FC Pyunik facts for kids
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| Full name | Football Club Pyunik | |||
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| Nickname(s) | Նռնագույններ (Pomegranate Color) | |||
| Founded | 20 January 1992 | |||
| Ground | Vazgen Sargsyan Republican Stadium | |||
| Capacity | 14,403 | |||
| Coordinates | 40°10′19″N 44°31′33″E / 40.17194°N 44.52583°E ACoordinates: Extra unexpected parameters |
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| President | Arthur Soghomonyan | |||
| Manager | Yegishe Melikyan | |||
| League | Armenian Premier League | |||
| 2023–24 | 1st of 10 (Champions) | |||
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Football Club Pyunik (pronounced "Pyo-nik") is a professional sports club from Yerevan, Armenia. Its name means "Phoenix," like the mythical bird that rises from ashes! Founded in 1992, Pyunik has become the most successful football team in Armenia. They have won a record 34 official titles, including many Armenian Premier League championships.
While they haven't won big international titles yet, Pyunik often plays in important European competitions. These include the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League. Pyunik is one of the most popular football clubs in Armenia. Other popular teams are Urartu and Ararat.
Pyunik has a strong rivalry with Ararat. Both clubs are very popular and have many fans. This includes Armenians living in other countries. They also have a rivalry with Urartu. This rivalry started when Urartu moved to Yerevan in 2001.
The team plays its home games at the Vazgen Sargsyan Republican Stadium. Pyunik is also famous for its youth academy. This academy has trained many talented Armenian players. Some of these players, like Henrikh Mkhitaryan, have even played for top European clubs!
Contents
History of FC Pyunik
Pyunik was started in 1992 by a famous Armenian football player, Khoren Oganesian. It was first called Homenetmen Yerevan. The club won the very first Armenian Premier League competition in 1992. They shared the title with Shirak because both teams had the same number of points.
In 1995, Homenetmen Yerevan changed its name to FC Pyunik. After this name change, Pyunik won the 1995–96 Armenian Premier League. They also had an amazing 59-match unbeaten streak that season!
In 1996, Pyunik played its first international cup match. This was a UEFA Europa League qualifying game against Finnish club HJK Helsinki. Pyunik won that game 3–1. They also won the 1996-97 Armenian Premier League. This gave them another chance to play in international cups the next year.
In 1997, Pyunik played its first UEFA Champions League qualifying match. They played against Hungarian team MTK Budapest FC. However, they lost 6–3 overall and did not move forward.
The year 1998 was tough for the club. They lost their main funding and many key players left. Pyunik finished 6th that season and then stopped playing professional football for a while.
Pyunik made a comeback in 2001. They joined with FC Armenicum, a team that had just moved up to the Armenian Premier League. The new management brought in experienced players from other countries. These players were from Argentina, Cameroon, Mali, and Romania. This helped a lot! Pyunik went on to win the 2001 Armenian Premier League and the 2002 Armenian Cup.
In 2002, Pyunik reached the second round of the UEFA Champions League qualifying stage. They beat Finnish champions Tampere United 6–0 overall. From 2001 to 2010, Pyunik won the Armenian Premier League a record 10 times in a row!
On January 8, 2020, former Armenian national team goalkeeper Roman Berezovsky became the club's new manager. He left after about seven months. On July 20, 2020, Artak Oseyan took over, but he also left in December 2020. Finally, on January 7, 2021, Yegishe Melikyan was announced as Pyunik's new manager.
In the 2022-23 season, Pyunik made history. They beat Cluj and Dudelange. This made them the first Armenian club ever to reach the third round of UEFA Champions League qualifying. They played against former European champions Crvena Zvezda but lost 7–0 overall.
After that, Pyunik moved to the play-off round of the UEFA Europa League. They played against Moldovan team Sheriff Tiraspol. After two games with no goals, Pyunik lost on penalties. This meant they moved into the group stages of the UEFA Europa Conference League. This was the first time the club had ever reached a group stage in a European competition!
After losing their first match against Basel, Pyunik played Slovan Bratislava at home in Yerevan. They won this game thanks to goals from Artak Dashyan and Yusuf Otubanjo. This win made them the first Armenian team to win a game in the group stage of a UEFA competition.
Pyunik's European Journey
Pyunik has played many games in European competitions. Here's a summary of their performance:
| Competition | GP | W | D | L | GF | GA | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UEFA Champions League | 42 | 9 | 10 | 23 | 36 | 69 | –33 |
| UEFA Europa League / UEFA Cup | 28 | 9 | 7 | 12 | 27 | 48 | –21 |
| UEFA Conference League | 18 | 10 | 0 | 8 | 25 | 24 | +1 |
| Total | 88 | 28 | 17 | 43 | 88 | 141 | −53 |
Team Kit and Badge
Over the years, Pyunik has mostly worn blue and white jerseys. There were a few times when their first jerseys were orange.
