Ukrainian Third League

Tretia Liha
Founded
1992
Disbanded
1995
Nation
Ukraine
Promotion To
Ukrainian Second League
Relegation To
Ukrainian Amateur Level
Number of Teams
24
Cups
Ukrainian Cup
Website
Official

The Ukrainian Third League (Ukrainian: Третя ліга Tretia Liha), until 1994 known as the Transitional League (Ukrainian: Перехідна ліга), was part of the Ukrainian professional football clubs competition.

History

The League as the fourth tier was created after the reorganization once the first championship was completed in 1993. In 1992, another transitional league was created, which later was transformed into the Ukrainian Second League. The league was created from the pool of clubs of the third tier that did not perform well in the previous season as well as the best new amateur clubs that had won their respective regional competitions.

Throughout its history the League yielded at least four promotions each year. That in turn fueled the rise of the Ukrainian new football giants -- FC Arsenal Kyiv and FC Metalurh Donetsk. At the end of the 1995 season the League was incorporated back into the Second League and the teams of both Leagues were then split into two groups.

Third League winners

Season	Champion	Runner-Up	3rd Position
1992–93[nb 1]	Naftokhimik Kremenchuk	Dynamo Luhansk	Antratsyt Kirovske
1993–94[nb 2]	Sirius Zhovti Vody	Frunzenets Saky	Viktor Zaporizhia
1994–95[nb 3]	CSCA Kyiv	Nyva Myronivka	Khutrovyk Tysmenytsia

Notes

1. The fourth and fifth teams in the competition, Nyva-Borysfen Myronivka and Voikovets Kerch, were promoted as well to the 1993–94 Ukrainian Second League.
2. The 4th team in the competition, FC Lviv, was also promoted to the 1994–95 Ukrainian Second League.
3. All teams from league were promoted to the 1995–96 Ukrainian Second League after merging of two leagues.

Note: Teams in bold earned promotion.

References