In today's world, Ukrainian football clubs in European competitions has become a topic of great relevance and interest to a wide sector of society. Whether due to its impact on the economy, its influence on popular culture, or its role in history, Ukrainian football clubs in European competitions has become a topic of constant discussion in different areas. Over the years, Ukrainian football clubs in European competitions has sparked mixed opinions, heated debates, and has been the subject of numerous studies and investigations. In this article, we will thoroughly explore the role of Ukrainian football clubs in European competitions today and discuss its importance in different contexts.
Ukrainian football clubs have participated in European football competitions since 1965, when in the 1965–66 season, Dynamo Kyiv took part in the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup – the first Ukrainian and the first Soviet club to do so. In total, 17 clubs have represented Ukraine in European competition, among which 7 also previously represented the Soviet Union.
Dynamo Kyiv made a bold entry in the continental competitions back in 1965–66 as holders of the 1964 Soviet Cup.
Until 1993 Ukrainian clubs represented the Soviet Union. Upon dissolution of the Soviet Union all their points were passed on to the Russian football federation clubs boosting the Russian coefficient and placing Russia among best ranking federations in Europe, while Ukrainian federation clubs started out from scratch.
As part of the Soviet Union, Dynamo Kyiv participated in 24 various competitions playing over hundred games and winning three trophies. Its star player Oleg Blokhin became one of the most recognized players not for the Kyiv's club, but for the whole Soviet football.
Beside Dynamo, the Soviet football was also represented by other six clubs from Ukraine among which are Shakhtar Donetsk with 5 European seasons and Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk with 6 European seasons.
Since attaining independence, Ukraine was represented by many new clubs some of which played in Soviet competition, while some others never existed in the Soviet Union.
Dynamo Kyiv (1965), Karpaty Lviv (1970), Zorya Luhansk (1973), Chornomorets Odesa (1975), Shakhtar Donetsk (1977), FC Dnipro (1984), Metalist Kharkiv (1988), Tavriya Simferopol (1992), Nyva Vinnytsia (1996), Vorskla Poltava (1997), CSKA Kyiv (1998), Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih (1999), Metalurh Donetsk (2002), Metalurh Zaporizhya (2002), Illichivets Mariupol (2004), FC Oleksandriya (2016), Olimpik Donetsk (2017), Desna Chernihiv (2020), Kolos Kovalivka (2020), SC Dnipro-1 (2022), Polissya Zhytomyr (2024).
Ukraine was the only other union republic of the Soviet Union beside Russia that also managed to have representation in Europe almost every season starting with the first participation of Soviet clubs in European club competitions.
All-time table includes records for the Soviet period as well as the period of independent Ukraine. In bold are shown teams of the latest season.
S = seasons, GP = games played, W = won, D = drawn, L = lost, GS = goals scored, GA = goals allowed, GD = goals difference, Pts = points, LA = last appearance.
# | Team | Pop. place | S | GP | W | D | L | GS | GA | GD | Pts | LA | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | Dynamo | Kyiv | 54 | 416 | 174 | 102 | 140 | 599 | 490 | +109 | 624 | 2023–24 UECL | |
2. | Shakhtar* | Donetsk | 34 | 280 | 123 | 58 | 99 | 425 | 402 | +23 | 427 | 2023–24 UEL | |
3. | Dnipro† | Dnipro | 21 | 121 | 53 | 28 | 40 | 167 | 133 | +34 | 187 | 2015–16 UEL | |
4. | Metalist | Kharkiv | 9 | 64 | 30 | 15 | 19 | 88 | 55 | +33 | 105 | 2014–15 UEL | |
5. | Zorya | Luhansk | 10 | 60 | 20 | 12 | 28 | 67 | 88 | –21 | 72 | 2023–24 UECL | |
6. | Chornomorets | Odesa | 11 | 50 | 19 | 12 | 19 | 58 | 54 | +4 | 69 | 2014–15 UEL | |
7. | Vorskla | Poltava | 11 | 44 | 16 | 8 | 20 | 56 | 68 | –12 | 56 | 2023–24 UECL | |
8. | Metalurh† | Donetsk | 7 | 24 | 11 | 6 | 7 | 43 | 37 | +6 | 39 | 2013–14 UEL | |
9. | Karpaty | Lviv | 5 | 22 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 28 | 33 | –5 | 28 | 2011–12 UEL | |
10. | Arsenal† | Kyiv | 3 | 12 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 13 | 16 | –3 | 16 | 2012–13 UEL | other names: CSKA |
11. | Tavriya† | Simferopol | 4 | 14 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 11 | 23 | –12 | 15 | 2010–11 UEL | |
12. | Dnipro-1 | Dnipro | 2 | 16 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 16 | 25 | –9 | 14 | 2023–24 UECL | |
13. | Mariupol† | Mariupol | 3 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 9 | 14 | –5 | 12 | 2019–20 UEL | other names: Illichivets |
14. | Metalurh | Zaporizhzhia | 2 | 8 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 8 | 4 | +4 | 10 | 2006–07 UC | |
15. | Oleksandriya | Oleksandriia | 3 | 12 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 10 | 19 | –9 | 8 | 2019–20 UEL | |
16. | Kryvbas | Kryvyi Rih | 2 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 7 | 12 | –5 | 6 | 2000–01 UC | |
17. | Kolos | Kovalivka | 2 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | –1 | 5 | 2021–22 UECL | |
