FC Arsenal Tula

Arsenal Tula
Full name Football Club Arsenal Tula
Nickname(s) Red-yellows, Canoneers, "Pryaniki" (Gingercakes), "Pushkari" (artillerymen), "Oruzheyniki" (Gunsmiths), Samovars.
Founded 1946 (1946)
Ground Arsenal Stadium
Capacity 20,048
Owner Rostec (Tulamashzavod)
Chairman Guram Adzhoyev
Manager Oleg Kononov
League Russian Premier League
2017–18 7th
Departments of Arsenal Tula
Football Basketball

FC Arsenal Tula (Russian: ФК «Арсенал» Тула) are a Russian football team from Tula playing in the Russian Football Premier League.

Originally founded in 1946, FC Arsenal Tula were promoted to the Russian Premier League in 2014 for the first time in their history after finishing as runners-up in the 2013–14 Russian National Football League. This achievement marked three successive promotions for the club. On their debut season in the 2014–15 Russian Premier League, they finished in last place and were relegated back to the FNL. The club spent one season in the FNL before returning to the Premier League for the 2016–17 season, which they have competed in ever since.[1]

The team currently plays their home games in Arsenal Stadium, which has a capacity of 20,048.

History

Team name history

  • 1946–58: FC Zenit Tula
  • 1959–61: FC Trud Tula
  • 1962–63: FC Shakhtyor Tula
  • 1964–74: FC Metallurg Tula
  • 1975–79: FC Mashinostroitel Tula
  • 1980–83: FC TOZ Tula
  • 1984–2006: FC Arsenal Tula
  • 2007: FC Oruzheynik Tula (formed based on the squad and staff of FC Arsenal Tula, but was not a legal successor to Arsenal)
  • 2008–12: FC Arsenal-Tula (formed based on the squad and staff of FC Oruzheynik Tula, but was not a legal successor to Oruzheynik)
  • 2011–: FC Arsenal Tula

Early Years

Arsenal Tula played their first season in the USSR Championship in 1946 under the name Zenit Tula, competing in the Central Division of the RSFSR Championship and finished 5th in their debut season. The precursors to Arsenal Tula played mainly in the Soviet Second League and never played in the Soviet Top League. The club was the champions of Zone West of the Russian Professional Football League in 1997 and 2003 and competed in the Russian Football National League from 1998 until 2001 and in 2004. In 2005, Arsenal Tula did not receive an FNL license due to financial difficulties and once again competed in Zone West in the PFL. In 2006 the team FC Arsenal Tula was liquidated and FC Oruzheynik Tula was formed in its place, playing in the Amateur Division. In 2011, it was announced that that the team FC Arsenal Tula would be reformed.[2]

Recent history

The present day team FC Arsenal Tula was formed at the end of 2011, replacing the former team FC Arsenal-Tula. The first coach of Arsenal was the famous Russian footballer Dmitri Alenichev and the coaching staff included Dmitri Ananko, Oleg Samatov, and famous goalkeeper Aleksandr Filimonov. The clubs initial squad also had several famous players such as midfielder Yegor Titov and defender Dmytro Parfenov. Over the course of the 2011/12 season, Arsenal finished in 8th place in the Russian Amateur Football League and all of the famous footballers left the club. Trainer Dmitri Alenichev decided to replace them with young players.

On June 18, 2012, Arsenal received a license to compete in Zone Center in the 2012–13 Russian Second Division. Arsenal won promotion at their first attempt, finishing the season with 73 points and 22 wins, 7 draws, and just 1 loss. In the 2013–14 season, FC Arsenal Tula were promoted once again, finishing as runners-up and being promoted to the Russian Premier League for the first time in their history. Over the course of the 2014–15 Russian Premier League, Arsenal finished in last place with 25 points and were relegated back to the FNL. During this season, on April 9, 2015 Arsenal had a sensational 1-0 victory over Spartak Moscow. In this match, the fans of Spartak climbed onto the roof of Arsenal Stadium despite it being unsafe and one fan was hospitalized. This match resulted in the club being fined 500,000 rubles and being forced to play their next match against Krasnodar at a neutral venue. In the 2014–15 Russian Cup, Arsenal reached the quarterfinals, beating Zenit Saint Petersburg in their home stadium.

