2024–25 Ukrainian First League

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. 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.

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. The teams' record from the previous stage will be grandfathered in full. 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). In total there will be 32 matches. 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.

The teams that would place 5th through 9th in each group (A and B) in the first stage will form the relegation group. The teams' record from the previous stage will be grandfathered in full as well. 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). In total there will be 50 matches. 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.

Emergency changes

Following the withdrawal of FC Khust in September 2024, the Professional Football League adopted following decisions:
* 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.

Promoted teams

Two teams were promoted at the end of the 2023–24 Ukrainian Second League.
* UCSA Tarasivka – playoff winner ''(debut)''
* FC Kudrivka – placed 7th ''(debut, replacing "Kudrivka-Nyva")''

Relegated teams

Two teams were relegated at the end of the 2023–24 Ukrainian Premier League.
* Metalist 1925 Kharkiv – 16th placed ''(returning after three seasons)''
* FC Mynai – 15th placed ''(returning after four seasons)''

Administrative issues

Temporary relocation

Due to the Russian military aggression, three clubs in the league were forced to relocate.
* FC Metalist Kharkiv moved to Uzhhorod
* FSC Mariupol moved to Boryspil
* FC Metalist 1925 Kharkiv moved to Zolocha community (Kyiv suburb)

Withdrawn

* 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. The merging was not done.
* FSC Mariupol, after missing 2 calendar matches in the first half of the season, allowed to stay in the league despite regulations. On March 10, 2025, the head coach of the club announced that an official letter that the club withdraws from competitions will be sent the next day on March 11. About a week later, in internet news media appeared information about that an amateur club, Feniks Pidmonastyr ( 2024–25 amateurs), has agreed and was approved to play under FSC Mariupol brand. On March 19, it was announced that Feniks is ready to pay the Mariupol's debt of 5 million hryvnia. Next day it was confirmed that the "replacement" will go into effect and in the second half of March will take part in a traditional local Juzst Memorial tournament. On 24 March 2025, the general director of Feniks explained that until the end of the season the club will be playing as Feniks-Mariupol.Юрій Павлишин: «Ребрендинг буде, але зараз будемо виступати в Першій лізі як «Фенікс-Маріуполь»
ua.tribuna.com. 24 March 2025

* 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.

Location map

The following displays the location of teams.

Stadiums

The following stadiums were used as home grounds for the teams in the competition.

''Notes:''

Personnel and sponsorship

''Notes:''

Managerial changes

''Notes:''

Group A league table

Group A results

Group A results by week

Group A goalscorers

Group A clean sheets

Group B league table

Group B results

Group B results by week

Group B goalscorers

Group B clean sheets

Promotion group league table

Promotion group results

Promotion group results by week

Promotion group goalscorers

Promotion group clean sheets

Relegation group league table

Relegation group results

Relegation group results by week

Relegation group goalscorers

Relegation group clean sheets

Awards

Monthly awards

Round awards

;Fall half

;Spring half

Relegation play-offs

Promotion play-offs

For the inter-tier (top and 2nd) promotion-relegation playoffs, please see the 2024–25 Ukrainian Premier League article.

Number of teams by region

See also

* 2024–25 Ukrainian Premier League
* 2024–25 Ukrainian Second League
* 2024–25 Ukrainian Football Amateur League

References

External links

The season's regulations
pfl.ua.

The season's playing calendar
pfl.ua.

{{DEFAULTSORT:2024-25 Ukrainian First League
Ukrainian First League seasons
2024–25 in Ukrainian association football leagues
Ukraine
Sports events affected by the Russian invasion of Ukraine