# 2002–03 Vyshcha Liha

The 2002–03 Vyshcha Liha season was the 12th since its establishment. FC Shakhtar Donetsk were the defending champions.

## Teams
### Promotions

* Volyn-1 Lutsk, the winners of the 2001–02 Ukrainian First League – (returning after absence of 6 seasons)
* Chornomorets Odesa, the runners-up of the 2001–02 Ukrainian First League – (returning after absence of 2 seasons)
* Obolon Kyiv, the third placed of the 2001–02 Ukrainian First League – (debut)

### Renamed

* On 22 July 2002 SC Volyn-1 Lutsk changed its name to FC Volyn Lutsk.
* 17 December 2002 FC Metalurh Mariupol changed its name to FC Illichivets Mariupol.
* 25 February 2003 FC Polihraftekhnika Oleksandriya changed its name to FC Oleksandriya.

### Location
## League table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 1 | Dynamo Kyiv (C) | 30 | 23 | 4 | 3 | 66 | 20 | +46 | 73 | Qualification to Champions League third qualifying round |
| 2 | Shakhtar Donetsk | 30 | 22 | 4 | 4 | 61 | 24 | +37 | 70 | Qualification to Champions League second qualifying round |
| 3 | Metalurh Donetsk | 30 | 18 | 6 | 6 | 44 | 26 | +18 | 60 | Qualification to UEFA Cup first round |
| 4 | Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk | 30 | 18 | 5 | 7 | 48 | 27 | +21 | 59 | Qualification to UEFA Cup qualifying round |
| 5 | Arsenal Kyiv | 30 | 16 | 8 | 6 | 49 | 24 | +25 | 56 | |
| 6 | Volyn Lutsk | 30 | 12 | 5 | 13 | 37 | 44 | −7 | 41 | |
| 7 | Karpaty Lviv | 30 | 9 | 9 | 12 | 29 | 37 | −8 | 36 | |
| 8 | Chornomorets Odesa | 30 | 10 | 4 | 16 | 31 | 45 | −14 | 34 | |
| 9 | Tavriya Simferopol | 30 | 9 | 7 | 14 | 36 | 50 | −14 | 34 | |
| 10 | Illichivets Mariupol | 30 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 34 | 38 | −4 | 34 | |
| 11 | Vorskla Poltava | 30 | 8 | 8 | 14 | 26 | 41 | −15 | 32 | |
| 12 | Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih | 30 | 8 | 7 | 15 | 25 | 37 | −12 | 31 | |
| 13 | PFC Oleksandriya (D) | 30 | 7 | 9 | 14 | 26 | 43 | −17 | 30 | Withdrew |
| 14 | Obolon Kyiv | 30 | 7 | 7 | 16 | 32 | 45 | −13 | 28 | |
| 15 | Metalurh Zaporizhzhia | 30 | 6 | 8 | 16 | 22 | 41 | −19 | 26 | Avoided relegation |
| 16 | Metalist Kharkiv (R) | 30 | 6 | 5 | 19 | 19 | 43 | −24 | 23 | Relegated to Ukrainian First League |

## Results

| Home \ Away | ARK | CHO | DNI | DYN | ILL | KAR | KRY | MET | MDO | MZA | OBO | OLK | SHA | TAV | VOL | VOR |
| Arsenal Kyiv | — | 1–0 | 0–3 | 0–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 1–0 | 1–3 | 0–0 | 2–0 | 5–1 | 0–0 | 5–0 | 8–1 | 2–1 |
| Chornomorets Odesa | 1–3 | — | 0–1 | 1–4 | 3–2 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–0 | 0–1 | 1–0 | 0–2 | 2–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–2 |
| Dnipro | 0–0 | 0–0 | — | 2–2 | 1–0 | 2–0 | 3–0 | 2–0 | 4–1 | 1–0 | 4–2 | 1–1 | 0–3 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 1–0 |
| Dynamo Kyiv | 3–1 | 2–0 | 1–0 | — | 2–0 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 4–2 | 2–0 | 5–2 | 5–3 | 2–0 | 2–1 | 4–1 | 3–1 | 8–0 |
| Illichivets Mariupol | 0–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 0–1 | — | 2–3 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 2–4 | 2–0 | 3–2 | 4–1 |
| Karpaty Lviv | 1–2 | 2–1 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 1–1 | — | 0–0 | 2–0 | 0–0 | 1–0 | 0–1 | 3–2 | 2–4 | 3–1 | 0–2 | 3–0 |
| Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih | 0–1 | 2–4 | 1–1 | 0–0 | 2–0 | 2–1 | — | 1–0 | 0–2 | 0–0 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 2–1 | 0–1 | 2–1 |
| Metalist Kharkiv | 1–1 | 1–0 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–1 | 1–0 | 2–1 | — | 0–3 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 0–1 | 1–0 | 3–1 | 0–0 |
| Metalurh Donetsk | 1–2 | 2–0 | 1–3 | 1–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 3–2 | — | 1–1 | 2–1 | 1–0 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 2–1 | 2–0 |
| Metalurh Zaporizhzhia | 0–5 | 1–2 | 0–2 | 0–3 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 2–0 | 0–1 | — | 2–0 | 2–1 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 0–1 |
| Obolon Kyiv | 0–2 | 4–1 | 1–3 | 1–1 | 0–0 | 2–1 | 0–1 | 3–1 | 0–3 | 2–0 | — | 2–2 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–0 |
| PFC Oleksandriya | 0–0 | 2–1 | 0–1 | 0–2 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 2–1 | 1–0 | — | 0–1 | 1–1 | 3–2 | 2–0 |
| Shakhtar Donetsk | 3–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 4–2 | 4–0 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 3–1 | 2–0 | 2–1 | 5–0 | — | 5–2 | 1–3 | 0–0 |
| Tavriya Simferopol | 1–0 | 2–0 | 3–2 | 1–2 | 0–0 | 1–0 | 4–2 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 3–3 | — | 1–1 | 3–2 |
| Volyn Lutsk | 0–1 | 2–2 | 4–5 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 0–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 2–1 | 1–0 | 2–0 | 1–0 | — | 0–0 |
| Vorskla Poltava | 1–1 | 1–2 | 2–0 | 1–2 | 1–1 | 3–0 | 2–1 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 2–0 | 0–0 | 2–1 | 1–2 | 1–0 | 0–1 | — |

## Top goal scorers

| Maksim Shatskikh | Dynamo Kyiv | 22(1) |
| Oleksiy Byelik | Shakhtar Donetsk | 21 |
| Oleh Venhlynskyi | Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk | 19 |
| Shalva Apkhazava | Arsenal Kyiv | 14 |
| Oleksandr Haidash | Tavriya Simferopol | 12 |
| Vyacheslav Tereschenko | Obolon Kyiv | 12(1) |
| Diogo Rincon | Dynamo Kyiv | 10 |
| Vasil Gigiadze | Tavriya Simferopol | 10(4) |
| Samir Aliyev | Volyn Lutsk | 9(1) |
| Serhiy Zakarlyuka | Metalurh Donetsk | 9(1) |
| Oleksandr Kosyrin | Chornomorets Odesa | 9(2) |