The Ukrainian Premier League has released the results of Matchday 4 of the 2026/27 season. Based on the voting of 38 experts, who determined the best manager, the best player, and the symbolic team of the week, 'Polissya' head coach Ruslan Rotan and 'Episenter' midfielder Artem Kozak became the main heroes of the round. This is reported by Sport RBC.UA, citing the official UPL website.
Rotan and 'Polissya': Triumph over the Incumbent Champion
The winner among the managers of Matchday 4 was 'Polissya' head coach Ruslan Rotan. His team secured a convincing victory over the incumbent Ukrainian champion — Donetsk's 'Shakhtar' — which became the main storyline of the round. The credibility of the choice is confirmed by the numbers: Rotan was mentioned in 37 of the 38 expert ballots, and he received the top spot in the ranking 23 times. In total, several specialists made it into the top three managers of the round, but Rotan's lead over his competitors was the largest.
Kozak and a Rare Feat: Three Goal-Assists in a Single Match
The title of best player of Matchday 4 was won by 'Episenter' midfielder Artem Kozak. In the match against 'Kudrovka' he delivered three goal-assists, demonstrating an exceptionally high level of game intelligence and vision. As analysts note, such a result is extremely rare: over 12 seasons of Wyscout tracking, a similar event had been recorded only 12 times in the history of the Ukrainian championship.
Team of the Round: 27 Players and 7 Managers
In the process of forming the symbolic team of Matchday 4, the specialists recalled 27 players and 7 managers. In addition to Kozak and Rotan, the discussion also involved players such as Sidun (the author of a brace) and goalkeeper Penkov, whose performances were also noted by the expert community. The sports desk of Sport RBC.UA had previously published its own version of the team of the round, which largely matches the official UPL selection.
Context and Significance of the Results
'Polissya's victory over 'Shakhtar' carries special significance for the championship's standings: the incumbent Ukrainian champion suffered a defeat at the hands of a team that is showcasing attacking and productive football in the current season. For Rotan, this success became a confirmation of his tactical decisions and his ability to motivate the team to achieve feats against better-resourced opponents. At the same time, Kozak's three goal-assists in the match with 'Kudrovka' underline that in UPL 2026/27 there remain matches with high attacking potential, in which the individual qualities of playmakers come to the fore.
