Football Club Arsenal Kyiv () is a Ukrainian football club based in Kyiv. In 2019, the club's professional team was dissolved, but its junior teams continue to compete in city competitions. The club claims to be a successor of Kyiv Arsenal factory team which traces its history back to 1925. The original factory team used to compete in the Soviet Class B (later reorganized as Soviet Second League), but was relegated in 1964 and officially dissolved (lost professional status).
The football club of the Ukrainian post-Soviet period was created in 1993 and brought to Kyiv from Boryspil by a geological company Geoton which was one of main sponsors of the Football Federation of Ukraine and Ukraine national football team in the beginning. In 1995–2001 through a merger, the club was reconstituted by the Ministry of Defense as a separate government enterprise not part of the Central Sports Club of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. During that period (1995–2001) it competed in the Ukrainian Top League under CSKA Kyiv brand as its senior (main) squad, while the original army squad continued to compete in lower leagues. In 1995 it was relocated to Kyiv playing at CSK ZSU Stadium and carried such names as CSKA-Borysfen and CSKA, while the original FC CSKA Kyiv competing in lower leagues changed its name to CSKA-2 as its reserve squad. Due to difficulty of financing, the ownership of senior squad was transferred to the Kyiv city authorities during the winter break of 2001–02 as part of Oleksandr Omelchenko political project and the newly acquired squad was renamed as Arsenal in memory of the factory team.
Between 2002 and 2008, Arsenal was a municipal club of Kyiv city and played its games at the Olympiyskiy National Sports Complex. Later when the club was sold to the Ukrainian politician Vadym Rabinovych who promised to build the club's own stadium within the Kyiv city limits, but instead came up with a campaign to revive the history of another Arsenal Kyiv, a factory team of Kyiv Arsenal, which was dissolved in the 1960s and consider the current Arsenal Kyiv a phoenix club of its predecessor. In 2013 soon after Rabinovych sold the club to another Ukrainian politician it was abandoned and dissolved.
Due to the efforts of Ukrainian racer Oleksiy Kikireshko, the club was revived in 2014 as Arsenal-Kyiv and based in Shchaslyve as a multi-sports club of the Arsenal Factory in Kyiv, before World War II the club played mostly in regional competitions for factory workers. In 1936 Arsenal Kyiv took part in the Soviet Cup in football where it was eliminated after the first round of competition after a replay.
After World War II the club played in the Ukrainian Soviet competitions under the name of FC Mashynobudivnyk Kyiv (the SC Arsenal Kyiv also used to have a hockey team, HC Zenit Kyiv). In 1958 Mashynobudivnyk won the competitions and was accepted to the Soviet Class B under the name of FC Arsenal Kyiv. In 1959–1964 the club played in the Soviet Class B. In 1964 the teams of master Arsenal Kyiv was dissolved. (1961–2013) along with his partner Ihor Kovalevych and his science production firm "Geoton". Zlobenko managed to find ways in cooperation with local administrations of Myronivka and Boryspil raions (districts in the southeastern part of Kyiv Oblast). Among other people who were involved in creation of the new club were children coach out of Kuchakiv, Viktor Haiduk, director of the local "Kolos" sports society Mykola Kostianets, head of the Boryspil Raion state administration, Mykhailo Muzyka, and Boryspil mayor, Oleksandr Prydatko.
The original coach Volodymyr Kolomiets was left managing the club.
Fielded squad: Ruslan Novikov, Serhiy Kalian, Serhiy Yaroshenko, Vyacheslav Nivinskyi, Oleksandr Otlyotov, Andriy Mikhno, Yuriy Hetman (Kostiantyn Chupys, 40; Oleh Balyuk, 80), Ihor Symonenko, Serhiy Hura (Mykhailo Bezruchko, 55) Yuriy Zhabynskyi, Oleg Solovyov. Coach – Volodymyr Kolomiets. The club administration managed to find a common ground with Yevhen Kotelnykov who at that time was the first vice-president of the Football Federation of Ukraine and played a key role in Ukrainian football.
Fielded squad: Oleksandr Filipchenko – Ihor Fedorov, Dmytro Koryenyev, Mykola Volosyanko, Dmytro Semchuk – Vladimir Matsigura, Oleksandr Venhlinskyi (Oleh Sukhomlynov), Pavlo Nesterchuk, Viktor Byelkin (Mykhailo Bezruchko) – Oleg Solovyov, Serhiy Kovalyov (Oleksandr Ivanov). Coach – Viktor Kolotov.
