Odessa's Chornomorets is officially returning to the elite of Ukrainian football. At the end of the 2025/26 season in the First League, the team won the second spot in the Ukrainian Premier League. This triumphant return was made possible thanks to a fierce battle in the final round of the championship.
The decisive match against Metalist
In the final round, the team under the guidance of Roman Hryhorchuk faced Kharkiv's Metalist. For the Odessa players, this match was purely a matter of principle: there was no option in their schedule other than victory. The situation was complicated by a parallel match where the competitor for the UPL spot — Livyi Bereh — convincingly beat Inhulets away with a score of 3:1. This meant that the "sailors" needed to win to guarantee themselves a place in the top division.
Match hero and the decisive goal
The game turned out to be tense, but the Odessa players managed to impose their will on the opponent. The decisive moment occurred in the 62nd minute. Forward Vladyslav Herych, on loan from Kyiv's Dynamo, converted a penalty, bringing the team a minimal but most important victory. This goal became the key factor that determined the fate of the season.
Season results
Thanks to this victory, Chornomorets accumulated 65 points in 30 rounds and took a confident second place in the First League standings. This became a logical conclusion to a successful season, the prerequisites for which were laid earlier. In particular, in the 29th round, which took place on May 23, the Odessa players crushed the local Bukovyna away in Chernivtsi with a score of 3:1, which was an important step towards the final goal.
Today was a celebration for the fans and the entire football family of the club, who saw the result of the painstaking work of the entire team and coaching staff.