Pakhtakor Tashkent FK

Pakhtakor's first official match was on 8 April 1956, and is considered to be the club's "birthday". Its first match was played against a team from the city of Perm, Russia (then called Molotov city), presumably FC Zvezda Perm. The first goal in Pakhtakor history was scored by Laziz Maksudov on a penalty shot and Maksudov's goal was the only and game-winning strike.[4]

The team was formed in three months, and the government invited the senior trainer Valentin Bekhtenev from Moscow to recruit the best Tashkent players for the new Pakhtakor. At the time, the club was to represent Uzbekistan in Soviet football.[5]

In 1959, the club was promoted to the Soviet Top League for the first time. During the 1960s, Pakhtakor's squad was anchored by the striker Gennadiy Krasnitskiy, who led it to a 6th-place finish in 1962. After periods back and forth between the Top League and the Soviet First League, the club reached the final of the Soviet Cup competition in 1968 – the only Central Asian club to reach a Soviet Cup final – losing to Torpedo Moscow 1–0.[4][5]

In 1971, Pakhtakor again departed into the First League, but was not long detained in the lower division as it gained promotion the following year.[4]

Pakhtakor was the only Uzbek side to appear in the history of the USSR Championship during the Soviet era, appearing the highest echelon 22 times, and recording 212 wins, 211 draws, and 299 losses. Their best league finish was 6th place, which they achieved twice, in 1962 and 1982.

Pakhtakor-79 monument near Kamianske (ex-Dniprodzerzhynsk), Ukraine

In August 1979, Pakhtakor made it back to the Soviet Top League, but shortly thereafter disaster struck the club and Soviet football. During a flight to play Dinamo Minsk, Pakhtakor's plane was involved in a mid-air collision over Dniprodzerzhynsk, Ukrainian SSR.[6] All 178 people aboard both planes involved died.[7]

Seventeen Pakhtakor players and staff members died in the crash:[8]

• Idgay Borisovich Tazetdinov (Trainer), (13.01.1933)
• Mikhail Ivanovich An (Half-back), (19.11.1952)
• Vladimir Ivanovich Fedorov (Forward), (05.01.1956)
• Alim Masalievich Ashirov (Defender), (25.01.1955)
• Ravil Rustamovich Agishev (Defender), (14.03.1959)
• Constantine Alexandrovich Bakanov (Half-back), (25.05.1954)
• Yuri Timofeevich Zagumennykh (Defender), (07.06.1947)
• Alexander Ivanovich Korchenov (Half-back), (04.05.1949)
• Nikolai Borisovich Kulikov (Defender), (25.04.1953)
• Vladimir Vasilyevich Makarov (Half-back), (09.03.1947)
• Sergey Constantinovich Pokatilov (Goalkeeper), (20.12.1950)
• Victor Nikolayevich Churkin (Forward), (25.01.1952)
• Sirozhiddin Akhmedovich Bazarov (Forward), (10.08.1961)
• Shukhrat Musinovich Ishbutaev (Forward), (08.02.1959)
• Vladimir Valievich Sabirov (Forward), (14.01.1958)
• Vladimir Vasilyevich Chumaks (Manager), (08.12.1932)
• Mansur Inamdzhanovich Talibdzhanov (Club administrator), (04.04.1944)

Annually, in August, the club sponsors a youth tournament in memory of the lives lost in the disaster.[9]

Following the tragedy in 1979 and spurred on by its prolific goalscorer Andrei Yakubik a few years later, Pakhtakor had its best record in 1982, finishing sixth and in front of several Russian and Ukrainian football powerhouses such as Zenit Saint Petersburg, CSKA Moscow, and Shakhtar Donetsk amongst the few. Pakhtakor had a point deducted that season due to exceeding the allowed limit for the games tied (drawn), but it did not influence the club's final standings.[7]

After leading Pakhtakor to its best finish, age finally caught up with Yakubik and he moved back to his hometown of Moscow to continue his football career.[10] With the departure of their great forward, the club struggled and spent six years in the Soviet First League. Although the discontent of their fans grew, Pakhtakor's reemergence as a major footballing force followed fast upon the dissolution of the Soviet Union.[4]

After the USSR collapsed, a new page began in the club's history. 1992 saw Pakhtakor participate in the first season of the Uzbek Oliy League. Since 1992 Pakhtakor have become the most successful Uzbek club with 10 Uzbek League titles, and 11 Uzbek Cups. Until 2014 the club is the only team to have participated in all seasons of the AFC Champions League since its inauguration in 2002. Since 2002 the club participated 11 times in AFC Champions League.