Before the beginning of the 2015–16 season, trainer Dmitri Alenichev left for Spartak Moscow and was replaced by Viktor Bulatov. Viktor Bulatov was sacked after 24 games, with the club having won 14, drawn 4, and lost 6 games under his tenure. Bulatov was replaced by Sergei Pavlov, who led Arsenal back to the Premier League, with the club finishing as runners-up with 82 points. In the 2016–17 Russian Premier League, Arsenal started poorly, and in October 2016, Pavlov was sacked and replaced with Sergei Kiriakov. Arsenal finished in 14th place and advanced to the relegation play-offs against Yenisey Krasnoyarsk, which Arsenal survived and stayed in the Premier League because of the away goals rule, as Arsenal had won 1-0 in Tula and lost 2-1 in Krasnoyarsk. In the 2017–18 season Arsenal hired Miodrag Božović, who led them to their highest ever position of 7th in the Premier League.

Current squad

As of 4 September 2018, according to the official website. Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player
1 Russia GK Artur Nigmatullin
5 Ghana DF Abdul Kadiri Mohammed (on loan from Austria Wien)
6 Russia DF Maksim Belyayev
7 Russia MF Kantemir Berkhamov
8 Georgia (country) DF Gia Grigalava
9 Russia DF Kirill Kombarov
10 Zambia FW Evans Kangwa
11 Russia MF Sergei Tkachyov (on loan from CSKA Moscow)
14 Abkhazia DF Anri Khagush
17 Russia FW Guram Adzhoyev
18 Montenegro FW Luka Đorđević (on loan from Zenit Saint Petersburg)
19 Russia MF Reziuan Mirzov (on loan from FC Rostov)
No. Position Player
21 Spain DF Víctor Álvarez
22 Russia MF Daniil Lesovoy (on loan from Zenit Saint Petersburg)
23 Russia MF Igor Gorbatenko
33 Russia DF Artyom Sokol
36 Russia GK Mikhail Levashov
45 Serbia FW Ognjen Ožegović (on loan from Partizan)
50 Russia GK Yegor Shamov
70 Bulgaria MF Georgi Kostadinov
71 Russia DF Aleksandr Denisov
77 Bulgaria MF Mihail Aleksandrov
78 Russia MF Zelimkhan Bakayev (on loan from Spartak Moscow)
80 Russia MF Yaroslav Ivakin

Out on loan

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player
Russia MF Artyom Mingazov (at Khimik Novomoskovsk)

Honors

Runners-Up (2): 2013–14, 2015–16
Winners Zone West (2): 1997, 2003
Winners Zone Center (1): 2012–13

League and Cup history

Soviet Union Soviet Union

Season Div. Pos. Pl. W D L GS GA P Cup
1946 3rd, "Center" 5 16 8 0 8 38 49 16
1947–1948
1949 2nd, RSFSR-4 13 26 6 5 15 36 66 17
1950–1958
1959 2nd, Zone 2 13 28 5 8 15 26 44 18
1960 2nd, RSFSR-Zone 1 8 30 11 6 13 39 43 28 R64
1961 6 24 11 6 7 36 22 28 R128
1962 10 32 11 8 13 32 45 30 R256
1963 11 30 9 8 13 30 35 26 R512
1964 3rd, RSFSR-Zone 2 12 32 8 12 12 31 38 28 R64
1965 3rd, RSFSR-Zone 1 9 34 11 13 10 38 24 35 R1024
1966 2 32 15 13 4 33 15 43 R512
3rd, Semi-final 1 4 2 1 1 3 2 5
3rd, Final 3 3 1 0 2 4 5 2
1967 2nd (Group 2) 13 38 9 18 11 26 35 36 R512
1968 14 40 9 16 15 31 40 34 R256
1969 5 38 12 19 7 36 25 43 R128
1970 4 42 21 11 10 80 38 53 R16
1971 3rd, Zone 2 2 38 23 8 7 58 28 77
1972 12 38 12 10 16 47 51 46
1973 3rd, Zone 3 16 34 7 8 19 37 61 19
1974 3rd, Zone 2 10 40 15 11 14 42 51 41
1975 3rd, Zone 3 19 38 9 10 19 29 51 28
1976 18 40 6 12 22 26 57 24
1977 3rd, Zone 1 10 40 16 9 15 51 34 41
1978 3rd, Zone 3 24 46 8 11 27 39 70 27
1979 3rd, Zone 1 19 46 8 18 20 41 72 34
1980 8 36 19 5 12 66 43 43
1981 17 32 4 5 23 25 67 13
1982 15 30 6 6 18 24 56 18
1983 11 30 9 9 12 27 31 27
1984 3 32 19 5 8 56 29 43
1985 4 32 15 12 5 50 34 42 R32
1986 2 30 17 7 6 39 19 41 R64
1987 12 32 8 9 15 29 40 25
1988 16 38 12 7 19 56 61 31
1989 15 42 15 6 21 41 46 36
1990 4th, Zone 5 15 32 8 8 16 31 48 24
1991 12 42 19 7 16 54 41 45