Puma has been the club's kit supplier since 2019. Before that, in 2020, Pyunik announced that Joma would supply their kits for the 2020–21 season.
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 |
Club Badge Designs
The club has had five different badge designs throughout its history. The first three designs were quite different from each other.
When the club returned in 2001, Pyunik introduced its famous logo. It had a bold letter P on top of a football. The club used this design for 13 years. In 2014, they changed to a golden phoenix with two heads. Fans didn't like this change much. So, in 2019, Pyunik brought back a new badge. It was round, mostly blue, with a red phoenix in the middle.
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2014–18
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2019–present
Home Stadium
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Pyunik has played at several stadiums over the years. From 1992 to 1998, they played at Hrazdan Stadium. This is Armenia's largest stadium, holding 54,208 fans.
In 2001, Pyunik moved to the Vazgen Sargsyan Republican Stadium. They played all their home games there until 2013. There was a short break in 2008 when the stadium was being renovated. During that time, the club played at Pyunik Stadium, which is their training ground.
From 2013 to 2017, the Yerevan Football Academy was their home for local games. They still used the Vazgen Sargsyan Republican Stadium for international matches.
At the start of the 2017–18 season, Pyunik used the Vazgen Sargsyan Republican Stadium for the first half of the season. Then they returned to their own Pyunik Stadium for the second half.
The Vazgen Sargsyan Republican Stadium is also the home stadium for the Armenia national football team. Other Armenian teams sometimes use it for their international games too.
The club is currently planning to build a new stadium. It will have seats for 5,000 people and should be ready by 2022.
Stadiums Used by Pyunik
- 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
- Vazgen Sargsyan Republican Stadium/Pyunik Stadium: 2017–18
- Vazgen Sargsyan Republican Stadium: 2018–present
Pyunik Supporters
Pyunik's fans are often seen as coming from the wealthier parts of Yerevan. This is different from their rival, FC Urartu, whose fans are thought to be from more working-class areas. Because of the club's history and recent success, Pyunik's fan base has grown. They have supporters not only in Yerevan but also in other parts of Armenia and among Armenians living around the world.
Pyunik is considered one of the most popular clubs in Armenia. They have one of the biggest "Ultras" fan groups in the country. This group is called Sector 18, named after the section they sit in at the Vazgen Sargsyan Republican Stadium.
Club Rivalries
Pyunik has a strong rivalry with Ararat. This rivalry started when Pyunik was founded. Pyunik's founder, Khoren Oganesian, is a hero for Ararat. He achieved great things with Ararat during the Soviet era, like winning the 1975 Soviet Cup. Pyunik's recent success has made its image very strong. This has led to debates about which club has had a bigger impact on Armenian football.
Another rivalry is between Pyunik and Urartu. This is sometimes called the "clash of Yerevan neighborhoods." Pyunik is in the wealthier Kentron area, while Urartu is in the Malatia-Sebastia area. This rivalry began when Urartu moved from Abovyan to Yerevan in 2001. They became one of the biggest teams in the city. Both teams' youth academies also compete, as they are considered two of the best in Armenia.
Players and Staff
Current Squad
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Players Out on Loan
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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 |
Club Management
Executive Board
Arthur Soghomonyan has been the owner and President of Pyunik since 2017.
- Vice-president: Robert Gasparyan
- 2nd Vice-president: Aleksandr Tarkhanov
- Executive Director: Tigran Martirosyan
Club 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
Club Achievements
Pyunik has won many titles in Armenian football. They hold records for the most Premier League and Armenian Cup wins!
- Armenian Premier League
- Champions (16): 1992, 1995–96, 1996–97, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2014–15, 2021–22, 2023–24 (record)
- Runners-up (2): 2018–19, 2022–23
- Armenian Cup
- Winners (8): 1995–96, 2002, 2004, 2009, 2010, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15 (record)
- Runners-up (3): 1996–97 2006, 2016–17
- Armenian Super Cup
- Winners (10): 1998, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2015, 2022 (record)
- Runners-up (6): 1996, 2003, 2006, 2009, 2013, 2014
Other Football Sections
Reserve Team and Youth Academy
The reserve team is currently coached by Yuri Tarkhanov. They play in the Armenian First League. The youth academy is managed by Albert Sargsyan.
Many famous players have come from Pyunik's youth academy. These include Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Robert Arzumanyan, Karlen Mkrtchyan, Edgar Manucharyan, Varazdat Haroyan and Gevorg Ghazaryan.
See also
In Spanish: Football Club Pyunik para niños
- Football in Armenia
- Football Federation of Armenia
