# FC Urartu

Football Club Urartu (Armenian: Ուրարտու Ֆուտբոլային Ակումբ, translated Futbolayin Akumb Urartu), commonly known as Urartu, is an Armenian professional football team based in the capital Yerevan that currently plays in the Armenian Premier League. The club won the Armenian Cup four times, in 1992, 2007, 2016, and 2023. In 2013–2014, they won the Armenian Premier League for the first time in their history.
In early 2016, the Russia-based Armenian businessman Dzhevan Cheloyants became a co-owner of the club after purchasing the major part of the club shares. The club was known as FC Banants until 1 August 2019, when it was officially renamed FC Urartu.

## History
### Kotayk

Urartu FC were founded as FC Banants by Sarkis Israelyan on 21 January 1992 in the village of Kotayk, representing the Kotayk Province. He named the club after his native village of Banants (currently known as Bayan). Between 1992 and 1995, the club was commonly referred to as Banants Kotayk. During the 1992 season, the club won the first Armenian Cup. At the end of the 1995 transitional season, Banants suffered a financial crisis. The club owners decided that it was better to merge the club with FC Kotayk of Abovyan, rather than disband it. In 2001, Banants demerged from FC Kotayk, and was moved from Abovyan to the capital Yerevan.

### Yerevan

In 2001, FC Banants was relocated to Yerevan. At the beginning of 2003, Banants merged with FC Spartak Yerevan, but was able to limit the name of the new merger to FC Banants. Spartak became Banants's youth academy and later changed the name to Banants-2. Because of the merger, Banants acquired many players from Spartak Yerevan, including Samvel Melkonyan. After the merger, Banants took a more serious approach and have finished highly in the league table ever since. The club managed to lift the Armenian Cup in 2007. Experience is making way for youth for the 2008 and 2009 seasons. The departures of most of the experienced players have left the club's future to the youth. Along with two Ukrainian players, Ugandan international, Noah Kasule, has been signed.
The club headquarters are located on Jivani Street 2 of the Malatia-Sebastia District, Yerevan.

