Ukraine

Ukrainian football has roots in the late 19th century, grew inside the Soviet system, where Dynamo Kyiv became a continental power, and gained its own championship with independence in 1991. It is a league of contrasts: European giants like Dynamo and Shakhtar Donetsk, UEFA Cup winners in 2009, coexist with clubs that are born and vanish at the whim of mayors and sponsors. Since 2022, playing football in Ukraine has been an act of resistance in itself.