FC Pyunik
Full name | Football Club Pyunik Yerevan | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Nickname(s) | Ակադեմիա Akademiya (The Academy) | |||
Founded | 20 January 1992 | |||
Ground | Vazgen Sargsyan Republican Stadium | |||
Capacity | 14,403 | |||
President | Arthur Soghomonyan | |||
Manager | Yegishe Melikyan | |||
League | Armenian Premier League | |||
2022–23 | 2nd of 10 | |||
Website | Club website | |||
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Football Club Pyunik Yerevan (Armenian: Ֆուտբոլային Ակումբ Փյունիկ Երևան, romanized: Futbolayin Akumb P’yunik Yerevan), commonly known as Pyunik ("Phoenix"), is an Armenian professional sports club based in the Kentron neighbourhood of Yerevan. Pyunik is mostly known for its professional football team which, since its creation in 1992, has always played in the Armenian Premier League, becoming the most successful team of Armenia in number of official titles, with 31 won to date.[1][2][3][4]
Internationally, Pyunik has yet to win an international title, with the closest result being a bronze place finish in the
Pyunik has always had a fierce rivalry with
Pyunik's home stadium is the Vazgen Sargsyan Republican Stadium, which is also home to the Armenia national football team. The youth academy has produced many Armenian internationals such as Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Robert Arzumanyan, Karlen Mkrtchyan, Edgar Manucharyan, Varazdat Haroyan and Gevorg Ghazaryan, many who have played or are playing for top European clubs.
History
Pyunik was founded in 1992 by Armenian football legend
In 1996, Pyunik played its first international cup match, a
In 1997, Pyunik played its first UEFA Champions League qualifying match against Hungarian side MTK Budapest FC yet failed to qualify for the playoffs following a 6–3 defeat on aggregate.[12]
1998 proved to be a crucial year for the club following the loss of its main source of funding and the subsequent departure of its main players. Pyunik finished 6th that season and withdrew from football altogether.
Pyunik secured a comeback to professional football following its absorption of FC Armenicum, a newly promoted team to the Armenian Premier League. The club's new management sought to bring more experience to the club and reinforced the squad with foreign players from Argentina, Cameroon, Mali and Romania. The reinforcements brought positive results and Pyunik went on to win the 2001 Armenian Premier League and 2002 Armenian Cup.[13][14]
2002 saw Pyunik advance to the second round of the UEFA Champions League qualifying round after beating Finnish champions Tampere United 6–0 on aggregate.[15] From 2002 forwards, Pyunik went on to win the Armenian Premier League a record of 10 times in a row, from 2001 to 2010.
On 8 January 2020, former Armenian international goalkeeper Roman Berezovsky was announced as the club's new manager.[16] Just over 7-months later, 13 July 2020, Berezovsky left the club by mutual consent.[17] On 20 July 2020, Artak Oseyan was announced as Pyunik's new manager,[18] but left his role as head coach on 13 December 2020.[19] On 7 January 2021, Yegishe Melikyan was announced as Pyunik's new manager.[20]
In the 2022/23 season, after victories over
Subsequently, Pyunik dropped into the play-off round of the Europa League, where they played against the Moldovan side Sheriff Tiraspol. After two scoreless draws, Pyunik lost on penalties, thus dropping into the group stages of the Conference League, the first ever group stage appearance in a European competition for the club.
After a defeat away against Basel on the first matchday, Pyunik faced Slovan Bratislava in their first home match in Yerevan, which they won thanks to goals from Artak Dashyan and Yusuf Otubanjo. This result meant that they became the first ever Armenian team to win a game in UEFA group stage competitions.
