The Ukrainian Premier League (UPL) 2026/2027 season begins this weekend, so this is a season preview that I have written to help serve as an introductory guide to the league. The season continues on in Ukraine despite Russia's invasion, and it shapes up to be an exciting one. Some historic clubs have suffered greatly as a result of it (Vorskla Poltava, Desna Chernihiv, etc), so there have been a lot of new clubs that have recently become members of the top flight. Outside of Dynamo Kyiv and Shakhtar, many of you may not know about these teams, so I hope to give you a short overview of each one with predicted standings, fun facts, etc. Ask any questions in the comments! 1. Shakhtar Donetsk: Expected Finish (1st) This season, there is no debate as to which team has the best squad in Ukraine. Shakhtar manager Arda Turan has been backed in his 2nd season in charge and oversaw a transfer window which brought in two extremely promising Brazilian youngsters (Ryan Roberto, Bruninho) and one of the UPL's best players from last season, Venezuelan Gleiker Mendoza. In addition, they have also acquired the versatile and experienced Oleksandr Karavaiev, who can fill in anywhere on the right flank and is known for a timely goal or two. All of Shakhtar's key players from last season's Conference League semi-final and UPL title-winning season seem set to stay for another season. In addition, many of them are extremely young (teenagers or early 20's), so it is reasonable to assume they will develop further and the team will be stronger this season. Arda Turan has shown to be a strong coach who has built fantastic relationships with his young players, despite not speaking Ukrainian, Portuguese (13 Brazilians at Shakhtar), or fantastic English. For these reasons, many expect Shakhtar to comfortably finish in 1st place, especially with the downfall of Dynamo Kyiv 2. Dynamo Kyiv: Expected Finish: (2nd-5th) Last season, Dynamo Kyiv were quite rubbish, which led to a 4th place finish in the UPL. Fortunately, the season was somewhat salvaged by winning the Ukrainian Cup, which meant that Dynamo Kyiv was placed in Europa League qualifiers instead of Conference League qualifiers. Ultimately, that didn't matter much, as PAOK just spanked Dynamo Kyiv 5-2 over 2 games. This result has given Dynamo Kyiv fans no confidence going into the season. Signings have been terrible or mediocre for many years, and Dynamo Kyiv had to be reliant on stars coming through the academy, like Mykolenko or Zabarnyi, to help build a UPL-challenging team. This current crop of homegrown players is nothing special, though. The best of the bunch is Matviy Ponomarenko. He is a talented 20-year-old striker who will likely be in a big league in the next few seasons. However, he can not carry the team when he receives no service from the mediocrity on display in the midfield or on the flanks. The biggest issue with Dynamo Kyiv is the defense. In the 4th-place finishing season, Dynamo Kyiv conceded 36 goals, which was way too many for a title-challenging team. Shakhtar only conceded 21, and 2nd-place LNZ Cherkasy conceded 17. Signings were made to "address" this problem, but it is not overly convincing whether 32-year-old Tomasz Kedziora (coming from PAOK, ironically) and Oleksiy Sych, a squad player for Karpaty Lviv, will address this problem. As a final piece of comedic tragedy that occurs at Dynamo Kyiv, there is also potential nepotism occurring in the player selections. Against PAOK, goalkeeper Vyacheslav Surkis (son of owner Ihor Surkis's Brother) made an unconvincing debut. Centerback Kristian Bilovar, who has played a suspicious amount of games despite being extremely shit, is the husband of the owner's daughter. At the end of the day, Dynamo Kyiv still has by far the 2nd biggest budget in Ukraine. However, other teams are beginning to catch up while Dynamo Kyiv continues to be a mess. 3. Polissia Zhytomyr: Expected Finish (2nd-5th) For those not familiar with Ukrainian football, this may be a team that you do not know. However, keep them on your radar because they are ambitious, have financial backing, and will likely be in a European group stage soon. Polissia is owned by Ukrainian Grocery Store Tycoon Hennadiy Butkevych and has been spending 5-6 million a year on transfers each season. This is more than almost any club in Ukraine can do. These financial expenditures have mostly been smart and have resulted in Polissia being 5th, 4th, then 3rd in the past 3 seasons. Although the team finishing above Shakhtar would be a surprise, there is no reason to think that they couldn't finish ahead of Dynamo Kyiv this season. Their big signing this summer was Cape Verdean international Leandro Andrade, who was brought in for 3 million Euros from Qarabag. Unfortunately, Polissia were not able to beat FC Kobenhavn in the Conference League Qualifiers, but Ruslan Rotan's men put up a solid performance and showed that they could certainly match in skill against European regulars. 