During the first half the Kolotov's team nine times tied losing points with not very strong opponents.
At the same time FC CSKA Kyiv was playing at the 1994–95 Ukrainian Third League
The 1995 spring portion of the season CSKA–Borysfen started out under new name, being registered in the capital city, and notable reinforcement.
In 1996, CSKA-Borysfen went through another transformation. Just before the start of new 1996–97 season a scandal took place related to ownership. Dmytro Zlobenko was removed from the club which with help of the Army was passed to some businessman by name of Mikhail Grinshpon, a president of "Kyiv–Donbass".
The army-men also managed to appear in the domestic cup's finals twice (1998 and 2001), where they lost both times: first against city-rivals Dynamo Kyiv and then against Shakhtar Donetsk. The club's greatest achievements include a successful UEFA Cup run in the season of 2001–02, defeating the now defunct Finnish side Jokerit and Serbian giants Red Star Belgrade.
Following the disaster in Brovary on 20 April 2000, Mikhail Grinshpon ran from Ukraine. But after Ihor Smeshko became a director of the Security Service of Ukraine in 2003, Grinshpon returned to Ukraine becoming an adviser to director of the State Space Agency of Ukraine.
Since 1999 FC CSKA–Kyiv was headed by Andriy Artemenko until 2000. Along with Oleksandr Omelchenko, Artemenko was one of founders of the Ukrainian political party Yednist. On 9 October 2001 Oleksandr Danylchuk was calling rumours and populistic claims when commenting on the declarations about CSKA Kyiv will become Arsenal Kyiv. Transferring of CSKA under jurisdiction of the city authorities is not taking placing. On the proposition of CSKA–Kyiv (part of "Unіsport Consaltіng Ltd"), in the same day the Kyiv city mayor Oleksandr Omelchenko issued an order on constituting a limited liability company FC Arsenal Kyiv where 51% of the company owned by the Kyiv city community. The other 49% was still owned by the Ministry of Defense and CSKA as a company. On 8 November 2001 the Kyiv City Council adopted the decision on the creation of the club and increase the constituent fund to 80% (₴9,440), while the other 20% (₴2,360) belonged to other members of the company. The First League second team CSKA-2 Kyiv continued to be affiliated with the Ministry of Defense and once again became the primary team of the Army football club, FC CSKA Kyiv.
Arsenal was created as the Kyiv's city team and fully funded by the Kyiv City Administration with an annual budget of ₴40 million (~US$8 million). Transformation of CSKA into Arsenal was not a single day process and after 1 January 2002 the process was still ongoing. Under the Omelchenko's guardianship Arsenal played at the main national football venue (today Olimpiyskiy National Sports Complex) without any concerns, yet later it was "kicked out" of the capital and for sometime was forced to play in Boryspil or rent the Dynamo's home venues. Omelchenko who was a political opponent of Surkis brothers (Hryhoriy Surkis and Ihor Surkis) insisted that Dynamo should be playing at its home venue Lobanovsky Dynamo Stadium.
While under the city government's ownership, Arsenal struggled financially, resorting to loaning many of its first team's squad players. Soon after election of a new mayor Leonid Chernovetskyi, the city had decreased funding to the club significantly as it sought to reduce its numerous sports holdings and on 13 July 2006 adopted a decision to sell it at auction scheduled on 14 November 2006 and starting at ₴1.1 million. Preparations to sell the club started earlier and no later than 1 June 2006. The initial auction failed to occur and was rescheduled, while the starting was lowered to ₴770,000. In May 2007, it was announced that the club would be demoted due to financial issues, however soon afterwards it was revealed that Arsenal would be purchased by Ukrainian oligarch, Vadim Rabinovich. The new owner started actively financing the club and its transfers. In January 2009 the Mayor of Kyiv Leonid Chernovetskyi bought Arsenal Kyiv for ₴1 from Rabynovich; Chernovetskiy's 30-year-old son Stepan became the club's president. On 20 January 2009 in the newspaper "Ukraynskyi futbol" appeared a "satirical" article about the club's purchase "There will be stadiums on Mars" (На Марсі будуть стадіони?!), which told that the financial transaction of the club was connected with a real estate around the Ukrainian capital. Upon the purchase, the club's situation was critical and there were talks about merger with another Kyiv's club Obolon. During the next month it was announced that Ukrainian oligarch Oleksandr Onyshchenko was ready to finance the club and claimed that he had paid all the debts. On 29 August 2013, Rabynovych stated that he had resigned from the post of club president.
