FC Zhemchuzhina-Sochi (russian: ФК Жемчужина-Сочи) was a Russian

association football Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...

club based in

Sochi Sochi ( rus, Со́чи, p=ˈsotɕɪ, a=Ru-Сочи.ogg) is the largest resort city in Russia. The city is situated on the Sochi River, along the Black Sea in Southern Russia, with a population of 466,078 residents, up to 600,000 residents in ...

Krasnodar Krai Krasnodar Krai (russian: Краснода́рский край, r=Krasnodarsky kray, p=krəsnɐˈdarskʲɪj kraj) is a federal subject of Russia (a krai), located in the North Caucasus region in Southern Russia and administratively a part of t ...

founded in 1991 and dissolved in 2012.

History

Zhemchuzhina Sochi was founded in 1991 and named after a hotel which was one of the founders. Zhemchuzhina is

Russian Russian(s) refers to anything related to Russia, including: *Russians (, ''russkiye''), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries *Rossiyane (), Russian language term for all citizens and peo ...

for "a pearl". Zhemchuzhina spent one season in the

Soviet Second League B The Soviet Second League B or Soviet Lower Second League was an auxiliary fourth tier of the Soviet league system, because it was not consistent as it existed only for six seasons and somewhat randomly. It was the fourth highest division of Soviet ...

(winning zonal tournament), but were entitled to enter

Russian First Division The Russian First League (russian: Первая лига, Pervaya liga), formerly called Russian First Division (russian: Первый дивизион) and Russian Football National League (FNL) (russian: Первенство Футбольн� ...

in 1992, after the dissolution of the

Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...

. Zhemchuzhina won the tournament in their zone and were promoted to the

Russian Top Division The Russian Premier League (RPL; russian: Российская премьер-лига; РПЛ), also written as Russian Premier Liga, is the top division professional association football league in Russia. It was established at the end of 2001 ...

. They spent 7 seasons there, from 1993 to 1999. After another season in the First Division in 2000 Zhemchuzhina went straight down to the Second Division. The club was disbanded after the 2003 season due to financial problems. In 2004, a new club, Sochi-04, was formed in place of Zhemchuzhina. The former head of Zhemchuzhina,

Oleg Shinkaryov Oleg Vasilyevich Shinkaryov (russian: Олег Васильевич Шинкарёв; born 28 February 1965) is a Russian professional football official and a former player. External links * 1965 births Living people Soviet men's footbal ...

, became a chairman of Sochi-04.

Rebirth

In 2007, club was re-established under name "Zhemchuzhina-A".

Arsen Naydyonov Arseny Yudilyevich Naydyonov (russian: Арсений Юдильевич Найдёнов) (August 12, 1941 – June 7, 2010), commonly known as Arsen Naydyonov, was a Russian professional football coach. He was born as Arseny Rozman and took his ...

became manager and vice-president of club. "Zhemchuzhina-A" played in

Amateur Football League Russian championship among amateur football clubs (III division) (russian: Первенство России среди любительских футбольных клубов (III дивизион)) is the fourth overall tier of the Russian fo ...

South zone, the 4th highest-level in 2007. It finished 2nd this league and promoted to South Zone of

Russian Second Division The Russian Second League (russian: Первенство России II дивизиона ФНЛ), formerly Russian Professional Football League is the third level of Russian professional football (soccer), football. History In 1998–2010, it ...

for 2008 season. In 2008, it was renamed to FC Zhemchuzhina-Sochi. It promoted to the

the 2010 season as champions of South Zone after 9 seasons of absence. In August 2011 the team withdrew from Russian First Division (FNL).

League history

Reserve squad

Zhemchuzhina's reserve squad played professionally as FC Zhemchuzhina-d Sochi (

Russian Third League Russian(s) refers to anything related to Russia, including: *Russians (, ''russkiye''), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries *Rossiyane Russian citizenship law details the conditions ...

in 1995-1997) and FC Zhemchuzhina-2 Sochi (

in 1998-1999). In 1992-1993 the reserves team was based in Adler and played under the name of FC Torpedo Adler. Another farm club called FC Dynamo-Zhemchuzhina-2 Sochi played professionally in

in 1996 and

Russian Second League The Russian Second League (russian: Первенство России II дивизиона ФНЛ), formerly Russian Professional Football League is the third level of Russian professional football. History In 1998–2010, it was run by the P ...

in 1997.