4. FC Kharkiv: Expected Finish (2nd-5th) Take note of FC Kharkiv. This is a billionaire-backed team that may have the same resources as Shakhtar Donetsk in the near future. Many of you may have heard of Metalist Kharkiv, who were European regulars in the early 2010's. This is not the same team. That Metalist Kharkiv experienced financial difficulties after their oligarch owner stopped pumping in money around 2016, so they are currently rotting away in the 2nd division. This team, which was known as Metalist 1925 until this season, was formed by the former vice president of Metalist Kharkiv. In 2023, FC Kharkiv received a substantial financial boost when the CEO of WhiteBit Cryptocurrency Exchange, Volodymyr Nosov, became an investor in the club. With his financial backing, Metalist Kharkiv is able to spend millions on transfers every season. This season, they have spent 7.75 million in the transfer market. Nosov states that the club's goal is to one day "Win the Champions League". While they are far away from that, they are certainly not far away from qualifying for their first-ever European campaign this season. In fact, I'd say it would be a disappointment if they missed out. Last season, they came in 5th, and the team has been strengthened this summer. Their key man is likely Ivan Kalyuzhnyi, who is now a frequent starter at DM for the Ukrainian National Team. There is also a lot of excitement for new DM Rafael Profini, who was a starter for Union Santa Fe in Argentina before signing for FC Kharkiv this summer. 5. LNZ Cherkasy: Predicted Finish: (2nd-5th) LNZ Cherkasy were last season's surprise finishers. For much of the season, they were even in first place in the UPL. However, their momentum was derailed slightly after the winter break, and they came in 2nd place. Nevertheless, this was an impressive achievement that many didn't see coming. The club does have good financial backing from the LNZ Agricultural company, which is why they were able to shoot up through the ranks. However, they are not quite as rich as FC Kharkiv, Shakhtar, or Polissia. The key to LNZ's success last season was their defense. LNZ only conceded 17 goals in 30 games, thanks to strong defensive organization from head coach Vitaliy Ponomaryov and having some solid players in the GK and defense. The attack wasn't great, especially after they sold key player Prosper Obah during the January 2026 window. This summer, LNZ Cherkasy has not lost any key players and looked to reinforce those weaker positions in the attacking areas. Unfortunately, LNZ will not be playing in Europe since they lost on penalties to KAA Gent. However, they put in a good showing against the Belgian side, and fans are optimistic going into the season. There is no reason LNZ couldn't finish in a European spot again this season. 6. Karpaty Lviv: Predicted Finish (5th-7th) Karpaty Lviv are quite a historic Ukrainian club who only recently made a comeback into the UPL. Last season, they were among the most disappointing clubs. They were hanging around the bottom half of the table for most of the season and finished in 9th place. This season, they will hope to improve upon that and challenge for a European spot. What is interesting about Karpaty Lviv is that despite the disappointing season, Karpaty made a lot of money selling promising youngsters this summer. GK Nazar Domchak, ST Boubacar Fall, and AM Bruninho were sold for a combined 9.7 million Euros. Although they lost a lot of key players, how important will losing key players in a disappointing season be? Karpaty now has a lot of money to play with, which it has invested into some experienced players. Under Spanish head coach Fran Fernandez, Karpaty has looked to bring in experienced Spanish Players to complement the good batch of Ukrainian young talents. The most intriguing of which is 31-year-old Ivan Calero, who was one of the