### Domestic

| Season | League | League | League | League | League | League | League | League | League | League | National Cup | Top goalscorer | Top goalscorer | Manager |
| Season | Div. | Pos. | Pl. | W | D | L | GS | GA | GD | P | National Cup | Name | League | Manager |
| 1992 | Armenian Premier League | 3 | 34 | 28 | 3 | 3 | 125 | 34 | +91 | 59 | Winner | Ashot Barseghyan | 34 | Varuzhan Sukiasyan |
| 1993 | Armenian Premier League | 3 | 28 | 23 | 2 | 3 | 111 | 21 | +90 | 48 | Semi-final | Andranik Hovsepyan | 26 | Varuzhan Sukiasyan |
| 1994 | Armenian Premier League | 5 | 28 | 17 | 1 | 10 | 95 | 56 | +39 | 35 | Semi-final | | | Varuzhan Sukiasyan |
| 1995-2000 | No Participation | No Participation | No Participation | No Participation | No Participation | No Participation | No Participation | No Participation | No Participation | No Participation | No Participation | No Participation | No Participation | No Participation |
| 2001 | Armenian Premier League | 7 | 22 | 10 | 4 | 8 | 46 | 28 | +18 | 34 | First round | Mkrtich Hovhannisyan | 11 | |
| 2002 | Armenian Premier League | 3 | 22 | 16 | 2 | 4 | 43 | 15 | +28 | 50 | Quarter-final | Tigran Yesayan | 11 | |
| 2003 | Armenian Premier League | 2 | 28 | 21 | 3 | 4 | 89 | 15 | +74 | 66 | Finalist | Ara Hakobyan | 45 | Oganes Zanazanyan |
| 2004 | Armenian Premier League | 3 | 28 | 12 | 7 | 9 | 40 | 39 | +1 | 43 | Finalist | Samvel Melkonyan | 8 | Oganes Zanazanyan |
| 2005 | Armenian Premier League | 3 | 26 | 15 | 6 | 5 | 49 | 31 | +18 | 51 | Semi-final | Aram Hakobyan | 11 | Oganes Zanazanyan Ashot Barseghyan |
| 2006 | Armenian Premier League | 2 | 28 | 18 | 3 | 7 | 67 | 26 | +41 | 57 | Semi-final | Aram Hakobyan | 25 | Ashot Barseghyan Nikolay Kiselyov |
| 2007 | Armenian Premier League | 2 | 28 | 16 | 4 | 8 | 56 | 26 | +30 | 52 | Winner | Arsen Balabekyan | 15 | Nikolay Kiselyov Jan Poštulka Nikolay Kostov |
| 2008 | Armenian Premier League | 5 | 28 | 11 | 8 | 9 | 34 | 25 | +9 | 41 | Finalist | Arsen Balabekyan | 7 | Nikolay Kostov Nedelcho Matushev Kim Splidsboel |
| 2009 | Armenian Premier League | 4 | 28 | 13 | 5 | 10 | 40 | 29 | +11 | 44 | Finalist | Samvel Melkonyan | 12 | Armen Gyulbudaghyants |
| 2010 | Armenian Premier League | 2 | 28 | 20 | 4 | 4 | 58 | 24 | +34 | 64 | Finalist | Du Bala | 11 | Stevica Kuzmanovski |
| 2011 | Armenian Premier League | 4 | 28 | 12 | 8 | 8 | 42 | 30 | +12 | 44 | Semi-final | Bruno Correa | 16 | Rafael Nazaryan |
| 2011-12 | Armenian Premier League | Only Cup competition was held | Only Cup competition was held | Only Cup competition was held | Only Cup competition was held | Only Cup competition was held | Only Cup competition was held | Only Cup competition was held | Only Cup competition was held | Only Cup competition was held | Quarter-final | | | |
| 2012-13 | Armenian Premier League | 8 | 42 | 5 | 16 | 21 | 37 | 64 | -27 | 31 | First round | Hovhannes Hambardzumyan | 7 | Rafael Nazaryan Volodymyr Pyatenko |
| 2013-14 | Armenian Premier League | 1 | 28 | 14 | 8 | 6 | 38 | 23 | +15 | 50 | Semi-final | Gevorg Nranyan | 10 | Zsolt Hornyák |
| 2014-15 | Armenian Premier League | 6 | 28 | 8 | 8 | 12 | 42 | 46 | -4 | 32 | Semi-final | Gevorg Nranyan | 7 | Zsolt Hornyák |
| 2015-16 | Armenian Premier League | 6 | 28 | 7 | 12 | 9 | 36 | 34 | +2 | 33 | Winner | Laércio | 10 | Aram Voskanyan Tito Ramallo |
| 2016-17 | Armenian Premier League | 5 | 30 | 5 | 6 | 19 | 18 | 44 | -26 | 21 | Semi-final | Laércio | 3 | Tito Ramallo Artur Voskanyan |
| 2017-18 | Armenian Premier League | 2 | 30 | 11 | 11 | 8 | 42 | 34 | +8 | 44 | Semi-final | Rumyan Hovsepyan | 8 | Artur Voskanyan |
| 2018-19 | Armenian Premier League | 3 | 32 | 14 | 10 | 8 | 43 | 35 | +8 | 52 | Semi-final | Vahagn Ayvazyan Walmerson Aleksandar Glišić | 5 | Artur Voskanyan Ilshat Fayzulin |
| 2019–20 | Armenian Premier League | 7 | 22 | 8 | 6 | 8 | 26 | 27 | -1 | 30 | Semi-final | Yevgeni Kobzar | 7 | Ilshat Fayzulin Aleksandr Grigoryan |
| 2020–21 | Armenian Premier League | 3 | 24 | 12 | 5 | 7 | 28 | 19 | +9 | 41 | Quarter-final | Jonel Désiré | 8 | Aleksandr Grigoryan Tigran Yesayan (Caretaker) Robert Arzumanyan |
| 2021–22 | Armenian Premier League | 5 | 32 | 9 | 13 | 10 | 37 | 32 | +5 | 40 | Finalist | Artur Miranyan | 10 | Arsen Petrosyan Robert Arzumanyan (Caretaker) |
| 2022–23 | Armenian Premier League | 1 | 36 | 26 | 5 | 5 | 68 | 25 | +43 | 83 | Winners | Dmytro Khlyobas | 9 | Dmitri Gunko |
| 2023–24 | Armenian Premier League | 4 | 36 | 13 | 11 | 12 | 49 | 49 | 0 | 50 | Finalist | Temur Dzhikiya | 11 | Dmitri Gunko |

