior. Surface: 1.2mm thick 3D surface for greater durability and better aerodynamics. Innovative POE foam for strong grip, improved rebound performance and impact strength.
Teams This season the Ukrainian Premier League has kept 16 teams, which includes 14 teams from the previous season and the top two teams from the 2021–22 Ukrainian First League. Two teams had their status suspended due to the Russian occupation and/or destruction of their sports infrastructure.
Promoted teams Metalist Kharkiv – first-placed team of the 2021–22 Ukrainian First League (last competed in 2015–16) Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih – second-placed team of the 2021–22 Ukrainian First League (last competed in 2012–13) Note: both clubs were adopted by the Ukrainian Premier League as their predecessors despite the fact that both Metalist and Kryvbas were dissolved in 2016 and 2013 respectfully. The new Metalist was renamed from Metal Kharkiv in 2021, while the new Kryvbas was renamed from Hirnyk Kryvyi Rih in 2020.
Omitted teams Mariupol – the 16th place team of the 2021–22 Ukrainian Premier League (ending their five-year stay in the top-flight) Desna Chernihiv – the 7th place team of the 2021–22 Ukrainian Premier League (ending their four-year stay in the top-flight)
In case if one or both Desna and Mariupol decide to return to the league competitions next season, it is predetermined that the league team pool would be increased to 18 teams.
Location map
Stadiums
The minimum threshold for the stadium's capacity in the UPL is 4,500 (Article 10, paragraph 8.3).Places of holding competitions (Місця проведення змагань) . 2022–23 Ukrainian Premier League regulations. With the ongoing Russian aggression clubs were forced to relocate to western parts of the country with the Ukrainian Association of Football listed its certified stadiums for the season competitions.УАФ проинспектировала стадионы на западе Украины для нового сезона УПЛ. UA-Football. 29 July 2022 It was decided that the main regions in which permitted to conduct competitions are Kyiv city, Kyiv Oblast, Lviv Oblast and Zakarpattia Oblast.РЕГЛАМЕНТ Чемпіонату України з футболу серед команд клубів Української Прем’єр-Ліги сезону 2022/23 . upl.ua A match could take place in other regions on permission of a regional military administration and agreement from the opposing club.
The following stadiums are regarded as home grounds:
RankStadiumPlaceClubCapacityNotes1NSC OlimpiyskiyKyivShakhtar Donetsk 70,050used as home ground during the seasonMetalist 1925 Kharkivused as home ground during the seasonFC Oleksandriyaused as home ground during the seasonKryvbas Kryvyi Rihused as home ground during the season2Arena LvivLvivDynamo Kyiv 34,915used as home ground in Round 2 and 4Shakhtar Donetskused as home ground in Round 43Chornomorets StadiumOdesaChornomorets Odesa 34,1644Ukraina Stadium Lviv Rukh Lviv 27,9255Butovsky Vorskla StadiumPoltavaVorskla Poltava 24,7956Dynamo StadiumKyivDynamo Kyiv 16,873Zorya Luhanskused as home ground during the seasonДинамо та Зоря заявили стадіон імені Лобановського для домашніх матчів УПЛ – журналіст. Sport Arena. 6 August 20227Avanhard StadiumUzhhorodMetalist Kharkiv 12,000used as home ground during the seasonVorskla Poltavaused as home ground in Round 2Zorya Luhanskused as home ground in Round 1Dnipro-1used as home ground during the season8Kolos StadiumKovalivkaKolos Kovalivka 5,050 9Avanhard StadiumRivneVeres Rivne 4,65010Skif StadiumLvivFC Lviv 4,03311Hirnyk StadiumKryvyi RihKryvbas Kryvyi Rih 2,50012Inhulets StadiumPetroveInhulets Petrove 1,86913Bannikov StadiumKyivChornomorets Odesa 1,678used as home ground in Round 114Mynai ArenaMynaiFC Mynai 1,312Vorskla Poltavaused as home ground in Round 4
Personnel and sponsorship TeamPresidentHead coachCaptainKit manufacturerShirt sponsor Chornomorets Odesa Leonid Klimov Roman Hryhorchuk Illya Putrya Kelme — Dnipro-1 Maksym Bereza Oleksandr Kucher Oleksandr Svatok Nike Parimatch Dynamo Kyiv Ihor Surkis Mircea Lucescu* Serhiy Sydorchuk New Balance A-Bank Inhulets Petrove Oleksandr Povoroznyuk Vladyslav Lupashko (interim) Maksym Kovalyov Macron etg.ua Kolos Kovalivka Andriy Zasukha Yaroslav Vyshnyak Vadym Milko Nike ATTP Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih Kostyantyn Karamanits Yuriy Vernydub Dmytro Khomchenovskyi Joma Rudomain Lviv Bohdan Kopytko Roman Handzyn (interim) Andriy Busko Jako Parimatch Metalist Kharkiv Oleksandr Yaroslavskyi Perica Ognjenović (interim) Yehor