Football Club Urartu ( hy, Ուրարտու Ֆուտբոլային Ակումբ, translated ''Futbolayin Akumb Urartu''), commonly known as Urartu, is an Armenian professional
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
team based in the capital
Yerevan
Yerevan ( , , hy, Երևան , sometimes spelled Erevan) is the capital and largest city of Armenia and one of the world's List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest continuously inhabited cities. Situated along the Hrazdan River, Y ...
that currently plays in the
Armenian Premier League
The Armenian Premier League ( hy, VBET Հայաստանի Պրեմիեր Լիգա, known as the VBET Armenian Premier League for sponsorship reasons) is the top association football, football competition in Armenia. From 1936 to 1991, the compet ...
. The club won the
Armenian Cup
The VBET Armenian Cup ( hy, Հայաստանի Անկախության Գավաթ) is the main football cup competition of Armenia. In its original form as the Armenian Cup, it started in 1939, when Armenia was a republic of the Soviet Union. It s ...
three times, in 1992, 2007 and 2016. In 2013–2014, they won the Armenian Premier League for the first time in their history.
In early 2016, the Russia-based Armenian businessman Dzhevan Cheloyants became a co-owner of the club after purchasing the major part of the club shares. The club was known as FC Banants until 1 August 2019, when it was officially renamed FC Urartu.
History
Kotayk
Urartu FC were founded as FC Banants by Sarkis Israelyan on 21 January 1992 in the village of
Kotayk, representing the
Kotayk Province
Kotayk ( hy, Կոտայք, ), is a province ('' marz'') of Armenia. It is located at the central part of the country. Its capital is Hrazdan and the largest city is Abovyan. It is named after the Kotayk canton of the historic Ayrarat province o ...
. He named the club after his native village of ''Banants'' (currently known as ''
Bayan''). Between 1992 and 1995, the club was commonly referred to as Banants Kotayk. During the
1992
File:1992 Events Collage V1.png, From left, clockwise: 1992 Los Angeles riots, Riots break out across Los Angeles, California after the Police brutality, police beating of Rodney King; El Al Flight 1862 crashes into a residential apartment buildi ...
season, the club won the first
Armenian Cup
The VBET Armenian Cup ( hy, Հայաստանի Անկախության Գավաթ) is the main football cup competition of Armenia. In its original form as the Armenian Cup, it started in 1939, when Armenia was a republic of the Soviet Union. It s ...
. At the end of the
1995
File:1995 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: O.J. Simpson is O. J. Simpson murder case, acquitted of the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman from the 1994, year prior in "The Trial of the Century" in the United States; The ...
transitional season, Banants suffered a financial crisis. The club owners decided that it was better to merge the club with
FC Kotayk
FC Kotayk ( hy, Ֆուտբոլային Ակումբ Կոտայք) is a defunct Armenian football club from the town of Abovyan, Kotayk Province.
History
Founded in 1955, Kotayk was one of the oldest football clubs in Armenia. After playing sever ...
of
Abovyan
Abovyan or Abovian ( hy, Աբովյան), is a town and urban municipal community in Armenia within the Kotayk Province. It is located northeast of Yerevan and southeast of the province centre Hrazdan. As of the 2011 census, the population of t ...
, rather than disband it. In
2001
The September 11 attacks against the United States by Al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror, were a defining event of 2001. The United States led a Participants in ...
, Banants demerged from FC Kotayk, and was moved from Abovyan to the capital
Yerevan
Yerevan ( , , hy, Երևան , sometimes spelled Erevan) is the capital and largest city of Armenia and one of the world's List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest continuously inhabited cities. Situated along the Hrazdan River, Y ...
.
Yerevan
![Banants hq, Yerevan (2)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c0/Banants_hq%2C_Yerevan_%282%29.jpg)
FC Banants was relocated to Yerevan in 2001. At the beginning of 2003, Banants merged with
FC Spartak Yerevan, but was able to limit the name of the new merger to FC Banants. Spartak became Banants's youth academy and later changed the name to Banants-2. Because of the merger, Banants acquired many players from Spartak Yerevan, including
Samvel Melkonyan
Samvel Melkonyan ( hy, Սամվել Մելքոնյան, born on 15 March 1984 in Yerevan, Armenian SSR, Soviet Union) is an Armenian former footballer who played as a winger. Samvel was also a member of the Armenia national football team, part ...