Domestic history
Season | League | Armenian Cup
|
Top goalscorer | Manager | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Div. | Pos. | Pl. | W | D | L | GS | GA | P | Name | League | |||
1992 | Armenian Premier League | 1st | 22 | 17 | 3 | 2 | 75 | 31 | 37 | Runner-Up | Poghos Galstyan | 26 | |
1993 | 4th | 28 | 21 | 3 | 4 | 80 | 29 | 45 | Semi-final | Gegham Hovhannisyan | 26 | ||
1994 | 2nd | 28 | 23 | 1 | 4 | 113 | 24 | 47 | Semi-final | Arsen Avetisyan | 39 | ||
1995 | 2nd1 | 10 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 31 | 8 | 19 | Quarter-final | Arsen Avetisyan | 12 | ||
1995–96 | 1st | 22 | 19 | 3 | 0 | 71 | 14 | 60 | Winner | ||||
1996–97 | 1st | 22 | 19 | 2 | 1 | 67 | 9 | 59 | Runner-Up | Arsen Avetisyan | 24 | ||
1997 | 4th | 18 | 11 | 2 | 5 | 42 | 16 | 35 | Varazdat Avetisyan | 10 | |||
1998 | 6th | 26 | 6 | 3 | 17 | 27 | 68 | 21 | Semi-final | ||||
1999 | Club did not participate. | ||||||||||||
2000 | |||||||||||||
2001 | Armenian Premier League | 1st | 22 | 17 | 2 | 3 | 77 | 23 | 53 | Semi-final | Arman Karamyan | 21 | Samvel Darbinyan |
2002 | 1st | 22 | 19 | 2 | 1 | 85 | 14 | 59 | Winner | Arman Karamyan | 36 | ||
2003 | 1st | 28 | 23 | 5 | 0 | 87 | 11 | 74 | Semi-final | Galust Petrosyan | 12 | ||
2004 | 1st | 28 | 22 | 5 | 1 | 89 | 25 | 71 | Winner | Edgar Manucharyan Galust Petrosyan |
21 | ||
2005 | 1st | 20 | 11 | 6 | 3 | 35 | 15 | 39 | Quarter-final | Tigran Davtyan | 9 | ||
2006 | 1st | 28 | 23 | 4 | 1 | 86 | 23 | 73 | Runner-Up | Arsen Avetisyan | 15 | ||
2007 | 1st | 28 | 18 | 3 | 7 | 58 | 22 | 57 | Semi-final | Henrikh Mkhitaryan | 12 | ||
2008 | 1st2 | 28 | 18 | 5 | 5 | 40 | 18 | 59 | Semi-final | Albert Tadevosyan | 10 | ||
2009 | 1st | 28 | 20 | 5 | 3 | 64 | 13 | 65 | Winner | Henrikh Mkhitaryan | 11 | ||
2010 | 1st | 28 | 20 | 5 | 3 | 73 | 22 | 65 | Winner | Gevorg Ghazaryan Marcos Pizzelli |
16 | ||
2011 | 3rd | 28 | 12 | 10 | 6 | 33 | 28 | 46 | Quarter-final | Edgar Manucharyan | 8 | ||
2011–12 | Only Cup competition was held | Quarter-final | |||||||||||
2012–13 | 4th | 42 | 19 | 6 | 17 | 67 | 51 | 63 | Winner | Viulen Ayvazyan | 11 | ||
2013–14 | 6th | 28 | 8 | 8 | 12 | 41 | 39 | 32 | Winner | Sarkis Baloyan | 10 | ||
2014–15 | 1st | 28 | 19 | 4 | 5 | 58 | 26 | 61 | Winner | César Romero | 21 | ||
2015–16 | 3rd | 28 | 13 | 9 | 6 | 44 | 21 | 48 | Quarter-final | Vardan Pogosyan | 9 | ||
2016–17 | 4th | 30 | 12 | 9 | 9 | 35 | 27 | 45 | Runner-Up | Alik Arakelyan | 6 | Sargis Hovsepyan Artak Oseyan | |
2017–18 | 5th | 30 | 9 | 9 | 12 | 37 | 41 | 36 | Quarter-final | Alik Arakelyan | 7 | ||
2018–19 | 2nd | 32 | 18 | 6 | 8 | 46 | 32 | 60 | Quarter-final | Erik Vardanyan | 8 | ||
2019–20 | 8th | 22 | 8 | 2 | 12 | 39 | 42 | 26 | Second Round | Denis Mahmudov | 9 | Aleksandr Tarkhanov Suren Chakhalyan (Caretaker) Roman Berezovsky | |
2020–21 | 7th | 24 | 6 | 7 | 11 | 20 | 18 | 25 | First Round | José Caraballo
|
3 | Artak Oseyan Yegishe Melikyan | |
2021–22 | 1st | 32 | 23 | 6 | 3 | 52 | 25 | 75 | Quarterfinal | Hugo Firmino | 16 | Yegishe Melikyan | |
2022–23 | 2nd | 36 | 25 | 5 | 6 | 72 | 23 | 80 | Semifinal | Luka Juričić Yusuf Otubanjo |
17 | Yegishe Melikyan |
- Due to the 1995 season being a transitional season, there was no official winner of championship.
- Championship was decided by a decision game.
