This season’s European campaign has been the worst on record for Ukrainian clubs. Across eight matches, three teams have failed to secure a single victory. Two have already been eliminated, while the third remains alive only due to the leniency of current competition rules. It feels unprecedentedly bleak — or does it? Let’s take a closer look.
At first glance, a similar level of turmoil can only be compared to the early years of independent Ukrainian football. The two seasons that stand out as the most disastrous were back-to-back in the early 1990s.
In 1993/94, Dynamo Kyiv faced a daunting Champions League draw against Barcelona and were unable to advance. Despite a spirited effort that included a 3-1 home win, they suffered a 1-4 defeat away. Barcelona’s squad was legendary, featuring players like Koeman, Laudrup, Zubizarreta, Stoichkov, and Romario — the eventual finalists. Meanwhile, in the Cup Winners’ Cup, Karpaty lost to Irish side Shelbourne despite a 1-0 home victory. In the UEFA Cup, Dnipro managed to overcome Austria’s Admira but were halted by Eintracht Frankfurt, even though they won the home leg.
The following year, Chornomorets were knocked out immediately from the Cup Winners’ Cup by Grasshopper Club Zurich, and Shakhtar Donetsk exited the UEFA Cup at the hands of Norway’s Lillestrom. It was a complete disaster, yet both teams still managed to claim a single win each. The silver lining was Dynamo’s performance, as they not only reached the Champions League group stage but also famously defeated Moscow’s Spartak 3-2 in front of their home fans.
Throughout the 1990s, Ukrainian clubs, even when eliminated early, at least secured one victory for their supporters. Lesser-known representatives like Vinnytsia’s Nyva even managed to beat Estonia’s Sadam in 1996/97. From 1995/96 through 1999/00, every Ukrainian participant progressed past the first round of European competitions. Granted, their opponents were generally of lower quality compared to this season’s Copenhagen, Gent, and PAOK. Nevertheless, the fact remains: Ukrainian clubs won matches in Europe every year, not just the exceptional Dynamo.
In the 2000s, early exits became more frequent, but the quality of opposition also rose. Kryvbas lost to Nantes without a win, Dnipro fell to Fiorentina, Donetsk’s Metalurh suffered a crushing 0-8 defeat to Werder Bremen, and later Parma. However, these setbacks occurred alongside regular European successes by Shakhtar and Dynamo, ensuring no Ukrainian season was a total failure in Europe. Occasionally, other clubs also enjoyed breakthroughs. For instance, in 2003/04, Dnipro reached the third round of the UEFA Cup, only falling to Marseille. The following year, they advanced through the group stage and reached the round of 32.
At the end of the decade, a historic moment occurred when Shakhtar, Dynamo, and Metalist all reached the UEFA Cup round of 16 in the same season. The outcome of that campaign is well remembered.
The 2010/11 season was another highlight: Shakhtar reached the Champions League quarterfinals, Dynamo competed in the Europa League, Metalist made it to the Europa League round of 32, and even Karpaty qualified for the group stage. This period arguably represented the peak of Ukrainian club football collectively. Subsequent years saw individual successes — Metalist’s Europa League quarterfinal, Dnipro’s final, Shakhtar’s semifinals — but not such a combined surge. The early 2010s were marked by regular participation of multiple Ukrainian clubs in group stages of both European tournaments, establishing them as consistent contenders.
This trend continued despite the upheavals of 2014, which disrupted Ukrainian football history. Not only Shakhtar and Dynamo but also Dnipro and Zorya delivered memorable European performances. Yet, signs of trouble emerged. Each year, at least one club was eliminated in the first round, often without winning a single match or sometimes even scoring.
The 2020s have been even more challenging. Typically, a couple of teams bow out at the earliest stage without much resistance. However, a total collapse like this season’s has not occurred before. There have been moments of progress: Kolos advanced past an initial round, and Zorya reached the Europa League group stage. In 2022/23, Dnipro-1 achieved a remarkable feat for a mid-level Ukrainian club by progressing from the group stage to the round of 32. This was in the newly formed Europa Conference League, which traditionally features a somewhat weaker field, allowing Ukrainian teams to perform more freely. For example, Polissya won two qualifying rounds last season against Andorra’s Santa Coloma and Hungary’s Paks. Still, when facing a stronger opponent like Fiorentina, Polissya quickly succumbed with 0-3 and 2-3 defeats.
What conclusions can be drawn? The answer is both simple and complex. By results alone, this season currently ranks as the worst in Ukrainian clubs’ European history. But, first, the season is not over — Dynamo still has opportunities to improve the outlook today and next Thursday, potentially altering the narrative significantly. Second, this time, Ukrainian teams have faced opponents stronger than average, a factor that cannot be ignored. Polissya and LNZ lost in fiercely competitive battles. So yes, on one hand, it is an unprecedented failure; on the other, it is not entirely hopeless. We’ll leave it at that and continue to follow the European season as it unfolds.