Russia Russia

Season Div. Pos. Pl. W D L GS GA P Cup
1992 3rd, Zone 2 7 42 22 7 13 56 45 51 R16
1993 3rd, Zone 3 2 34 21 7 6 58 15 49
1994 3rd, Zone Center 9 32 14 7 11 47 33 35
1995 6 40 19 10 11 61 43 67 R256
1996 4 42 29 5 8 79 36 92
1997 3rd, Zone West 1 38 28 7 3 91 26 91 R16
1998 2nd 5 42 18 11 13 65 53 65 QF
1999 9 42 19 7 16 61 51 64 R32
2000 11 38 13 13 12 45 39 52 QF
2001 16 34 10 10 14 27 35 40 R32
2002 3rd, Zone West 2 38 23 8 7 66 29 77 R256
2003 1 36 26 5 5 83 18 83 R32
2004 2nd 13 42 15 13 14 39 32 58
2005 3rd, Zone West 13 32 8 8 16 26 31 32 R256
2006 18 34 7 4 23 26 58 25 R512
2007 4th, Zone Central -
Black Earth Region		 2 32 18 9 5 71 21 63
2008 5 34 21 8 5 75 27 71
2009 7 24 12 3 9 40 24 39
2010 5 22 11 2 9 27 25 35
2011–12 8 42 18 10 14 58 43 64
2012–13 3rd, Zone Center 1 30 22 7 1 74 20 73 R256
2013–14 2nd 2 36 21 6 9 62 39 69 R64
2014–15 1st 16 30 7 4 19 20 46 25 QF
2015–16 2nd 2 38 25 7 6 64 36 82 R64
2016–17 1st 14 30 7 7 16 18 40 28 R32
2017–18 7 30 12 6 12 35 41 42

Fans

Arsenal Ultras

Traditionally, the games of Arsenal have drawn great interest from the local football loving population. In the 2011-12 season, when Arsenal was still an amateur team, over 13,500 fans showed up for a match between Arsenal and Rusichi, which is an attendance record for a Russian amateur game.[3] In the second division, FC Arsenal Tula's attendance was over 8,000 people on average. According to data collected by the Russian Football Union in 2013, Arsenal's attendance was 15th out of 106 professional clubs in Russia.[4]. In the FNL, the average attendance of Arsenal was 10,844, with over 16,500 people showing up for the key game against Torpedo Moscow. In Arsenal's first season in the Premier League, the average attendance was 12,154.

Arsenal Fans

There are several ultras groups among Arsenal fans including the well-known Red-Yellow Cannoneers.[5]. The shirt number 12 has been permanently retired by the club management in honor of the fans.

Feeder club

Arsenal's feeder club Arsenal-2 Tula participated in the third tier of professional Russian football, Russian Professional Football League, beginning with the 2014–15 season. The club was dissolved after the 2016–17 season.[6] Another team was called Arsenal-2 and competed professionally from 1998 to 2002, it last competed as Dynamo Tula.

Notable players

Had international caps for their respective countries. Players whose name is listed in bold represented their countries while playing for Arsenal.

Managers

References

  1. ↑ «Арсенал» возвращается в Премьер-лигу! (in Russian). Russian Football National League. 10 May 2016.
  2. ↑ "Возрождение тульского «Арсенала»" (in Russian). Tula Oblast Committee on Sport and Youth Politics. 27 October 2011. Archived from the original on 5 August 2012. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
  3. ↑ "На матче «Арсенал» — «Госуниверситет-Русичи» установлен рекорд первенств Черноземья по посещаемости" (in Russian). tula-football.ru. Archived from the original on April 4, 2013. Retrieved March 29, 2013.
  4. ↑ "30 самых посещаемых футбольных клубов России" (in Russian). sports.ru. Archived from the original on June 24, 2013.
  5. ↑ "Интервью представителя фанатского движения Red-Yellow Cannoneers". russian-ultras.com. Archived from the original on April 4, 2013. Retrieved March 29, 2013.
  6. ↑ Тульский «Арсенал-2» расформирован, фарм-клубом «Арсенала» стал новомосковский «Химик». Tula Football. 7 June 2017.
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