The 2020–21

Ukrainian First League The Persha Liha ( ) or Ukrainian First League is a Ukrainian football league system, level of national football competitions (second tier) in Ukraine governed by the Professional Football League of Ukraine, Professional Football League at the disc ...

was the 30th since its establishment. The league competition consists of 16 teams according to the decision of the PFL Council of Leagues.The council of leagues adopted its decision to finish season in the First League in originally adopted format (Совет лиг принял решение доиграть сезон Первой лиги в привычном формате)
Sport Arena. 5 June 2020 The season commenced on 5 September 2020. The final composition and regulations of the

Professional Football League of Ukraine The Professional Football League of Ukraine (; also known as PFL) is a non-for-profit sports association of professional football (sports) clubs also known as the Football Clubs Association "Professional Football League of Ukraine". It is a co ...

both leagues were adopted at the PFL Conference on 21 August 2020.

Summary

In this season, the bottom two teams of the First League are to be relegated to the Second League. The top two teams from each group of the Second League will gain promotion to the First League for the next season. Promotion and/or relegation play-off games that were in place since 2011 (with exclusion in 2013) were discontinued altogether for the season. This league's season was expected to have number of team increased to eighteen, however due to financial situation with both

FC Karpaty Lviv Football Club Karpaty Lviv ( ) is a Ukrainian professional football club based in Lviv. In 2020–21 the club was reorganized and changed owner. During that period there existed two clubs with the same name, one at professional level competitio ...

and

FC Balkany Zorya FC Balkany Zorya () is a professional Ukrainian football team that is based in the village of Zorya, Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi Raion in the region of Budjak, Odesa Oblast. History The club was founded in 2007 as FC Zorya in the ethnically Bulgari ...

the PFL reinstated the sixteen team competition as per last season(see "Teams" section). Due to the ongoing

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

attendance restriction in the league is still in effect, but was partially eased. The postponed gamesArtur Malkin.
(У Першій та Другій лізі через захворювання на COVID-19 перенесені одразу три матчі)
'. Footboom. 2 October 2020Vlad Vlasenko.
The postponed due to coronavirus among Lutsk players game Volyn – Nyva will take place on 1 October (Перенесенный из-за коронавируса у лучан матч Волынь — Нива состоится 1 октября)
'. Sport Arena. 25 September 2020The First League: three games of starting round were postponed (Перша ліга: три матчі стартового туру перенесені)
Professional Football League. 2 September 2020 that the PFL was not able to reschedule for the later dates of fall half of the season, on 30 November 2020 were rescheduled for the spring half of 2021.

Teams

This season, Ukrainian First League consist of 16 teams, which includes top two teams from the both groups of 2019–20 Ukrainian Second League and two relegation/promotion play-offs winners.

Promoted teams

The following teams have been promoted from the 2019–20 Ukrainian Second League: * Nyva Ternopil – first place in Group A ''(returning after 5 seasons, last competed in the 2015–16 season)'' * Polissia Zhytomyr – second place in Group A ''(debut, however another club named as Polissia Zhytomyr last competed in the 2004–05 season)'' * Veres Rivne – play-off winner ''(returning after 3 seasons)'' * VPK-Ahro Shevchenkivka – first place in Group B ''(debut)'' * Krystal Kherson – second place in Group B ''(returning after 28 seasons, last competed in the

1992 1992 was designated as International Space Year by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 – Boutros Boutros-Ghali of Egypt replaces Javier Pérez de Cuéllar of Peru as United Nations Secretary-General. * January 6 ** The Republ ...

league's inaugural season)'' * Alians Lypova Dolyna – play-off winner ''(debut)''

Relegated teams

* None – Karpaty Lviv that placed 12th in the

2019–20 Ukrainian Premier League The 2019–20 Ukrainian Premier League season was the 29th top-level football club competitions since the fall of the Soviet Union and the 12th since the establishment of the Ukrainian Premier League. The tournament has been set to start on 28 J ...

, were excluded from the league for repeated absence from scheduled games. A possibility was declared at first that the club might be admitted to the First League nonetheless, but later it was announced that Karpaty will be admitted the Second League instead. About a month later on 14 August 2020, Tribuna.ua informed that Karpaty never applied for certification for the next season in first or second leagues.

Legal and other issues

* FC Hirnyk-Sport Horishni Plavni was approved by the

Ukrainian Association of Football The Ukrainian Football Association (, ; UAF) is the governing body of football (soccer), football in Ukraine. Before 2019, it was known as the Football Federation of Ukraine (FFU; ). As a subject of the International Olympic Movement, UAF is a me ...

(UAF) to play, after the UAF Chamber of Dispute Resolution order the club to pay compensation to its former player and the club completely ignored it. *

announced that it was considering withdrawing from the league as it is too expensive for the club.

Renamed teams

* ''FC Obolon-Brovar Kyiv'' changed its name to

FC Obolon Kyiv FC Obolon Kyiv (, ) is a Ukrainian professional football club based in Kyiv (Obolonskyi District). Its home colors are green shirts and white shorts; while its away uniforms are white shirts and green shorts. Its main sponsor was the brewery Ob ...

before the start of the season. * '' FC Veres Rivne'' changed its name to RNK Veres Rivne before the start of the season. * '' MFC Kremin Kremenchuk'' changed its name to

FC Kremin Kremenchuk Football Club Kremin Kremenchuk (; ) is a professional association football, football club based in Kremenchuk, Ukraine. The current club is administered by the city of Kremenchuk and was established in 2003, but it traces its heritage to the pr ...

before the start of the season. * ''

FC Avanhard Kramatorsk Football Club Kramatorsk (; ) is a professional Ukrainian football club from the city of Kramatorsk in Donetsk Oblast. The club takes its history from a factory team of the Old Kramatorsk Machine-building Plant (SKMZ). History The club Avang ...

'' changed its name to Avanhard-SK Kramatorsk at the during the latter (May 30) part of the season.

Location map

The following displays the location of teams.

Stadiums

The following stadiums were used as home grounds for the teams in the competition. The minimum capacity for stadiums of the First League clubs is set at 1,500 spectators. ;Notes

Personnel and sponsorship

Managerial changes

''Notes:''

League table

Results

Top goalscorers

Awards

Monthly awards

The award is being selected on initiative of the PFL media partner UA-Football.

Round awards