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Spartak Moscow
FC Spartak Moscow Logotype.png
Full name Футбольный клуб Спартак Москва
(Football Club Spartak Moscow)
Nickname(s) Gladiatory (Gladiators)
Narodnaya komanda (The People's Team)
Krasno-Belye (Red-and-Whites)
Founded 18 April 1922; 103 years ago (1922-04-18)
Ground Lukoil Arena
Ground Capacity 45,360
Owner Lukoil
Manager Dejan Stanković
League Russian Premier League
2024–25 Russian Premier League, 4th of 16
Third colours

FC Spartak Moscow (known in Russian as Футбольный клуб «Спартак» Москва) is a very famous football club from Moscow, Russia. They are one of the most successful football clubs in Russia. Spartak has won many championships in both the Soviet era and modern Russia. They've also won many national cups and reached the semi-finals of big European tournaments like the UEFA Europa League, UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup.

Club History

How Spartak Moscow Started (1883–1941)

In the early days of Soviet football, different government groups like the police and army created their own football teams. These teams often showed off their power through sports wins. Spartak was different because it was started by a trade union. This made it known as "the people's team."

The club's roots go back to the Russian Gymnastics Society, founded in 1883. This group wanted to promote sports like football. In 1923, a team called Krasnaya Presnya was formed. It was led by Ivan Artemyev and included Nikolai Starostin, who was very important to the football team.

The team grew and even built its own stadium. In 1934, Nikolai Starostin and his brothers were asked to make the team even stronger. The team changed its name to "Spartak Moscow" in 1935. The name Spartak comes from Spartacus, a famous gladiator who led a rebellion in Ancient Rome.

The four Starostin brothers were key to the team's success. They played for Spartak in the 1930s. Later, Nikolai Starostin faced difficulties but said football helped him survive. He even returned to manage the team in 1954.

In 1936, the main Soviet football league began. Dynamo Moscow won the first championship, but Spartak won the second one that same year. Before World War II, Spartak won two more league titles.

Spartak Moscow After the War (1945–1991)

In the 1950s, Spartak and Dynamo were the top teams in the Soviet league. When the Soviet national team won gold at the 1956 Olympics, many players were from Spartak. Igor Netto, Spartak's captain, also captained the national team for many years.

Spartak won two more league titles in the 1960s. However, by the mid-1960s, they were not seen as a top club anymore. In 1976, Spartak even moved down to a lower league.

Spelmoment in de wedstrijd HFC Haarlem-Spartak Moskva, eindstand 1-3. Edward Metgod is verslagen vlak voor de rust is het 1-1. Verder Piet Huyg en Keith Masefield. NL-HlmNHA 5400466729
Spartak playing against HFC Haarlem in 1982

Even after being relegated, fans continued to support the team. Konstantin Beskov became the new coach. He brought in young players like Rinat Dasayev and Georgi Yartsev. Spartak quickly returned to the top league and won the title in 1979.

A sad event happened on October 20, 1982, during a UEFA Cup match between Spartak and Dutch club HFC Haarlem. Many people were hurt in a crowd crush at the stadium.

In 1989, Spartak won its last USSR Championship. Their striker Valery Shmarov scored a winning free kick right at the end of the game. The next season, Spartak reached the semi-finals of the European Cup. They beat strong teams like Napoli and Real Madrid but lost to Marseille.

Modern Spartak Moscow (1991–Present)

Early Success in Russia (1991–2004)

After the Soviet Union ended, a new Russian league started. Spartak, led by coach Oleg Romantsev, became the strongest team. They won almost every title between 1992 and 2001. They also played in the UEFA Champions League every year.

Rinat Dasaev
Rinat Dasaev, named the world's best goalkeeper in 1988.

Problems started in the early 2000s. Some key players left the club. Coach Romantsev also sold his share of the club to a businessman named Andrei Chervichenko. They had disagreements, and Romantsev was eventually fired in 2003. The club had a few tough seasons until Chervichenko sold his share in 2004.

Since 2003, Spartak has been allowed to put a golden star on its badge. This is to celebrate winning five Russian championships. They have won four more championships since then.

OIRomantsev
Oleg Romantsev, the most successful coach in Spartak's history.

A Period Without Titles (2004–2016)

In 2004, Leonid Fedun became the club's President. Spartak finished second in the league in 2005, earning a spot in the Champions League. However, after a difficult start to the 2006 season, coach Aleksandrs Starkovs left.

Andrey Tikhonov in 2022
Club legend Andrey Tikhonov played for Spartak in two different periods.

In the 2012–13 season, Spartak played in the Champions League group stage but finished last. In the league, they finished fourth.