On 15 November 2013, FC Shakhtar Donetsk Chairman Rinat Akhmetov announced that after financial help from the other teams in the league; the Arsenal squad would be able to complete its 2013–14 Ukrainian Premier League season. But the next day Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk refused to (re)play the (16th round) match Arsenal had earlier failed to appear for (due to its bankruptcy).
FC Arsenal-Kyiv (2014–2019)
Reorganization in 2014
The Arsenal team that was re-founded in 2001 went bankrupt in late 2013,
In January 2014 an initiative group of former club players and fans with the help of Kyiv businessman and rally driver Oleksiy Kikireshko re-established the club as FC Arsenal-Kyiv.
After its last game of the 2014 Kyiv city championship on 9 November 2014, which was won by FC Arsenal-Kyiv, the club's president Kikireshko announced that the club submitted a preliminary application on participation in the Ukrainian Second League for the 2015–16 Ukrainian Second League season. It was accepted.
The club appointed Andriy Annenkov in February 2014, but he resigned after an unsuccessful start to a new season on 8 August 2015.
Return to the Ukrainian Premier League
In February 2018, it became known that a new president of the club and its co-owner became the club's former player from Croatia Ivica Pirić. The other 50% of the club belong to a former football referee Oleksandr Moskalenko.
On 28 April 2018, FC Arsenal Kyiv announced that since the next season it could be called FC Arsenal-CSKA Kyiv. Later the club's director Oleksandr Moskalenko told that the club will play at Bannikov Stadium if it gets promoted to the 2018–19 Ukrainian Premier League. The stadium however does not meet the league's threshold requirements for the minimum capacity. FC Arsenal-Kyiv shares its home base in Shchaslyve with the Shakhtar football academy. Colors of the Arsenal fans coincide with those of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic's flag, while the Kyiv Arsenal factory is associated with pro-Bolshevik sentiment during the Kiev Arsenal January Uprising in 1918 following which Kyiv was overrun by the armed forces of Soviet Russia. The Arsenal supporters could also be associated with Partizan Minsk who have similar political beliefs. before the UEFA Euro 2012, however their interviews were omitted from the final edit, leading some people to criticise the BBC for ignoring them in order to push their message of fascism further.
Arsenal's archrivals are the majority nationalist and right-wing Dynamo Kyiv, with whom they contest the Kyiv derby. They also have a rivalry with the other Kyiv team, CSKA Kyiv, not only along political lines but also due to the controversial intertwining of the two club's histories. Other fierce rivals are Karpaty Lviv and FC Dnipro.
Stadiums and home fields
The original and first home stadium became Kolos Stadium. The club's main training facility are located in one of Kyiv's suburbs Shchaslyve, just outside of the Kyiv's city limits on the way towards Boryspil.
In 1995, the club became affiliated with the Armed Forces of Ukraine as CSKA-Borysfen and played at CSK ZSU Stadium which belongs to the Central Sports Club of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
In 2001 after becoming the Kyiv municipal team the club "pushed" out of Olimpiyskiy National Sports Complex, the leader of Ukrainian football, FC Dynamo Kyiv and reserved the arena until its renovations in 2008 for its preparation to the Euro 2012.
Later Arsenal played at various smaller stadiums such as Bannikov Stadium, Obolon Arena, and others.
<gallery>
File:Shchaslyve Kniazha Arena 1.jpg|Arsenal Arena (formerly Knyazha Arena)
File:Kolos2.JPG|Kolos Stadium
File:Стадион ЦСКА (Киев).jpg|CSK ZSU Stadium (1993-2001)
File:Фінал Євро-2012. НСК «Олімпійський». 3 хвилини після фінального свистка.JPG|Olimpiyskiy National Sports Complex
</gallery>
Football kits and sponsors
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center"
|-
!Years
!Football kit
!Shirt sponsor
!Note
|-
|pre-2001
|colspan=3|Refer to CSKA Kyiv
|-
|2001–2002
|rowspan=2|Nike
||ukrgasbank
|rowspan=8|as Arsenal Kyiv
|-
|2003–04
|adidas
|-
|2004–07
|Nike
|| –
|-
|2007–09
|Lotto
|| –
|-
|2009–10
|rowspan=3|Nike
|| –
|-
|2010–13
||News One
|-
|2013–18
|| –
|-
|2018–19
|rowspan=3|Zeus sport
||Favorit Sport
|}
Presidents
- 1993–1995: NPF Geoton Boryspil (Dmytro Zlobenko) as FC Borysfen Boryspil → FC Boryspil → FC Borysfen Boryspil → FC CSKA–Borysfen Kyiv
- 1995–1998: Kyiv–Donbass (Mikhail Grinshpon) as FC CSCA–Kyiv
- 1998–1999: Kyiv–Donbass (Viktor Topolov)
|-
|}
Arsenal—Kyiv
:{|class="wikitable"
!Season
!Div.