. After the merger, Banants took a more serious approach and have finished highly in the league table ever since. The club managed to lift the
Armenian Cup
The VBET Armenian Cup ( hy, Հայաստանի Անկախության Գավաթ) is the main football cup competition of Armenia. In its original form as the Armenian Cup, it started in 1939, when Armenia was a republic of the Soviet Union. It s ...
in 2007.
Experience is making way for youth for the
2008
File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...
and
2009 seasons. The departures of most of the experienced players have left the club's future to the youth. Along with two Ukrainian players, Ugandan international,
Noah Kasule, has been signed.
The club headquarters are located on Jivani Street 2 of the
Malatia-Sebastia District
Malatia-Sebastia ( hy, Մալաթիա-Սեբաստիա վարչական շրջան, ), also nicknamed colloquially as Bangladesh, is one of the 12 districts of Yerevan, the capital of Armenia, located in the western part of the city. As of the 20 ...
, Yerevan.
Domestic
European
Stadium
![Banants stadium, Yerevan, 1 Sept](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0f/Banants_stadium%2C_Yerevan%2C_1_Sept._2015.jpg)
The construction of the
Banants Stadium
Urartu Stadium ( hy, Ուրարտու Մարզադաշտ) is an all-seater football stadium in the Malatia-Sebastia District of Yerevan, Armenia. The stadium is home to Urartu FC and has a capacity of 4,860 seats. It was known as Banants Sta ...
was launched in 2006 in the
Malatia-Sebastia District
Malatia-Sebastia ( hy, Մալաթիա-Սեբաստիա վարչական շրջան, ), also nicknamed colloquially as Bangladesh, is one of the 12 districts of Yerevan, the capital of Armenia, located in the western part of the city. As of the 20 ...
of Yerevan, with the assistance of the FIFA goal programme. It was officially opened in 2008 with a capacity of 3,600 seats. Further developments were implemented later in 2011, when the playing pitch was modernized and the capacity of the stadium was increased up to 4,860 seats (2,760 at the northern stand, 1,500 at the southern stand and 600 at the western stand).
Training centre/academy
Banants Training Centre is the club's academy base located in the
Malatia-Sebastia District
Malatia-Sebastia ( hy, Մալաթիա-Սեբաստիա վարչական շրջան, ), also nicknamed colloquially as Bangladesh, is one of the 12 districts of Yerevan, the capital of Armenia, located in the western part of the city. As of the 20 ...
of
Yerevan
Yerevan ( , , hy, Երևան , sometimes spelled Erevan) is the capital and largest city of Armenia and one of the world's List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest continuously inhabited cities. Situated along the Hrazdan River, Y ...
. In addition to the main stadium, the centre houses 3 full-size training pitches, mini football pitches as well as an indoor facility. The current technical director of the academy is the former Russian footballer
Ilshat Faizulin
Ilshat Galimzyanovich Fayzulin (russian: Ильшат Галимзянович Файзулин; tt-Cyrl, Илшат Галимҗан улы Фәйзуллин; born 5 March 1973) is a Russian football coach and a former player of Tatar ethnic ...
.
Fans
The most active group of fans is the ''South West Ultras'' fan club, mainly composed of residents from several neighbourhoods within the
Malatia-Sebastia District
Malatia-Sebastia ( hy, Մալաթիա-Սեբաստիա վարչական շրջան, ), also nicknamed colloquially as Bangladesh, is one of the 12 districts of Yerevan, the capital of Armenia, located in the western part of the city. As of the 20 ...
of Yerevan, since the club is a ''de facto'' representer of the district. Members of the fan club benefit from events organized by the club and many facilities of the Banants training centre, such as the mini football pitch, the club store and other entertainments.
Achievements
*
Armenian Premier League
The Armenian Premier League ( hy, VBET Հայաստանի Պրեմիեր Լիգա, known as the VBET Armenian Premier League for sponsorship reasons) is the top association football, football competition in Armenia. From 1936 to 1991, the compet ...
** Winner (1):
2013–14.
** Runner-up (5):
2003
File:2003 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The crew of STS-107 perished when the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated during reentry into Earth's atmosphere; SARS became an epidemic in China, and was a precursor to SARS-CoV-2; A des ...
,
2006
File:2006 Events Collage V1.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin; Twitter is founded and launched by Jack Dorsey; The Nintendo Wii is released; Montenegro 2006 Montenegrin independence referendum, votes to declare ...