Since 2013, the club has added three more stars to its badge. This is because rules changed, allowing teams to include titles won during the Soviet era. The next three seasons (2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16) saw Spartak finish in the middle of the league table and not qualify for European competitions.

Spartak's Comeback (2016–2022)

Before the 2016–17 season, Massimo Carrera, a former Juventus coach, took over. Spartak had many talented players, both foreign and Russian. They won the 2016–17 Russian Premier League title, their first in 16 years. They won most of their important derby matches and finished seven points ahead of the second-place team.

Massimo Carrera Aug 8 2016
Massimo Carrera helped Spartak win their first league title in 16 years.

The next season, Spartak played in the 2017–18 UEFA Champions League group stage. They had a very big loss against Liverpool (7-0) but also achieved big wins, like 5-1 against Sevilla.

After finishing second in the 2020-21 Russian Premier League under coach Domenico Tedesco, Spartak had a great run in the 2021–22 UEFA Europa League. Led by Rui Vitoria, they won their group, beating strong teams like Napoli. They were supposed to play RB Leipzig, but all Russian clubs were suspended from international competitions.

On May 29, 2022, in the final match for coach Paolo Vanoli, Spartak won the 2021–22 Russian Cup.

New Owners (2022–Present)

Spartak-Zrvena (1)
Longtime President Leonid Fedun resigned after selling the club.

On August 22, 2022, Lukoil Oil Company announced they had bought Spartak Moscow and its stadium. This happened after many changes at the club, including a new manager, Guille Abascal, who became the youngest manager in the club's history at 33 years old. Leonid Fedun, who had been president for over 18 years, resigned. Under his leadership, the club won one league title, one cup, and one supercup. They also built their own stadium for the first time.

In September 2022, Alexander Matytsyn from Lukoil became the new chairman of the board. In December 2023, the club announced it was bringing back its second team, which had been closed in 2022. This team will play in a lower league.

Club Achievements

National Competitions

  • Soviet Top League/Russian Premier League
    • Champions (22) (record): 1936 (autumn), 1938, 1939, 1952, 1953, 1956, 1958, 1962, 1969, 1979, 1987, 1989 / 1992, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2016–17
    • Runners-up (18): 1937, 1954, 1955, 1963, 1968, 1974, 1980, 1981, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1991, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011–12, 2020–21
  • Soviet Cup/Russian Cup
    • Winners (14) (record): 1938, 1939, 1946, 1947, 1950, 1958, 1963, 1965, 1971, 1992, 1993–94, 1997–98, 2002–03, 2021–22
    • Runners-up (7): 1948, 1952, 1957, 1972, 1981, 1995–96, 2005–06
  • Russian Super Cup
    • Winners: 2017
    • Runners-up (4): 2004, 2006, 2007, 2022
  • Soviet First League
    • Champions: 1977
  • USSR Federation Cup
    • Winners: 1987

International Competitions

  • Commonwealth of Independent States Cup
    • Winners (6): 1993, 1994, 1995, 1999, 2000, 2001
    • Runners-up: 1997, 1998, 2002

Other Trophies

  • Match Premier Cup
    • Winners: 2019, 2020, 2021
  • Ciutat de Barcelona Trophy
    • Winners: 1982
  • Copa del Sol
    • Winners: 2012

European Matches

Spartak Moscow has played in many European tournaments. Here are some of their notable achievements:

Season Achievement Notes
European Cup / UEFA Champions League
1980–81 Quarter-final lost to Real Madrid
1990–91 Semi-final lost to Marseille
1993–94 Group stage finished third in a group with Barcelona, AS Monaco and Galatasaray
1995–96 Quarter-final lost to Nantes
2000–01 Second group stage finished fourth in a group with Bayern Munich, Arsenal and Lyon
UEFA Cup Winners' Cup
1972–73 Quarter-final lost to Milan
1992–93 Semi-final lost to Antwerp
UEFA Cup / UEFA Europa League
1983–84 Quarter-final lost to Anderlecht
1997–98 Semi-final lost to Internazionale
2010–11 Quarter-final lost to Porto

Team Nicknames

The team is often called "red-and-whites" because of their colors. But fans also have a very popular nickname: "The Meat" (Мясо in Russian). This nickname comes from the club's early days. In the 1920s, the team changed names many times. For a long time, the team was supported by a Moscow food factory that made meat products.

One of the most popular chants among fans is: "Who are we? We're The Meat!"

Team Colors, Kits, and Badges

FC Spartak Moscow's main color is red. In 2014, Nike designed new kits inspired by the club's new home stadium.

