The 2024–25 Ukrainian First League is the 34th football league season since its establishment. The league competition consisted of 18 teams. The competition is conducting during the ongoing war with the Russia since late February 2022.
The season started with an opening match of the season on 7 August 2024 between Ahrobiznes and Metalist in Volochysk. Most of the other Round 1 matches were played in the following day, 8 August 2024.
Format
The PFL has decided to keep the split group format of double round-robin tournaments with 9 teams in group, total 18 teams. The number of teams has been reduced to 18 compared to the 20 last season. Similar to the last season the top teams will qualify for the promotion tournament, four from each, while less fortunate teams, five from each, will qualify for the relegation tournament.[1] Due to odd number of teams in both groups of the first stage, the second stage groups, promotion and relegation, will not have even number of teams. In total the first stage will have 18 rounds with 72 matches in each group, 16 for each team.[1]
The second stage will have another two groups one for promotion to the top tier, another for relegation to the tier below. The promotion group tournament will consist of 8 teams, top 4 teams from each group (A and B) of the first stage.[1] The teams' record from the previous stage will be grandfathered in full.[1] Each team in the promotion group will play 8 matches with the best four teams of the other group of the first stage (home and away).[1] In total there will be 32 matches.[1] The top two teams of the promotion group will get promotion rights to the Ukrainian Premier League, while the next two teams (3rd and 4th places) would receive a chance to get promotion rights through play-off match-up with the top tier teams.[1]
The teams that would place 5th through 9th in each group (A and B) in the first stage will form the relegation group.[1] The teams' record from the previous stage will be grandfathered in full as well.[1] Each 10 teams of the relegation group will play 10 matches with the 5 teams of the other group of the first stage (home and away).[1] In total there will be 50 matches.[1] The bottom three teams (places 8-10) will gain direct relegation to the tier below (Druha Liha/Ukrainian Second League), while teams that would place 6th and 7th will meet with runners-up of the Druha Liha in play-off match-ups to contest their place in the league.[1]
Emergency changes
Following the withdrawal of FC Khust in September 2024, the Professional Football League adopted following decisions:[2]
If a First League team is withdrawn and has not played fifty percent of the matches in the first stage of the First League competition, then the points scored in the first stage of the competition with that team will be annulled (scratched).
After completing the first stage, this team automatically takes the last place in the respective group, and after completing the second stage, it automatically takes the last place in the Relegation group.
If a team is withdrawn from group A, then the points scored in group B with the team with the lowest place in the tournament table of this group are annulled, for the teams of the corresponding group, in the second stage of the competition (for the teams of the Championship group) and remain (counted) (for teams of the Elimination group), a similar approach is used when removing a team from group B.
Teams
This season, Ukrainian First League consisted of 18 teams.
FC Kudrivka which has its teams in both Chernihiv and Kyiv regions (representing Irpin) merged and took over Nyva Buzova (Irpin city area). The club withdrew its original team from the lower tier for this season.
Due to withdrawal of the Ukrainian Second League (tier 3) champion Druzhba Myrivka, FC Khust, which was defeated in play-off match-up against PFC Zviahel, was allowed to remain in the Persha Liha (tier 2) competitions.
On 21 June 2024, it was announced that Podoliany Ternopil (2023–24 AAFU debutants) are planned to merge with FC Khust as FC Khust-Podoliany.[3][4] The merging was not done.[5]
On 19 November 2024, an information has appeared that Metalist Kharkiv has financial issues and might be sanctioned by football administrators including FIFA.[6]
Withdrawn
PFC Zviahel – promoted as a playoff winner to debut, but withdrawn before the season started
Kudrivka-Nyva – partially merged during the last season's winter break, the club completed merger
Druzhba Myrivka – winner of the 2023–24 Ukrainian Second League withdrawn from competitions
FC Khust – after playing only three matches, the club announced that it withdraws from the league. On the moment of its announcement, it lost all its 3 matches and was placing the last 9th position.[7]
Updated to match(es) played on 23 November 2024. 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).[30] (Q) Qualified for the phase indicated Notes:
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).[30] (Q) Qualified for the phase indicated
Updated to match(es) played on 27 November 2024. Source: Calendar(in Ukrainian) Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win. Notes:
^The game scheduled to be played on 7 August 2024 on Viktoriya's ground was postponed to later due to air raid siren.[33] The game was rescheduled and took place on 24 September 2024 on Dinaz's ground instead whilst Matchday 10 match was rescheduled to take place on Viktoriya's ground.[34]
^On 27 November 2024 the postponed game between FC Kremin and FSC Mariupol was canceled due to financial hardship of the Mariupol team. The decision for the game result was determied by the UAF Control and Disciplinary Committee on 3 December 2024.[35][36][37][38][39]
^The game scheduled to be played on 3 October 2024 was postponed to later due to air raid siren.[40] The game was rescheduled and took place on 30 October 2024.
^The match that originally ended 2–1 was changed to technical result due to an ineligible player for Kremin.[41]
^On 22 November 2024, the PFL announced that it was informed by FC Dinaz that the club cannot make it to the game Metalurh-Dinaz scheduled on 24 November 2024.[42] On 25 November 2024, the president of PFL commented that FC Dinaz will be awarded with a technical loss for no show.[43] On 28 November 2024, the UAF Control and Disciplinary Committee determined the technical result of the match which reflected the previous comment of the PFL president.[44]
^On 14 October 2024 the Mariupol players refused to appear on the field due to unpaid wages by the club.[45][46][47][48] Mariupol was awarded technical loss for forfeit on decision of the UAF Control and Disciplinary Commission of 24 October 2024.[49]
^The game scheduled to be played on 26 August 2024 was postponed to later due to air raid siren.[50] The game was rescheduled and took place on 13 November 2024.
First match(es) will be played: in spring of 2025. 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).[30] Notes:
First match(es) will be played: in spring of 2025. 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).[30] Notes:
^The UAF Control and Disciplanry Committee spared FC Mariupol despite two no shows during the season.[38]
The relegation–promotion play-off games are scheduled to take place between the 6th and 7th placed teams in the Relegation group of the First League with the second and third placed teams of the Second League.