18. | Nyva | Vinnytsia | 1 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 8 | –6 | 3 | 1996-97 UCWC | |
19. | Olimpik† | Donetsk | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | –2 | 1 | 2017–18 UEL | |
20. | Desna† | Chernihiv | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | –2 | 0 | 2020–21 UEL | |
Total | 1,170 | 475 | 272 | 423 | 1,610 | 1,489 | +121 | 1,697 | — |
# | Team | Pop. place | Coef. | Pts | Seasons | GP | W | D | L | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Total | CL/EC | ||||||||||
1. | Shakhtar | Donetsk | 11.380 | 284.5 | 25 | 20 | 218 | 98 | 45 | 75 | |
2. | Dynamo | Kyiv | 9.911 | 277.5 | 28 | 25 | 261 | 98 | 71 | 92 | |
3. | Metalist | Kharkiv | 7.812 | 62.5 | 8 | 1 | 60 | 29 | 14 | 17 | |
4. | Dnipro | Dnipro | 6.714 | 94 | 14 | 1 | 93 | 44 | 19 | 30 | |
5. | Chornomorets | Odesa | 4.571 | 32 | 7 | 0 | 36 | 14 | 9 | 13 | |
6. | Karpaty | Lviv | 3.125 | 12.5 | 4 | 0 | 20 | 7 | 6 | 7 | |
7. | Zorya | Luhansk | 2.917 | 17.5 | 6 | 0 | 32 | 10 | 9 | 13 | |
8. | Vorskla | Poltava | 2.571 | 18 | 7 | 0 | 32 | 12 | 4 | 16 | |
9. | Metalurh | Zaporizhzhia | 2.500 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 2 | 4 | 2 | |
10. | Arsenal | Kyiv | 2.333 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 11 | 5 | 1 | 5 | other names: CSKA |
11. | Metalurh | Donetsk | 2.286 | 16 | 7 | 0 | 24 | 11 | 6 | 7 | |
12. | Nyva | Vinnytsia | 2.000 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | |
13. | Oleksandriya | Oleksandriia | 1.667 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 12 | 1 | 5 | 6 | |
14. | Tavriya | Simferopol | 1.500 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | |
Mariupol | Mariupol | 1.500 | 4.5 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 4 | other names: Illichivets | |
16. | Kryvbas | Kryvyi Rih | 1.000 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | |
17. | Olimpik | Donetsk | 0.500 | 0.5 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
Total | 6.519 | 843.5 | 123 | 48 | 835 | 338 | 198 | 299 |
Team | Number of Wins | Years |
---|---|---|
Dynamo Kyiv | 3 | 1975 (2), 1986 |
Shakhtar Donetsk | 1 | 2009 |
Cup Winners Cup | UEFA Cup/Europa League | Super Cup |
---|---|---|
1974–75 – Dynamo Kyiv | 2008–09 – Shakhtar Donetsk | 1975 – Dynamo Kyiv |
1985–86 – Dynamo Kyiv |
Until 1992–93 Ukrainian teams represented the Soviet Union. The Soviet teams did not enter the European Cup competitions until 1966. In 1992 the competition's name has changed to UEFA Champions League.
Notes: Blue border colour indicates seasons for which UEFA coefficient earned by Ukrainian clubs was awarded to Russia.
Note: UEFA/EL denotes qualified for the UEFA Cup/Europa League.
Until 1992–93 Ukrainian teams represented the Soviet Union. The Soviet teams did not play in the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup. In 2009 the competition's name has changed to UEFA Europa League.
Notes: Blue border colour indicates seasons for which UEFA coefficient earned by Ukrainian clubs was awarded to Russia.
The UEFA Cup Winners' Cup became the first continental competition in which Soviet clubs began their international participation in 1965. Until 1992–93 Ukrainian teams represented the Soviet Union.
Notes: Blue border colour indicates seasons for which UEFA coefficient earned by Ukrainian clubs was awarded to Russia.
Ukrainian clubs have won the competition once for the Soviet Union and taken part on two other occasions (only two clubs qualify). In total there are three fixtures featuring Ukrainian clubs.
Year | Club | Progress | Score | Opponents | Venue(s) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1975 | Dynamo Kyiv | Winners | 3–0 | ![]() |
1–0 at Olympiastadion, Munich 2–0 at Tsentralnyi Stadion, Kyiv |
1986 | Dynamo Kyiv | Runners-up | 0–1 | ![]() |
Stade Louis II, Monte Carlo |
2009 | Shakhtar Donetsk | Runners-up | 0–1 (a.e.t.) | ![]() |
Year | Team | Progress | Score | Opponents | Venue(s) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1995 | Did not participate | ||||
1996 | Shakhtar Donetsk | 4th in group stage | N/A | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | |
1997 | Did not participate | ||||
1998 | Vorskla Poltava | Third round | 2–5 | ![]() |
|
1999 | Did not participate | ||||
2000 | |||||
2001 | Tavriya Simferopol | Third round | 0–5 | ![]() |
|
2002 | Did not participate | ||||
2003 | |||||
2004 | |||||
2005 | |||||
2006 | Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk | Third round | 2–2 (a) | ![]() |
|
2007 | Chornomorets Odesa | Third round | 1–3 | ![]() |
|
2008 | Tavriya Simferopol | Third round | 1–1 (9–10 p) | ![]() |
|
# | Team | Pop. place | S | GP | W | D | L | GS | GA | GD | Pts | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | Metalist 1925 | Kharkiv | 10 | 38 | 21 | 2 | 15 | 105 | 70 | +35 | 65 | |
2. | Vorskla | Poltava | 4 | 15 | 8 | 2 | 5 | 39 | 19 | +20 | 26 | |
3. | Lehenda-ShVSM | Chernihiv | 5 | 17 | 8 | 1 | 8 | 35 | 25 | +10 | 25 | |
4. | Arsenal | Kharkiv | 2 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 38 | 10 | +28 | 12 | |
5. | Naftokhimik | Kalush | 1 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 15 | -8 | 9 | |
6. | Kryvbas | Kryvyi Rih | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 7 | -7 | 0 |