Demchenko Joma DCH Metalist 1925 Kharkiv Yaroslav Vdovenko Edmar (caretaker) Artem Habelok Puma AES group Mynai Valeriy Peresolyak Volodymyr Sharan Oleksandr Bandura Kelme FavBet Oleksandriya Serhiy Kuzmenko Ruslan Rotan Maksym Tretyakov Nike AhroVista Rukh Lviv Hryhoriy Kozlovskyi Vitaliy Ponomaryov Yuriy Pankiv Macron Emily Resort Shakhtar Donetsk Rinat Akhmetov Igor Jovićević Taras Stepanenko Puma FANVERSE Veres Rivne Ivan Nadieyin Yuriy Virt Bohdan Kohut Kelme Vbet Vorskla Poltava Kostyantyn Zhevago Viktor Skrypnyk Volodymyr Chesnakov Nike Ferrexpo Zorya Luhansk Yevhen Heller Patrick van Leeuwen Maksym Imerekov Nike — Notes: On 22 April 2023 right after the Klasychne (Classic) rivalry with Shakhtar Donetsk, Mircea Lucescu announced at press-conference that he is taking a sick leave and the team (Dynamo Kyiv) will be managed temporarily by Oleksandr Shovkovskyi.Press conference of Mircea Lucescu after the match against Shakhtar. fcdynamo.com. 22 April 2023
Managerial changes TeamOutgoing managerManner of departureDate of vacancyTableIncoming managerDate of appointmentVorskla Poltava Yuriy MaksymovDismissed2 June 2022Pre-season Viktor Skrypnyk1 July 2022Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih Oleksandr BabychMutual agreement6 June 2022 Yuriy Vernydub21 June 2022Zorya Luhansk Viktor SkrypnykMoved to Vorskla Poltava28 June 2022 Patrick van Leeuwen28 June 2022Dnipro-1 Igor JovićevićEnd of contract30 June 2022 Oleksandr Kucher29 July 2022Shakhtar Donetsk Roberto De ZerbiMutual agreement11 July 2022 Igor Jovićević14 July 2022Metalist Kharkiv Oleksandr KucherMoved to SC Dnipro-113 July 2022 Oleh Ratiy (caretaker)13 July 2022Metalist 1925 Kharkiv Valeriy KryventsovSacked22 October 202210th Edmar (caretaker)23 October 2022Inhulets Petrove Serhiy LavrynenkoMutual consent13 November 202215th Mladen Bartulović (interim)13 November 2022Oleksandriya Yuriy HuraDismissed14 December 20225th Ruslan Rotan21 December 2022Inhulets Petrove Mladen Bartulović (interim)End of interim29 December 202214th Serhiy Kovalets29 December 2022Metalist Kharkiv Oleh Ratiy (interim)Change of role27 January 202311th Perica Ognjenović (interim)27 January 2023Rukh Lviv Leonid Kuchuk Sacked19 March 202314th Vitaliy Ponomaryov20 March 2023FC Lviv Oleg Dulub Resigned21 March 202316th Anatoliy Bezsmertnyi21 March 2023FC Lviv Anatoliy BezsmertnyiResigned1 June 202316th Roman Handzyn (interim)1 June 2023Inhulets Petrove Serhiy Kovalets Mutual agreement4 June 202314th Vladyslav Lupashko (interim)4 June 2023
League table
Results Teams play each other twice on a home and away basis.
Matches affected by air alerts Round 1. Rukh vs Metalist. The match had been interrupted three times (in 44th, 51st, 77th minute). Dnipro-1 vs Oleksandriya. The match, which kicked off on 23 November 2022, has been interrupted in the 10th minute, then resumed on 11 May 2023. Round 5. Veres vs Rukh. Kick off time was delayed for 30 minutes. Lviv vs Dnipro-1. The match had been interrupted in the 55th minute. Round 6. Dynamo vs Rukh. The match had been interrupted in the 80th minute. Round 7. Metalist 1925 vs Lviv. Kick off time was delayed for 20 minutes. Zorya vs Kolos. The match had been interrupted in the 59th minute. Round 8. Vorskla vs Rukh. The match had been interrupted in the 22nd minute. Dnipro-1 vs Inhulets. The match had been interrupted in the 23rd minute. Round 9. Kryvbas vs Inhulets. The match had been interrupted in the 21st minute. Kolos vs Chornomorets. Kick off time was delayed for 60 minutes. Round 10. Shakhtar vs Oleksandriya. The match had been interrupted in the 40th minute. Round 11. Oleksandriya vs Kolos. Kick off time was delayed for 20 minutes. Round 12. Kryvbas vs Vorskla. The match had been interrupted in the 3rd minute. Kolos vs Dnipro-1. Kick off time was delayed for 120 minutes. Round 13. Vorskla vs Dnipro-1. Kick off time was delayed for 85 minutes. Round 15. Kryvbas vs Dnipro-1. The match had been interrupted in the 21st minute. Round 16. Oleksandriya vs Dnipro-1. The match had been interrupted in the 56th minute. Round 18. Vorskla vs Metalist 1925. The match had been interrupted in the 76th minute. Round 20. Kryvbas vs Zorya. The match had been interrupted in the 55th minute. Round 22. Kryvbas vs Chornomorets. The match had been interrupted in the 31st minute. Oleksandriya vs Inhulets. The match had been interrupted in the 21st minute. Round 24. Zorya vs Veres. The match had been interrupted in the 71st minute.