!Pos.
!Pl.
!W
!D
!L
!GS
!GA
!P
!Domestic Cup
!colspan=2|Europe
!Notes
|-bgcolor=SteelBlue
|align=center|2014
|align=center|Kyiv Oblast<br/>5th
|align=center|10
|align=center|13
|align=center|8
|align=center|1
|align=center|4
|align=center|25
|align=center|22
|align=center|25
|align=center|Amateur Cup
|align=center|
|align=center|
|align=center|also participated in the Kyiv city championship
|-bgcolor=PowderBlue
|align=center|2015–16
|align=center|Second League<br/>3rd
|align=center|6
|align=center|26
|align=center|13
|align=center|4
|align=center|9
|align=center|37
|align=center|30
|align=center|43
|align=center|1/16 finals
|align=center|
|align=center|
|align=center bgcolor=lightgreen|Promoted
|-bgcolor=LightCyan
|align=center|2016–17
|align=center rowspan=2|First League<br/>2nd
|align=center|10
|align=center|34
|align=center|12
|align=center|9
|align=center|13
|align=center|38
|align=center|39
|align=center|45
|align=center|1/16 finals
|align=center|
|align=center|
|align=center|
|-bgcolor=LightCyan
|align=center|2017–18
|align=center bgcolor=gold|1
|align=center|34
|align=center|23
|align=center|6
|align=center|5
|align=center|59
|align=center|23
|align=center|75
|align=center| finals
|align=center|
|align=center|
|align=center bgcolor=lightgreen|Promoted
|-
|align=center|2018–19
|align=center|Premier League<br/>1st
|align=center|12
|align=center|32
|align=center|7
|align=center|5
|align=center|20
|align=center|26
|align=center|56
|align=center|26
|align=center| finals
|align=center|
|align=center|
|align=center bgcolor=grey|Dissolved
|}
European competitions
Arsenal Kyiv appeared in the European competitions for the first time as CSKA Kyiv in 1998 (1998–99 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup) in away game against the Irish Cork City F.C. which CSKA lost 1–2. The first two qualifications to European competitions were achieved by reaching the final of the Ukrainian Cup in 1998 and 2001. During that time Arsenal Kyiv was known as CSKA Kyiv.
The first appearance in the European competitions under Arsenal brand the club made in 2012.
CSKA Kyiv
;UEFA Cup Winners Cup
{|class="wikitable"
|-
!Season
!Round
!Club
!Home
!Away
!Aggr.
|-
|1998–99
|Qualifying round
| Cork City
| style="text-align:center; background:#dfd;"|2–0
| style="text-align:center; background:#fdd;"|1–2
| style="text-align:center; background:#dfd;"|3–2
|-
|
|First Round
| Lokomotiv Moscow
| style="text-align:center; background:#fdd;"|0–2
| style="text-align:center; background:#fdd;"|1–3
| style="text-align:center; background:#fdd;"|1–5
|-
|}
;UEFA Europa League
{|class="wikitable"
|-
!Season
!Round
!Club
!Home
!Away
!Aggr.
|-
|2001–02
|Qualifying round
| FC Jokerit
| style="text-align:center; background:#dfd;"|2–0
| style="text-align:center; background:#dfd;"|2–0
| style="text-align:center; background:#dfd;"|4–0
|-
|
|First round
| Red Star Belgrade
| style="text-align:center; background:#dfd;"|3–2
| style="text-align:center; background:#ffd;"|0–0
| style="text-align:center; background:#dfd;"|3–2
|-
|
|Second round
| Club Brugge K.V.
