FC Pyunik facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Pyunik

Full name	Football Club Pyunik
Nickname(s)	Նռնագույններ (Pomegranate Color)
Founded	20 January 1992; 33 years ago (1992-01-20)
Ground	Vazgen Sargsyan Republican Stadium
Ground Capacity	14,403
Ground Coordinates	40°10′19″N 44°31′33″E / 40.17194°N 44.52583°E / 40.17194; 44.52583
Owner	Anton Farber
Director General	Kim Arakelyan
Head coach	Yegishe Melikyan
League	Armenian Premier League
2024–25	Armenian Premier League, 4th of 11
Home colours Away colours Third colours

Football Club Pyunik (which means "Phoenix" in Armenian) is a professional sports club from Yerevan, Armenia. It is best known for its amazing football team. Since it started in 1992, Pyunik has always played in the top league, the Armenian Premier League. It is the most successful team in Armenia, with 34 official titles!

Pyunik is one of the most popular football clubs in Armenia. Other popular teams include Urartu, Shirak, and Ararat. Pyunik has a big rivalry with Ararat. Both clubs are seen as the most successful in Armenia. They are also very popular among Armenians living in other countries. Pyunik also has a rivalry with Urartu. This rivalry started when Urartu moved to Yerevan in 2001.

Pyunik plays its home games at the Vazgen Sargsyan Republican Stadium. This stadium is also where the Armenia national football team plays. Pyunik's youth academy has helped many young players become international stars. Some famous players who came from Pyunik's academy include Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Robert Arzumanyan, and Edgar Manucharyan. Many of these players have gone on to play for big clubs in Europe.

Pyunik's Journey in Football

Pyunik was founded in 1992 by the famous Armenian football player Khoren Oganesian. It was first called Homenetmen Yerevan. The club won the first Armenian Premier League in 1992, sharing the title with Shirak. In 1995, the club changed its name to FC Pyunik. After this, Pyunik won the 1995–96 Armenian Premier League. They even had an amazing 59-match unbeaten streak!

In 1996, Pyunik played its first international game in the UEFA Europa League against HJK Helsinki from Finland. Pyunik won that match 3–1. They also won the 1996-97 Armenian Premier League, which gave them another chance to play in international cups.

In 1997, Pyunik played its first UEFA Champions League game against MTK Budapest FC. However, they did not make it to the next round. In 1998, the club faced problems with funding and many players left. Pyunik finished 6th that season and then stopped playing professional football for a short time.

Pyunik returned to professional football by joining with FC Armenicum. This new team had just been promoted to the Armenian Premier League. The club's new leaders brought in experienced players from other countries. These new players helped a lot! Pyunik then won the 2001 Armenian Premier League and the 2002 Armenian Cup.

From 2002 onwards, Pyunik had an incredible run. They won the Armenian Premier League a record 10 times in a row, from 2001 to 2010! On January 7, 2021, Yegishe Melikyan became Pyunik's new manager.

In the 2022-23 season, Pyunik made history. They became the first Armenian club to reach the third round of Champions League qualifying. They beat teams like Cluj and Dudelange. After losing in the Champions League, Pyunik played in the UEFA Europa League. They then moved to the UEFA Europa Conference League group stages. This was the first time an Armenian club reached the group stage of a European competition!

Pyunik won their first home match in the Conference League against Slovan Bratislava. This was a big moment, as it was the first time an Armenian team won a game in a UEFA group stage. On December 31, 2024, Anton Farber became the new owner of the club.

Pyunik's Success in Armenia

Pyunik has a very strong record in Armenian football. They have won the top league many times. They have also won the Armenian Cup, which is another important competition.

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	Armen Gyulbudaghyants Aleksei Yeryomenko Armen Gyulbudaghyants
2018–19		2nd	32	18	6	8	46	32	60	Quarter-final	Erik Vardanyan	8	Andrei Talalayev Aleksandr Tarkhanov
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
2023–24		1st	36	24	10	2	84	28	82	Semifinal	Yusuf Otubanjo	21	Yegishe Melikyan
2024–25		4th	30	17	2	11	59	37	53	Semifinal	Yusuf Otubanjo	14	Yegishe Melikyan

• The 1995 season was a special "transition" season, so there was no official champion.
• The 2008 championship was decided by a special play-off game.

Playing in Europe

Pyunik has played many games in European competitions. They have competed in the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, and UEFA Conference League. While they haven't won a European title, they have gained a lot of experience. Their best result was reaching the group stage of the UEFA Conference League in 2022-23.

Team Colors and Badge

Pyunik usually wears blue and white jerseys. In the past, they even had orange jerseys! Puma is their current kit supplier since 2019. Before that, Joma supplied their kits for the 2020–21 season.

Kit Suppliers and Sponsors

Club Badge History

The club's badge has changed five times over the years. In 2001, Pyunik introduced its famous logo with a bold letter 'P' on a football. In 2014, they changed to a golden phoenix crest, but fans didn't like it much. So, in 2019, Pyunik went back to a round badge with a blue background and a red phoenix in the middle.