The participation in the AFC Champions League season 2011 was not successful. On 4 May 2011 in a match against Al-Nassr Pakhtakor lost and finished its Asian campaign. In that match, because of many injured players, Pakhtakor's coach Ravshan Khaydarov formed starting squad from youth team players and club made record in the AFC Champions League history as the youngest team of the tournament with average players age of 21,8. The average age of club players for season 2011 was 23,3.[11] In 2014–15 seasons Pakhtakor won its 10th and 11th League champion titles.

As of 1 April 2020[16]

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

No. Position Player 2 DF Ibrokhimhalil Yoldoshev 3 DF Khojiakbar Alijonov 4 DF Akramjon Komilov 5 DF Anzur Ismailov 6 DF Alisher Salimov 7 DF Sadriddin Abdullaev 8 MF Asadbek Sobirjonov 9 MF Jaloliddin Masharipov 10 FW Dragan Ćeran 11 FW Igor Sergeev 13 MF Ruslan Roziyev 14 MF Khumoyunmirzo Iminov 15 DF Egor Krimets 17 MF Dostonbek Khamdamov 20 MF Odiljon Hamrobekov

No. Position Player 21 MF Abror Ismoilov 23 DF Sherzod Azamov 24 MF Doston Ibragimov 25 GK Eldorbek Suyunov 27 MF Sardor Sabirkhodjaev 28 MF Diyor Kholmatov 29 DF Vladimir Kozak 34 DF Farrukh Sayfiev 35 GK Sanjar Kuvvatov 50 GK Umid Khamraev 77 FW Eren Derdiyok 99 MF Javokhir Sidikov

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

No. Position Player 22 MF Jasurbek Yakhshiboev (at Energetik Minsk) 19 MF Shokhrukh Mahmudxojiyev (at Navbahor Namangan)

No. Position Player 70 FW Husniddin Gafurov (at Surkhon Termez) 60 DF Umar Eshmurodov (at Nasaf)

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

No. Position Player 30 MF Saidazamat Mirsaidov 32 DF Dostonbek Tursunov 33 FW Mirjalol Mirzaev 36 DF Bekhzod Shamsyev 37 FW Alisher Odilov 38 DF Shohjahon Sultonmurodov 39 DF Nodirkhon Nematkhonov 40 DF Sunnatilloh Hamidjonov

No. Position Player 41 FW Igor Chikrizov 42 MF Abbosbek Fayzullaev 43 FW Ruslan Jiyanov 44 GK Azizkhon Isaqov 45 DF Sardorbek Makhmudov 46 DF Javokhir Juraev 47 MF Humoyun Sherbotaev 48 MF Temur Mamasidikov

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

As of January 2019

Position	Name
Head coach	Shota Arveladze
Assistant coach	Gocha Tkebuchava
Assistant coach	Archil Arveladze
Assistant coach	Pieter Huistra
Assistant coach	Laszlo Yambor
Goalkeeper coach	Ibrahim Yilmaz

• Uzbekistan Super League:

Winners (12): 1992, 1998, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2019

• Uzbekistan Cup:

Winners (12): 1993, 1997, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2019

Runners-up (2): 1996, 2008, 2018

• Uzbekistan League Cup:

Winnners (1): 2019

• Soviet First League:

Winners (1): 1972

• USSR Cup:

Runners-up: 1968

• CIS Cup:

Winners (1): 2007

Runners-up (1): 2008

• IFA Shield (IFA)

Winners (1): 1993

• AFC Champions League:

Semi-finalists: 2002–03, 2004