,
2007
File:2007 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Steve Jobs unveils Apple's first iPhone; TAM Airlines Flight 3054 overruns a runway and crashes into a gas station, killing almost 200 people; Former Pakistani Prime Minister of Pakistan, Pr ...
,
2010
File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...
,
2018
File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the United ...
.
*
Armenian Cup
The VBET Armenian Cup ( hy, Հայաստանի Անկախության Գավաթ) is the main football cup competition of Armenia. In its original form as the Armenian Cup, it started in 1939, when Armenia was a republic of the Soviet Union. It s ...
** Winner (3):
1992
File:1992 Events Collage V1.png, From left, clockwise: 1992 Los Angeles riots, Riots break out across Los Angeles, California after the Police brutality, police beating of Rodney King; El Al Flight 1862 crashes into a residential apartment buildi ...
,
2007
File:2007 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Steve Jobs unveils Apple's first iPhone; TAM Airlines Flight 3054 overruns a runway and crashes into a gas station, killing almost 200 people; Former Pakistani Prime Minister of Pakistan, Pr ...
,
2016
File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses during the 2016 Nagorno-Karabakh ...
.
** Runner-up (6):
2003
File:2003 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The crew of STS-107 perished when the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated during reentry into Earth's atmosphere; SARS became an epidemic in China, and was a precursor to SARS-CoV-2; A des ...
,
2004
2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO).
Events January
* January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 6 ...
,
2008
File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...
,
2009
File:2009 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The vertical stabilizer of Air France Flight 447 is pulled out from the Atlantic Ocean; Barack Obama becomes the first African American to become President of the United States; 2009 Iran ...
,
2010
File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...
,
2021–22
*
Armenian Supercup
The Armenian Supercup is a match that is played between the Armenian Premier League Champion and Armenian Cup
The VBET Armenian Cup ( hy, Հայաստանի Անկախության Գավաթ) is the main football (soccer), football cup competitio ...
** Winner (1): 2014.
** Runner-up (5): 2004, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2016.
Current squad
Out on loan
Personnel
Technical staff
Management
Urartu-2
![Banants Training Centre 28 October 2015, Yerevan, Armenia](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b9/Banants_Training_Centre_28_October_2015%2C_Yerevan%2C_Armenia.jpg)
FC Banants' reserve squad play as FC Banants-2 in the
Armenian First League
The Armenian First League is currently the second level football competition in Armenia after the Armenian Premier League
The Armenian Premier League ( hy, VBET Հայաստանի Պրեմիեր Լիգա, known as the VBET Armenian Premier Lea ...
. They play their home games at the training field with artificial turf of the
Urartu Training Centre.
Managerial history
*
Varuzhan Sukiasyan
Varuzhan Sukiasyan ( hy, Վարուժան Սուքիասյան, russian: Варужан Гарсеванович Сукиасян; born 5 August 1956 in Yerevan), is an Armenian association football manager and former player. He is the brother of ...
(1992–94)
* Poghos Galstyan (July 1, 1996 – June 30, 1998)
*
Oganes Zanazanyan
Hovhannes Arutyunovich Zanazanyan ( hy, Հովհանես Զանազանյան, russian: Оганес Арутюнович Заназанян; 10 December 1946 – 4 October 2015) was a Soviet football player and an Armenian coach.
Honours
* Sov ...
(2001–05)
* Ashot Barseghyan (2005–06)
*
Nikolay Kiselyov (2006–07)
*
Jan Poštulka (2007)
*
Nikolay Kostov
Nikolay Kostov ( bg, Николай Костов; born 2 July 1963) is a Bulgarian football manager and former footballer who most recently managed Shakhter Karagandy.
Career
Much of his coaching career has taken place in Cyprus. His first co ...
(July 1, 2007 – April 8, 2008)
*
Nedelcho Matushev (April 8, 2008 – June 30, 2008)
*
Kim Splidsboel (2008)
*
Armen Gyulbudaghyants
Armen Gyulbudaghyants ( hy, Արմեն Գյուլբուդաղյանց), is an Armenian association football manager and former footballer. He is the former manager of the Armenia national football team.
Career
During his career, Gyulbudaghyants m ...
(Jan 1, 2009 – Dec 1, 2009)
* Ashot Barseghyan ''(interim)'' (2009)
*
Stevica Kuzmanovski
Stevica Kuzmanovski (; born 16 November 1962) is a Macedonian football manager and former player.
