The 2021/22 season of the VBet Liha, the Ukrainian first division of football was definitively canceled this Wednesday due to the Russian invasion, as announced by the Premier League of the European nation.
According to the announcement, all 16 clubs accepted the decision and after 18 dates played there will be no champion in a league that had Shakhtar Donetsk at the time of the suspension as the leader with 47 unitsfollowed by defending champions Dynamo kyiv with 45 and Dnipro with 40.
After a videoconference with the clubs, the league reported that the positions that existed on February 24 last, when the Russian invasion began and the matches were suspended, would be considered final “because the championship cannot be played in its entirety.”
The classification would determine the pass to the cups organized by UEFA in the next season if it is considered that the Ukrainian clubs can play. The league’s decision must be approved by the Ukrainian Football Federation, Marca said.
Of the 16 teams in the first division, Mariupol’s stadium is now in Russian-held territory and Desna’s stadium in Chernihiv was destroyed by shelling that toppled part of a grandstand and left a deep crater in the pitch.
The Ukrainian team can still qualify for the 2022 Qatar World Cup and is scheduled to face Scotland on June 1 in a match postponed by the European playoffs. The winner will face Wales four days later for a World Cup place.
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