• 

  2014–18

• 

  2019–present

Pyunik's Home Stadium

The stadium during Soviet era

Stadium view

The stadium during a Champions League qualifying match

Pyunik has played at different stadiums. From 1992 to 1998, they played at Hrazdan Stadium, which is Armenia's biggest stadium.

In 2001, Pyunik moved to the Republican Stadium after it was renovated. They played most of their home games there until 2013. Sometimes, they had to play at their training ground, Pyunik Stadium, when the Republican Stadium was being fixed.

Between 2013 and 2017, Pyunik used the Yerevan Football Academy for local games. They still used the Republican Stadium for international matches. Now, the Republican Stadium is their main home stadium. It is also the home stadium for the Armenia national football team.

Stadiums Pyunik Has Used

• 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 Fans

Pyunik has a large and loyal fan base. Many of their supporters come from the wealthier parts of Yerevan. However, because of the club's history and success, fans have grown across Armenia and among Armenians living abroad.

Pyunik is one of the most popular clubs in Armenia. They have a big group of dedicated fans called Sector 18. This name comes from the section they sit in at the Vazgen Sargsyan Republican Stadium.

Club Rivalries

Pyunik has two main rivalries. The first is with Ararat. Pyunik's founder, Khoren Oganesian, was a legend at Ararat. Pyunik's recent success has made the rivalry even stronger. Fans often debate which club has had a bigger impact on Armenian football.

The second rivalry is with Urartu. This rivalry is sometimes called the "clash of Yerevan neighborhoods." Pyunik is from the central, wealthier area, while Urartu is from a different part of the city. This rivalry started when Urartu moved to Yerevan in 2001. Both teams' youth academies are also rivals, as they are considered the best in the country.

Pyunik Players

Current Team Squad

No. Position Player 2 DF Alemão 3 DF Nikos Kenourgios 4 MF Solomon Udo 6 DF Juninho 7 FW Edgar Malakyan (captain) 8 FW Gevorg Tarakhchyan 9 FW Matas Vareika 10 MF Javi Moreno 11 DF Joël Bopesu 13 MF Daniyel Agbalyan 14 FW Yusuf Otubanjo 15 DF Mikhail Kovalenko 16 GK Henri Avagyan 17 MF Levon Petrosayan 18 MF Karlen Hovhannisyan 19 FW Sargis Metoyan

No. Position Player 20 MF Lucas Villela 21 MF Serob Galstyan 22 MF Sead Islamović 23 FW Vagner 25 MF Daniil Kulikov 26 DF Aleksandar Miljković 32 GK Sergey Mikaelyan 35 MF Petros Alekyan 71 GK Stanislav Buchnev 76 DF Filipe Almeida 77 FW Sani Buhari 79 DF Serhiy Vakulenko 99 FW Marius Noubissi GK Daniil Polyanski FW Eric Ocansey

Players on Loan

No. Position Player DF Mark Avetisyan (at BKMA Yerevan) DF Ishkhan Darbinyan (at Sardarapat) DF Sergey Harutyunyan (at BKMA Yerevan) DF Karen Hovakimyan (at BKMA Yerevan)

No. Position Player MF Vyacheslav Afyan (at BKMA Yerevan) FW Aris Karapetyan (at BKMA Yerevan) FW Levon Vardanyan (at BKMA Yerevan)

Coaching Staff

Position	Name
Head coach	Yegishe Melikyan
Assistant coach	Roman Monarev
Assistant coach	Aghvan Ayvazyan
Goalkeepers coach	Stepan Demirchyan
Fitness Trainer	Ciro Hosseini
Head of Medical Service	Dmitriy Lisityn
Masseurs	Hayk Mnatsakanyan, Sergey Yaylakhanyan and Robert Nersisyan
Team Manager	Hovhannes Hayrapetyan
Team Administrator	Garik Ghazaryan
Pyunik Academy Head Coach	Levon Stepanyan

Club Leadership

Executive Board

Anton Farber became the owner and President of Pyunik in 2024.

• Vice-president: Suren Baghdasaryan
• General Director: Kim Arakelyan
• Sporting Director: Denys Kulakov
• Technical Director: Tigran Poghosyan

Other Staff

• General Secretary: Lilit Avagyan
• Sports director of Pyunik Academy: Aram Gyulbudaghyan
• Chief scout: Nikolai Babkin
• Head of International Scouting: Victor Lafuente

Pyunik's Trophies

Pyunik has won many important titles in Armenian football.

• 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)
  • Second Place (2): 2018–19, 2022–23
• Armenian Cup
  • Winners (8): 1995–96, 2002, 2004, 2009, 2010, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15 (record)
  • Runner-Up (3): 1996–97 2006, 2016–17
• Armenian Super Cup
  • Winners (10): 1998, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2015, 2022 (record)
  • Runner-Up (6): 1996, 2003, 2006, 2009, 2013, 2014, 2024

Other Football Teams

Reserve and Youth Teams

Pyunik also has a reserve team coached by Levon Stepanyan. This team plays in the Armenian First League. The club's youth academy, led by Aram Gyulbudaghyan, trains young players.

Many famous Armenian international players came from Pyunik's youth academy. These include Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Robert Arzumanyan, and Gevorg Ghazaryan.

See also

In Spanish: Football Club Pyunik para niños

• Football in Armenia
• Football Federation of Armenia