Playing career
During his career that spanned from the early 1980s to the early 2000s, Kuzmanovski played for Partizan, Pelister, OFK Beograd (thr ...
(Jan 1, 2010 – Dec 31, 2010)
*
Rafael Nazaryan
Rafael Nazaryan ( hy, Ռաֆայել Նազարյան, born on 26 March 1975 in Yerevan, Soviet Union) is a retired Armenian football midfielder and a current manager. He was a member of the Armenia national team and participated in 23 internat ...
(Jan 1, 2011 – Jan 15, 2012)
*
Volodymyr Pyatenko (Jan 17, 2013 – June 30, 2013)
*
Zsolt Hornyák
Zsolt Hornyák (born 1 May 1973) is a Slovak football manager and a former defender of Hungarian ethnicity. He is the manager of Hungarian team Puskás Akadémia.
As a player, Hornyák won the Czechoslovakian championship in the 1991/1992 seas ...
(July 1, 2013 – May 30, 2015)
*
Aram Voskanyan
Aram Voskanyan ( hy, Արամ Ոսկանյան, born 26 August 1975) is an Armenian retired football striker. He is the current manager of Armenian club Ararat Yerevan.
Career
Aram was also a member of the Armenia national team, and has part ...
(July 1, 2015 – Oct 11, 2015)
*
Tito Ramallo
Rogelio "Tito" Ramallo Peña (born on 29 April 1969), is a Spanish retired footballer who played as a defender, and is a current manager.
Profile
Born in A Coruña, Ramallo played as a defender for Deportivo de La Coruña during his career ex ...
(Oct 12, 2015 – Oct 3, 2016)
*
Artur Voskanyan (Oct 3, 2016 – Aug 11, 2018)
*
Ilshat Faizulin
Ilshat Galimzyanovich Fayzulin (russian: Ильшат Галимзянович Файзулин; tt-Cyrl, Илшат Галимҗан улы Фәйзуллин; born 5 March 1973) is a Russian football coach and a former player of Tatar ethnic ...
(Aug 12, 2018 –Nov 24, 2019)
*
Aleksandr Grigoryan
Aleksandr Vitalyevich Grigoryan (russian: Александр Витальевич Григорян; born 28 September 1966) is an Armenian professional football coach and a former player. He also holds Russian citizenship.
Managerial career
I ...
(Nov 25, 2019 –Mar 10, 2021)
*
Robert Arzumanyan
Robert Arzumanyan (also called Arzoumanian) ( hy, Ռոբերտ Արզումանյան, born 24 July 1985 in Yerevan, Armenian SSR) is an Armenian former international footballer who played as a defender and current manager of FC Noah.
Club car ...
(10 March 2021–24 June 2022)
*
Dmitri Gunko
Dmitri Ivanovich Gunko (russian: Дмитрий Иванович Гунько; born 1 March 1976) is a Russian professional football coach and a former player. He is the manager of Armenian club Urartu.
Coaching career
He served as caretaker ma ...
(27 June 2022–)
References
External links
Official website
Banants at Weltfussball.de
{{Armenian Premier League
Urartu
Urartu (; Assyrian: ',Eberhard Schrader, ''The Cuneiform inscriptions and the Old Testament'' (1885), p. 65. Babylonian: ''Urashtu'', he, אֲרָרָט ''Ararat'') is a geographical region and Iron Age kingdom also known as the Kingdom of Va ...
Urartu
Urartu (; Assyrian: ',Eberhard Schrader, ''The Cuneiform inscriptions and the Old Testament'' (1885), p. 65. Babylonian: ''Urashtu'', he, אֲרָרָט ''Ararat'') is a geographical region and Iron Age kingdom also known as the Kingdom of Va ...
Urartu
Urartu (; Assyrian: ',Eberhard Schrader, ''The Cuneiform inscriptions and the Old Testament'' (1885), p. 65. Babylonian: ''Urashtu'', he, אֲרָרָט ''Ararat'') is a geographical region and Iron Age kingdom also known as the Kingdom of Va ...
Urartu
Urartu (; Assyrian: ',Eberhard Schrader, ''The Cuneiform inscriptions and the Old Testament'' (1885), p. 65. Babylonian: ''Urashtu'', he, אֲרָרָט ''Ararat'') is a geographical region and Iron Age kingdom also known as the Kingdom of Va ...