best right backs in the 2nd division of Spain last season (the Ukrainian Premier League's level isn't that high). More signings will likely be made, so I think Karpaty will be much improved this season 7. Kolos Kovalivka: Predicted Finish (6th-9th) Once upon a time, Kolos Kovalivka qualified for a European spot. This season, that seems unlikely, but Kolos Kovalivka is a solid team, achieving a 6th place finish in 2025-26. Kolos comes from the village of Kovalivka, which has a population of 1500. Check out some pictures of this village, as it is one of the most well-maintained and beautiful towns in Ukraine. For a while, they were seen as Ukraine's Cinderella story due to their rapid rise through the divisions and then that incredible European qualification in 2020. Since then, the team has finished midtable/bottom half of the table in the UPL, but who knows if a miracle is in store again? 8. Zoria Luhansk: Predicted Finish (6th-9th) Back in the days under Yuriy Vernydub, Zoria Luhansk was a team that would regularly finish in the European spots. In September 2017, Zoria Luhansk even won an away match against Atletico Bilbao. These days, the team is unfortunately not at that level. Since they are from Luhansk in Eastern Ukraine, the Russian invasion has greatly impacted the club. It is miraculous they still exist in the UPL. This season, they should finish comfortably in midtable. Viktor Skrypnyk, who once managed in the Bundesliga with Werder Bremen, is a solid manager for UPL standards. Their key man, 196 cm striker Pylyp Budkivskyi, continues to be one of the better strikers in the UPL at 34 years old. They also have done a smart job in signing foreign players from smaller leagues, such as the Bosnian league, that have come in and improved the team. 9. Epicentre Kamyanets-Podilskyi: Predicted Finish: (9th-12th) Epicentre Kamyanets-Podilskyi is not a name that will roll off the tongue for foreigners. However, this is an interesting club. They have decided to adopt a "budget Shakhtar" strategy. What this means is that, in the same way Shakhtar looks to bring young, talented Brazilians to their club, Epicentre looks to bring in... mid-20s Spanish Players from the 3rd division of Spain. At this point, Epicentre has 6 Spanish players in the club. This strategy, which began last year, has paid off so far. Last season, it was their first season in the UPL, and they were able to avoid relegation by finishing 10th. The goal will be to improve on that 10th place finish to see if the Spanish and Ukrainian lads can push on to a stronger mid-table finish. Anything higher will be a bonus. Their key player will likely be Joaquinete, who had 8 goals and 7 assists in his debut season in the UPL. 10. Bukovyna Chernivitsi: Predicted Finish: (9th-12th) Bukovyna are newly promoted to the UPL in the 26-27 season. They absolutely cakewalked the 2nd division and finished 16 points clear of 2nd place. Over the summer window, they haven't lost any of those key players who guided them to promotion and have added some ok reinforcements, such as former Ukrainian international Vyacheslav Tankovskyi. Bukovyna is a club that is smartly run, so it would be disappointing for them if they were to be relegated. This is their first ever time in the UPL. 11. Veres Rivne: Predicted Finish: (9th-14th) Have you thought about investing your money? Consider investing in Veres Rivne football club! Actually, you probably shouldn't, but you could! Veres Rivne is Ukraine's first and only football club that is publicly listed on the stock market. With enough investment from us here at Reddit, Veres Rivne could achieve greatness!. This season, not too much is expected from the field. Veres Rivne have been in the UPL for a few seasons now, and have finished around mid-table or the bottom half of the table for each season. Currently, the squad is looking a bit thin, with just 20 first-team players registered. There is still time to make signings, though, so I think they will end up avoiding relegation. 12. Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih: Predicted Finish: (9th-14th) Kryvyi Rih is truly a working class people and in a sense, Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih feels like a working-class club. They are the Ukrainian club that has the highest percentage of foreign players in the squad, with over 50% of the team not being Ukrainian. Last season, the club had an impressive season that saw them finish in 5th place. This was thanks to them finding some gems from the foreign player market. For example, Venezuelan international Gleiker Mendoza had 11 goals and 11 assists for them in 26 games. So, why are they a potential relegation candidate in this season preview? That is because Kryvbas struggles financially and was raided this summer for almost all of their key players. For instance, Gleiker Mendoza was sold to Shakhtar for 3 million. In fact, 3 Venezuelans were sold for a combined 6 million euros. It is hard to imagine that Kryvbas's scouting will pay off again and that players that they bring in from places like the Panamanian league or the 2nd division of Slovenia will become gems. Might it also be difficult for the team to gel, with so much turnover? Tune into the UPL to find out more! 13. Obolon Kyiv: Predicted Finish: (12th-14th) The boys from the Obolon brewery (try their beer if you get the chance to do so) have managed to narrowly avoid relegation for several seasons now. In the last 3 seasons, they have finished in 14th, 11th, and 12th. Obolon is the opposite of Kryvbas, as they have 0 foreign players in the squad. Instead of looking for gems from random leagues, they focus on signing players who stood out from the 2nd division (Persha Liga) or from relegated clubs. They don't have much money, so the squad isn't drastically improving every season. They are also one of the oldest squads in the UPL, with an average age of 27.1. This consistency and experience have proven to be enough to survive in the past, so I think they will manage to avoid relegation once again this season 14. Chornomorets Odesa: Predicted finish: (12th-16th) Chornomorets Odesa is one of the UPL's most historic clubs. Recently, the club has been one that has been more impacted by the Russian invasion than some other clubs with more resources or further away from the conflict. This has resulted in Chornomorets Odesa being relegated in 2025/2026. However, they are now back and have spent a solid $350,000 in the transfer window with the goal of staying up. Chornomorets was the other team to go up automatically from the Persha Liga, but as I mentioned previously, they were 17 points behind Bukovyna. As a result, I think they will have a difficult season ahead of them. However, they do have one of the most experienced Ukrainian managers, Roman Hryhorchuk, at the helm. As additional random trivia, they also have a pair of identical twin brothers, Mykola and Ivan Kogut. One is a right winger, and the other is a left winger! 15. Livyi Bereh: Predicted finish: (12th-16th) Livyi Bereh, which translates to "Left Bank," comes from the region of the left bank on the Dnieper River in Kyiv. They are the third and final promoted team. Just like Chornomorets, Livyi Bereh was relegated to the 2nd division in 2024/2025, and then yo-yoed back to the top flight last season. Similarly, they will be expected to struggle. The team doesn't have too much money, so they have only signed a couple of players so far. They are also not a historically successful Ukrainian club, with this only being their second ever season in the UPL (after 2024/2025). They have made one intriguing signing though: Ilya Kvasnystya. In 2023/2024, Kvasnystya broke out at 20 years old for Rukh Lviv with an 8-goal and 8-assist season in the UPL. This had even put him on the radar of some foreign clubs in leagues such as Belgium. However, he has had some injury setbacks, and only had 1 goal and 1 assist in 20 games last season. If Kvasnytsya can get back to his best, it could be enough for Livyi Bereh to survive in the UPL for the first time. 16. Kudrivka FC: Predicted Finish: (14th-16th) Kudrivka FC is from the small village of Kudrivka in Northern Ukraine. With Kudrivka having a population of 838 people, they are officially the smallest club in the UPL. This is their 2nd consecutive season in the UPL, as they managed to avoid relegation by finishing in 13th place last season. This meant they had to avoid relegation by beating FC Ahrobiznes in the relegation playoffs. However, they now seem to be in a bit of trouble. They have received a few temporary transfer bans lately because they have been late on payments. This has led to concern over the state of Kudrivka's finances. Some have also called Kudrivka a bit of a "fake" or "mercenary" club that doesn't have a true identity.   submitted by   /u/DimaSholom [link]   [comments]