In the middle of the ongoing Russian invasion, Ukraine has canceled its top-tier football competition without recognizing a winner.
Due to the country’s ongoing martial law, the Ukrainian Premier League (UPL) season has been canceled, and the championship will not be given, according to the league.
Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February in what Moscow calls a “special military operation,” no matches have been played.
Before the league’s three-month winter break, the final round of matches were played in December. With 47 points after 18 games, Shakhtar Donetsk stood two points ahead of Dynamo Kyiv at the top of the league standings.
“The football clubs of the Ukrainian Premier League supported the proposal to terminate the 2021/22 season … since the championship cannot be completed due to the extension of martial law status in Ukraine,” the UPL said in a statement Tuesday.
“The standings as of Feb. 24, 2022, will be the final standings of the 2021/22 season, with no winners to be awarded. The corresponding decision was submitted for approval by the executive committee of the Ukrainian Association of Football.”
The top two teams win Champions League qualification.