Notable players

Had international caps for their respective countries. Players whose name is listed in bold represented their countries while playing for Zhemchuzhina. * Denis Boyarintsev *

Maksim Demenko Maksim Vladimirovich Demenko (russian: Максим Владимирович Деменко; born 21 March 1976) is a Russian football manager and a former player who played as a central midfielder. He is one of six players who scored for six ...

* Olexandr Gorshkov *

Lyubomir Kantonistov Lyubomir Danilovich Kantonistov (russian: Любомир Данилович Кантонистов; born 11 August 1978) is a former Russian footballer. He played with FC Lokomotiv Moscow, FC Kuban Krasnodar and FC Torpedo Moscow in the Russi ...

* Arsen Avetisyan * Eduard Partsikyan * Tigran Petrosyan * Manuk Kakosyan * Robert Zebelyan * Kazemır Qudiyev *

Nazim Suleymanov Nazim Suleymanov ( az, Nazim Süleymanov; russian: Назим Сулейманов; born 17 February 1965) is a Soviet and Azerbaijani football coach and a former player best known as a striker for Alania Vladikavkaz in the 1990s. Suleymanov was ...

* Vital Bulyga *

Konstantin Kovalenko Konstantin Valeryevich Kovalenko (russian: Константин Валерьевич Коваленко; be, Канстанцін Валер'евіч Каваленка; born 2 February 1975) is a Belarusian and Russian professional footballer ...

* Gennady Tumilovich *

Uladzimir Zhuravel Uladzimir Ivanavich Zhuravel ( be, Уладзімір Іванавіч Журавель; russian: Владимир Иванович Журавель; 9 June 1971 – 18 November 2018) was a Belarusian professional football player and coach. In 20 ...

* Ricardo Baiano * Marek Čech *

Michal Papadopulos Michal Papadopulos (born 14 April 1985) is a Czech professional footballer who most recently played as a forward for Czech club MFK Karviná. Career Papadopulos started his football career in his native Ostrava at NH Ostrava, and then Baník Os ...

* Gocha Gogrichiani *

Zurab Ionanidze Zurab Ionanidze ( ka, ზურაბ იონანიძე; born 2 December 1971) is a former Georgian footballer, of ethnic Assyrian extraction. Club career Ionanidze previously played for FC Zhemchuzhina Sochi and FC Lokomotiv Nizhny Novg ...

* Davit Janashia * David Khmelidze * Dimitri Kudinov *

Ruslan Baltiev Ruslan Takhiruly Baltiyev ( kk, Рұслан Тахирұлы Балтиев, ''Rūslan Tahirūly Baltiev''; born 16 September 1978) is a retired Kazakh football midfielder. He is a former Kazakh international, whom he is the top goalscorer. ...

* Kazbek Geteriev * Konstantin Ledovskikh * Serghei Covalciuc * Denis Knitel * Alexandr Mukanin *

Farkhod Vasiev Farkhod Saidzhonovich Vasiyev (russian: Фарход Саиджонович Васиев; born 14 April 1990) is a TajikistanI professional footballer who plays as a left-back. Club career In January 2010, Vasiyev went on trial with Krylia So ...

Andriy Vasylytchuk Andriy Mykolayovych Vasylytchuk ( uk, Андрій Миколайович Василитчук; russian: Андрей Николаевич Василитчук; born 23 October 1965) is a retired Ukrainian professional footballer. He made his p ...

Vladimir Shishelov Vladimir Aleksandrovich Shishelov (russian: Владимир Александрович Шишелов; born 8 November 1979) is an Uzbekistani-Russian retired football forward. Career His first professional club was Qizilqum Zarafshon he bega ...

External links

Official website

Zhemchuzhina memorial website

Official fan site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Zhemchuzhina-Sochi, FC Defunct football clubs in Russia Sport in Sochi Association football clubs established in 1991 Association football clubs disestablished in 2013 1991 establishments in Russia 2013 disestablishments in Russia