European history
- As of match played 17 August 2023
Competition | GP | W | D | L | GF | GA | +/- |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
UEFA Champions League | 40 | 9 | 9 | 22 | 36 | 68 | –32 |
UEFA Europa League / UEFA Cup | 28 | 9 | 7 | 12 | 27 | 48 | –21 |
UEFA Europa Conference League | 12 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 17 | 17 | 0 |
Total | 80 | 24 | 16 | 40 | 80 | 133 | −53 |
Season | Competition | Round | Club | Home | Away | Aggregate |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1996–97 | UEFA Cup | QR | HJK Helsinki
|
3–1 | 2–5 ( aet )
|
5–6 |
1997–98 | UEFA Champions League | 1Q | MTK Budapest
|
0–2 | 3–4 | 3–6 |
2002–03 | UEFA Champions League | 1Q | Tampere United | 2–0 | 4–0 | 6–0 |
2Q | Dynamo Kyiv
|
2–2 | 0–4 | 2–6 | ||
2003–04 | UEFA Champions League | 1Q | KR Reykjavík | 1–0 | 1–1 | 2–1 |
2Q | CSKA Sofia
|
0–2 | 0–1 | 0–3 | ||
2004–05 | UEFA Champions League | 1Q | Pobeda Prilep | 1–1 | 3–1 | 4–2 |
2Q | Shakhtar Donetsk
|
1–3 | 0–1 | 1–4 | ||
2005–06 | UEFA Champions League | 1Q | Haka Valkeakoski | 2–2 | 0–1 | 2–3 |
2006–07 | UEFA Champions League | 1Q | Sheriff Tiraspol
|
0–0 | 0–2 | 0–2 |
2007–08 | UEFA Champions League | 1Q | Derry City | 2–0 | 0–0 | 2–0 |
2Q | Shakhtar Donetsk
|
0–2 | 1–2 | 1–4 | ||
2008–09 | UEFA Champions League | 1Q | Anorthosis Famagusta | 0–2 | 0–1 | 0–3 |
2009–10 | UEFA Champions League | 2Q | Dinamo Zagreb
|
0–0 | 0–3 | 0–3 |
2010–11 | UEFA Champions League | 2Q | Partizan Belgrade | 0–1 | 1–3 | 1–4 |
2011–12 | UEFA Champions League | 2Q | Viktoria Plzeň
|
0–4 | 1–5 | 1–9 |
2012–13 | UEFA Europa League | 1Q | Zeta Golubovci | 0–3 | 2–1 | 2–4 |
2013–14 | UEFA Europa League | 1Q | Teteks Tetovo | 1–0 | 1–1 | 2–1 |
2Q | Žalgiris Vilnius
|
1–1 | 0–2 | 1–3 | ||
2014–15 | UEFA Europa League | 1Q | Astana | 1–4 | 0–2 | 1–6 |
2015–16 | UEFA Champions League | 1Q | Folgore
|
2–1 | 2–1 | 4–2 |
2Q | Molde FK | 1–0 | 0–5 | 1–5 | ||
2016–17 | UEFA Europa League | 1Q | Europa FC
|
2–1 | 0–2 | 2–3 |
2017–18 | UEFA Europa League | 1Q | Slovan Bratislava | 1–4 | 0–5 | 1–9 |
2018–19 | UEFA Europa League | 1Q | Vardar | 1–0 | 2–0 | 3–0 |
2Q | Tobol | 1–0 | 1–2 | 2–2 (a) | ||
3Q | Maccabi Tel Aviv | 0–0 | 1–2 | 1–2 | ||
2019–20 | UEFA Europa League | 1Q | Shkupi
|
3–3 | 2–1 | 5–4 |
2Q | Jablonec | 2–1 | 0–0 | 2–1 | ||
3Q | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 0–4 | 0–4 | 0–8 | ||
2022–23 | UEFA Champions League | 1Q | CFR Cluj | 0–0 | 2–2 ( aet )
|
2–2 (4–3 p) |
2Q | F91 Dudelange | 0–1 | 4−1 | 4−2 | ||
3Q | Red Star Belgrade | 0–2 | 0–5 | 0–7 | ||
UEFA Europa League | PO | Sheriff Tiraspol | 0–0 | 0–0 | 0–0 (2–3 p) | |
UEFA Europa Conference League | Group H | Basel | 1–2 | 1–3 | 3rd | |
Slovan Bratislava | 2−0 | 1–2 | ||||
Žalgiris | 2−0 | 1–2 | ||||
2023–24 | UEFA Europa Conference League | 1Q | Narva Trans | 2−0 | 3−0 | 5−0 |
2Q | Kalmar FF | 2−1 | 2−1 | 4−2 | ||
3Q | Bodø/Glimt | 0–3 | 0–3 | 0–6 |
Kit and badge
Throughout the seasons, Pyunik has predominantly worn blue and white jerseys, with a few exceptions including Pyunik's first jerseys which were orange and
Puma is the club's current kit supplier since 2019.[21]
On 3 August 2020, Pyunik announced that Joma would be supplying the team's kit for the 2020–21 season.[22]
Kit suppliers and shirt sponsors
Period | Kit Manufacturer | Shirt Sponsors |
---|---|---|
1992–95 | ||
1995–98 | Erima | |
2001–02 | Erima/Diadora | |
2002–03 | Holani | |
2003–04 | Puma | |
2004–05 | Holani | |
2005–09 | Hummel | Complex |
2010–13 | Armenian Development Bank | |
2014–18 | Nike | Armenian Development Bank/Gold's Gym |
2018–19 | Umbro | Gold's Gym |