| style="text-align:center; background:#fdd;"|0–2
| style="text-align:center; background:#fdd;"|0–5
| style="text-align:center; background:#fdd;"|0–7
|-
|}
Arsenal Kyiv
;UEFA Europa League
{|class="wikitable"
|-
!Season
!Round
!Club
!Home
!Away
!Aggr.
|-
|2012–13
|Third qualifying round
| ND Mura 05
| style="text-align:center; background:#fdd;"|0–3<sup>1</sup>
| style="text-align:center; background:#dfd;"|2–0
| style="text-align:center; background:#fdd;"|2–3
|-
|}
;Notes
- <div id="notes_qr1"></div>Note 1: UEFA awarded Mura 05 a 3–0 win due to Arsenal Kyiv fielding a suspended player in the first leg. The original match had ended in a 3–0 win for Arsenal Kyiv.
Managers
- Viktor Kolotov (1993)
- Volodymyr Bezsonov (1994)
- Mykhailo Fomenko (1994–1996)
- Viktor Chanov (1996) (caretaker)
- Volodymyr Lozynskyi (1996–1997)
- Serhiy Morozov (1997)
- Oleksandr Shtelin (1997–1998)
- Volodymyr Bezsonov (1998–2000)
- Mykhailo Fomenko (2000–2001)
- Oleh Kuznetsov (1 July 2001 – 30 June 2002)
- Vyacheslav Hroznyi (1 July 2002 – 30 June 2004)
- Oleksandr Baranov (1 July 2004 – 1 Nov 2005)
- Oleksandr Zavarov (10 Nov 2005 – 28 Jan 2010)
- Vyacheslav Hroznyi (28 Jan 2010 – 16 April 2010)
- Yuriy Bakalov (interim) (22 April 2010 – 18 May 2010)
- Yuriy Bakalov (18 May 2010 – 29 May 2011)
- Leonid Kuchuk (2 June 2011 – 31 Dec 2012)
- Yuriy Bakalov (5 Jan 2013 – 21 Nov 2013)
- Serhiy Zakarlyuka (22 Nov 2013 – 31 Jan 2014) (caretaker)
- Andriy Annenkov (1 Feb 2014 – 8 Aug 2015)
- Angel Chervenkov (13 Aug 2015 – 15 Dec 2015)
- Serhiy Litovchenko (23 Dec 2015 – 22 Jun 2018)
- Fabrizio Ravanelli (22 Jun 2018 – 22 Sep 2018)
- Vladyslav Humenyuk (22 Sep 2018 – 1 Oct 2018) (caretaker)
- Vyacheslav Hroznyi (1 Oct 2018 – 9 Jan 2019)
- Ihor Leonov (16 Jan 2019 – June 2019)
Arsenal–2
FC Arsenal-2 Kyiv was a Ukrainian football team based in Kyiv, Ukraine. Like most tributary teams, the best players are sent up to the senior team, meanwhile developing other players for further call-ups.
The team appeared once in the 2003–04 Ukrainian Second League serving as a junior (reserve) squad for the FC Arsenal Kyiv franchise. It was allowed to skip amateur competitions, but was withdrawn after a season. The team did not perform well and withdrew before the end of the season, placing the dead last.
See also
- FC CSKA Kyiv
Notes
References
External links
- . .
- History of Arsenal
- Valerko, A. Meteor flew from Boryspil towards Kyiv (Метеор летел из Борисполя на Киев). Football.ua. 4 January 2011 (Part I)
- (Meteor flew from Boryspil towards Kyiv 5 January 2011. Part II)
- Valerko, A. Ukrainian awestruck wonders (Украинские диковинки). Football.ua. 9 January 2014
- Ozirnyi, O. In anticipation of Sevastopol: the best newcomers of the elite (В ожидании Севастополя: лучшие новички элиты). Football.ua. 14 July 2013
- Borysenko, O. The right on lawlessness, investigation in Ukrainian: would there be a suspect, and the offense will be proven (ПРАВО НА БЕЗПРАВ’Я СЛІДСТВО ПО-УКРАЇНСЬКИ: БУВ БИ ПІДОЗРЮВАНИЙ, А ПРОВИНУ ДОВЕДЕМО). Mirror Weekly. 22 November 2002
- Bebekh, R. CSKA administrator: "Reva said: If there is a nit on the team, do not go on the game against Shakhtar!" (Руководитель ЦСКА: "Рева сказал: "Если в команде есть гнида, то на игру с "Шахтером" не выходи!") Footboom. 21 June 2013