Owners, Kit Suppliers, and Shirt Sponsors

Period Kit supplier Shirt sponsor Owner
1979–1987 Adidas Spartak society
1988 Danieli
1989 JINDO
1990–1993 Unipack
1994–1996 Urengoygazprom Oleg Romantsev
1997–1998 Akai
1999
2000–2002 Lukoil Andrey Chervichenko
2003–2004 Umbro Leonid Fedun
2005–2023 Nike
2023–2024 Wildberries Lukoil
2024–present Jögel

Rival Teams and Friendships

Spartak's biggest rival today is CSKA Moscow. This rivalry became very strong after the Soviet Union ended. Many of the most-watched matches in the Russian Premier League are between Spartak and CSKA.

Historically, Spartak's biggest rival was Dynamo Moscow. This is Russia's oldest football rivalry. Matches against Lokomotiv Moscow and Zenit Saint Petersburg are also very popular. After the Soviet Union broke up, Spartak's rivalry with Dynamo Kyiv (a top team from Ukraine) ended because they now play in different leagues.

Перфоманс на день рожденья "Фратрии". 2010 год
Spartak supporters

Since the mid-2000s, Spartak fans have become friends with supporters of Crvena Zvezda (Red Star Belgrade) from Serbia and Olympiacos from Greece. This friendship is based on their shared Orthodox faith and similar club colors. Spartak fans also have friendly relationships with supporters of Torpedo Moscow and the Polish club Lech Poznań.

Home Stadium

Stadium Otkrytiye Arena1
Otkritie Arena
Match veteranov Spartaka (10)
Inside view of the stadium.

For a long time, Spartak did not have its own stadium. The team played its home games at different stadiums in Moscow, like the Locomotiv and Luzhniki stadiums. There were plans to build a stadium in the early 2000s, but nothing happened.

When Leonid Fedun bought a large part of the club, he took real steps to build a stadium. In 2006, the city of Moscow gave land for the stadium. The plan included a main arena for 42,000 people. The first stone was laid on June 2, 2007.

In 2013, it was announced that the stadium would be called Otkritie Arena for six years because of a sponsorship deal. The first match at the new stadium was on September 5, 2014, when Spartak played a friendly game against Red Star Belgrade (1-1). The first official match was on September 14, 2014, where Spartak beat Torpedo Moscow 3–1.

Current Players

Team Roster

No. Position Player
1 Russia GK Ilya Pomazun
2 Moldova DF Oleg Reabciuk
4 Paraguay DF Alexis Duarte
5 Argentina MF Esequiel Barco
6 Serbia DF Srđan Babić
7 Argentina FW Pablo Solari
9 Costa Rica FW Manfred Ugalde
10 Brazil FW Marquinhos
11 Trinidad and Tobago FW Levi Garcia
13 Russia MF Maksim Laykin
18 Russia MF Nail Umyarov
19 Paraguay FW Jesús Medina
23 Russia DF Nikita Chernov
24 Russia MF Nikita Massalyga
No. Position Player
25 Russia MF Danil Prutsev
27 Russia MF Igor Dmitriyev
28 Russia MF Daniil Zorin
29 Portugal DF Ricardo Mangas
35 Luxembourg MF Christopher Martins
47 Russia MF Roman Zobnin
56 Russia GK Aleksandr Dovbnya
68 Russia DF Ruslan Litvinov
77 Democratic Republic of the Congo MF Théo Bongonda
82 Russia DF Daniil Khlusevich
91 Russia FW Anton Zabolotny
97 Russia DF Daniil Denisov
98 Russia GK Aleksandr Maksimenko

Players on Loan

No. Position Player
Russia DF Yuri Koledin (at Saturn Ramenskoye until 31 December 2025)
Russia MF Anton Roshchin (at Leningradets until 30 June 2026)
No. Position Player
Russia MF Anton Zinkovsky (at Sochi until 30 June 2026)
Russia FW Artyom Bykovsky (at Tyumen until 30 June 2026)

Club Staff

  • Owner: Russia Vagit Alekperov, Russia Leonid Fedun
  • Managing Director: Russia Yevgeni Melezhikov
  • Director of Sports: Francis Cagigao
  • Caretaker head coach: Bosnia and Herzegovina Vladimir Slišković
  • Assistant coach: Spain Carlos Valle
  • Goalkeeping coach: Russia Vasili Kuznetsov
  • Physical coach: Spain Fernando Perez Lopez
  • Reserves team head coach: Russia Aleksei Lunin
  • Reserves team assistant coach: Russia Aleksei Melyoshin
  • Reserves team goalkeeping coach: Russia Vasili Kuznetsov

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: F. C. Spartak de Moscú para niños

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