2019–20 | Puma | TotoGaming |
2020– | Joma[22] |
Badge
The club has had five different designs for its badge during its history, with the first three designs being significantly different from each other. Following the club's reappearance in 2001, Pyunik introduced its iconic logo design which included a bold letter P placed on top of a football. The club kept this design for 13 years before introducing a double-headed golden phoenix crest in 2014. This change resulted unpopular among the fans and Pyunik introduced a new badge in 2019, this time returning to its original round shape with a predominantly blue logo and a red phoenix in the center.
-
1992–95
-
2014–18
-
2019–present
Stadium
Pyunik used several locations throughout its history. Between 1992 and 1998, Pyunik played at Hrazdan Stadium, Armenia's largest stadium with a capacity for 54,208 spectators.[23]
In 2001, following the renovations works done at the
Between 2013 and 2017, the Yerevan Football Academy served as a home venue for all domestic competitions, while still using the Republican Stadium for international fixtures. At the beginning of 2017–18 Armenian Premier League season, Pyunik used the
The Republican Stadium is also the home of the Armenia national football team, and is sometimes used by other Armenian teams for their international cup fixtures.
The club is currently planning on building an all-seater 5,000 capacity stadium by 2022.[24]
List of stadiums used by the club
- Hrazdan Stadium: 1992–98
- Vazgen Sargsyan Republican Stadium: 2001–08
- Pyunik Stadium: 2008
- Vazgen Sargsyan Republican Stadium: 2008–13
- Yerevan Football Academy Stadium: 2013–17
- Pyunik Stadium: 2017–18
- Vazgen Sargsyan Republican Stadium: 2018–present
Supporters
Pyunik's supporter base is traditionally regarded as part of
Pyunik is considered to be one of the most popular clubs in Armenia, and has one of the biggest Ultras fanbases in Armenia, called Sector 18, named after the sector they occupy at the Vazgen Sargsyan Republican Stadium.[25]
Rivalries
Pyunik's rivalry with Ararat originates with the creation of the club itself. Pyunik's founder Khoren Oganesian, is considered an Ararat club idol, due to his achievements at the club during the Soviet period, winning the 1975 Soviet Cup. Pyunik's success in recent history has led the club's image to surpass that of Ararat, which has led to arguments over which club has had a bigger impact on Armenian football.
The other rivalry, between Pyunik and Urartu is also known as the clash of Yerevan neighborhoods, since Pyunik is located in the wealthier Kentron neighborhood, whereas Urartu is located in the lower-class Malatia-Sebastia neighborhood. The rivalry between both teams originates from Urartu's relocation from Abovyan to Yerevan in 2001, competing with and eventually becoming one of the largest teams in the city. Both teams' youth academies also compete with each other as they are considered to be two of the best in the country.
Players
Current squad
- As of 27 February 2024[26]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
|
|
Out on loan
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
|
|
Technical staff
Position | Name |
---|---|
Manager | Yegishe Melikyan |
Assistant coach | Roman Monarev
|
Goalkeepers Coach | Vladimir Vardanyan |
Team Doctor | Vahagn Gevorgyan |
Masseur | Hayk Mnatsakanyan and Robert Nersisyan |
Team Administrator | Hovhannes Hayrapetyan |
Team Manager | Hovhannes Hayrapetyan |
Pyunik-2 Coach | Albert Sargsyan |
Institutional
Executive board
Arthur Soghomonyan is the current owner and President of Pyunik since 2017.
- Vice-president: Robert Gasparyan
- 2nd Vice-president: Aleksandr Tarkhanov
- Executive Director: Tigran Martirosyan
Staff
- Development: Aleksandr Tarkhanov
- Youth Academy: Albert Sargsyan
- Sporting director: Samvel Arustamyan
- Chief scout: Robert Arzumanyan
- Press Secretary: Shushanik Hakobyan
- Marketing and Public Relations: Vera Martirosyan
- Officer: Vardan Tsaturyan
Honours
- Armenian Cup
- Armenian Super Cup
Other sports sections
Football reserves and academy
The reserve is currently coached by Yuri Tarkhanov and competes in the Armenian First League. The youth academy is managed by Albert Sargsyan.[27]
Notable players from the youth academy include Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Robert Arzumanyan, Karlen Mkrtchyan, Edgar Manucharyan, Varazdat Haroyan and Gevorg Ghazaryan.
See also
References
- ^ "Հայաստանի Առաջնության, Գավաթի և Սուպերգավաթի խաղարկությունները". freenet.am. Archived from the original on 7 September 2014. Retrieved 29 April 2020.
- ^ "Armenia - List of Cup Finals". Archived from the original on 2007-05-18. Retrieved 29 April 2020.
- ^ "Club History". Archived from the original on 19 April 2022. Retrieved 29 April 2020.
- ^ "Armenia - List of Champions". Archived from the original on 1 September 2022. Retrieved 29 April 2020.
- ^ "Commonwealth of Independent States Cup 2006". Archived from the original on 25 September 2022. Retrieved 29 April 2020.
- ^ "Armenia: Top Armenian Football Clubs". Archived from the original on 21 July 2020. Retrieved 29 April 2020.
- ^ "Armenia always a football hotbed". Archived from the original on 24 December 2019. Retrieved 29 April 2020.
- ^ (2005) Encyclopedia of Football Head. "George - Hirair LTD", page 63.
- ^ "Armenia 1995/96". Archived from the original on 15 August 2022. Retrieved 29 April 2020.
- ^ "Pyunik FC » Record against HJK Helsinki". Archived from the original on 24 December 2022. Retrieved 29 April 2020.
- ^ 1996–97 Armenian Premier League
- ^ "Pyunik FC » Record against MTK Budapest". Archived from the original on 24 December 2022. Retrieved 29 April 2020.
- ^ "Armenia 2001 Premier League". Archived from the original on 1 September 2022. Retrieved 29 April 2020.
- ^ "Armenia 2002 Premier League". Archived from the original on 3 December 2022. Retrieved 29 April 2020.
- ^ "2002/03, First qualifying round, 2nd leg". Archived from the original on 29 June 2022. Retrieved 29 April 2020.
- ^ "Ռոման Բերեզովսկին՝ Փյունիկի գլխավոր մարզիչ". fcpyunik.am/ (in Armenian). FC Pyunik. 8 January 2020. Archived from the original on 9 August 2020. Retrieved 8 January 2020.
- ^ "Պաշտոնական հայտարարություն․ Ռոման Բերեզովսկի". fcpyunik.am/ (in Armenian). FC Pyunik. 13 July 2020. Archived from the original on 15 July 2020. Retrieved 15 July 2020.
- ^ "New appointment: Artak Oseyan". fcpyunik.am/. FC Pyunik. 20 July 2020. Archived from the original on 20 July 2020. Retrieved 20 July 2020.
- ^ "Artak Oseyan left Pyunik". fcpyunik.am/. FC Pyunik. 13 December 2020. Archived from the original on 10 January 2021. Retrieved 19 December 2020.
- ^ "Official statement: Eghishe Melikyan". fcpyunik.am/. FC Pyunik. 7 January 2021. Archived from the original on 7 January 2021. Retrieved 8 January 2021.
- ^ "Evolution of Pyunik jerseys: 1992-2019 (Photos)". Archived from the original on 1 August 2022. Retrieved 29 April 2020.
- ^ a b "Joma - new partner of Pyunik FC". fcpyunik.am/. FC Pyunik. 3 August 2020. Archived from the original on 13 September 2020. Retrieved 3 August 2020.
- ^ "Stadiums". Archived from the original on 28 February 2020. Retrieved 29 April 2020.
- ^ "Le propriétaire du club de football Pyunik envisage d'investir 15 millions de dollars dans la construction d'un stade et d'une base sportive pour son club". Archived from the original on 29 April 2020. Retrieved 29 April 2020.
- ^ "Sector 18 Pyunik FC". Retrieved 29 April 2020.
- ^ "Pyunik". fcpyunik.am/. FC Pyunik. Archived from the original on 5 March 2019. Retrieved 3 February 2021.
- ^ "Management". Archived from the original on 19 September 2020. Retrieved 29 April 2020.