### European

    As of match played 25 July 2024
| Competition | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD |
| UEFA Champions League | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 6 | 0 |
| UEFA Cup/UEFA Europa League | 26 | 3 | 3 | 20 | 18 | 64 | –46 |
| UEFA Conference League | 8 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 9 | 16 | –7 |
| Total | 37 | 7 | 3 | 27 | 33 | 85 | –52 |
| Season | Competition | Round | Opponent | Home | Away | Aggregate |
| 2003–04 | UEFA Cup | QR | Hapoel Tel Aviv | 1–2 | 1–1 | 2–3 |
| 2004–05 | UEFA Cup | 1Q | Illichivets Mariupol | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–4 |
| 2005–06 | UEFA Cup | 1Q | Locomotive Tbilisi | 2–3 | 2–0 | 4–3 |
| 2005–06 | UEFA Cup | 2Q | Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk | 2–4 | 0–4 | 2–8 |
| 2006–07 | UEFA Cup | 1Q | Ameri Tbilisi | 1–2 | 1–0 | 2–2 (a) |
| 2007–08 | UEFA Cup | 1Q | Young Boys | 1–1 | 0–4 | 1–5 |
| 2008–09 | UEFA Cup | 1Q | Red Bull Salzburg | 0–3 | 0–7 | 0–10 |
| 2009–10 | UEFA Europa League | 1Q | Široki Brijeg | 0–2 | 1–0 | 1–2 |
| 2010–11 | UEFA Europa League | 1Q | Anorthosis Famagusta | 0–1 | 0–3 | 0–4 |
| 2011–12 | UEFA Europa League | 1Q | Rustavi Metalurgist | 0–1 | 1–1 | 1–2 |
| 2014–15 | UEFA Champions League | 1Q | Santa Coloma | 3–2 | 0–1 | 3–3 (a) |
| 2016–17 | UEFA Europa League | 1Q | Omonia | 0–1 | 1–4 | 1–5 |
| 2018–19 | UEFA Europa League | 1Q | Sarajevo | 1–2 | 0–3 | 1–5 |
| 2019–20 | UEFA Europa League | 1Q | Čukarički | 0–5 | 0–3 | 0–8 |
| 2021–22 | UEFA Europa Conference League | 1Q | Maribor | 0–1 | 0–1 | 0–2 |
| 2023–24 | UEFA Champions League | 1Q | Zrinjski Mostar | 0–1 | 3–2 (a.e.t.) | 3–3 (3–4 p) |
| 2023–24 | UEFA Europa Conference League | 2Q | Farul Constanța | 2–3 | 2–3 | 4–6 |
| 2024–25 | UEFA Conference League | 1Q | Tallinna Kalev | 2–0 | 2–1 | 4–1 |
| 2024–25 | UEFA Conference League | 2Q | Baník Ostrava | 0–2 | 1–5 | 1–7 |

## Stadium

The construction of the Urartu Stadium was launched in 2006 in the Malatia-Sebastia District of Yerevan, with the assistance of the FIFA goal programme. It was officially opened in 2008 with a capacity of 3,600 seats. Further developments were implemented later in 2011, when the playing pitch was modernized and the capacity of the stadium was increased up to 4,860 seats (2,760 at the northern stand, 1,500 at the southern stand and 600 at the western stand).

### Training centre/academy

Urartu Training Centre is the club's academy base located in the Malatia-Sebastia District of Yerevan. In addition to the main stadium, the centre houses 3 full-size training pitches, mini football pitches as well as an indoor facility. The current technical director of the academy is the former Russian footballer Ilshat Faizulin.

## Fans

The most active group of fans is the South West Ultras fan club, mainly composed of residents from several neighbourhoods within the Malatia-Sebastia District of Yerevan, since the club is a de facto representer of the district. Members of the fan club benefit from events organized by the club and many facilities of the Banants training centre, such as the mini football pitch, the club store and other entertainments.

## Honours

* Armenian Premier League
** Winners (2): 2013–14, 2022–23
** Runners-up (5): 2003, 2006, 2007, 2010, 2017–18
* Armenian Cup
** Winners (4): 1992, 2007, 2016, 2022–23
** Runners-up (7): 2003, 2004, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2021–22, 2023–24
* Armenian Supercup
** Winners (1): 2014
** Runners-up (5): 2004, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2016

## Current squad

    As of 25 February 2025
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 1 | GK | ARM | Gor Matinyan |
| 2 | MF | RUS | Artemi Gunko |
| 3 | DF | ARM | Erik Piloyan |
| 4 | DF | ARM | Arman Ghazaryan |
| 5 | DF | RUS | Aleksandr Putsko |
| 6 | MF | BRA | Alef Santos |
| 7 | MF | ARM | Sergey Mkrtchyan |
| 8 | MF | ARM | Narek Aghasaryan |
| 9 | MF | RUS | Maksim Paliyenko |
| 10 | FW | ARM | Karen Melkonyan |
| 14 | MF | UKR | Artem Polyarus |
| 16 | DF | NGA | Barry Isaac |
| 18 | FW | RUS | Anton Kilin |
| 19 | DF | ARM | Artur Melikyan |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 22 | MF | ARM | Mikayel Mirzoyan |
| 23 | FW | ARM | Nicholas Kalukyan |
| 30 | MF | BRA | Bruno Michel |
| 33 | DF | ARM | Alik Mkrtchyan |
| 34 | MF | ARM | Narek Aleksanyan |
| 42 | GK | RUS | Aleksandr Melikhov |
| 52 | DF | ARM | Vahe Shapaghatyan |
| 53 | MF | ARM | Davit Harutyunyan |
| 55 | DF | ARM | Erik Simonyan |
| 77 | FW | ARM | Edgar Movsesyan |
| 88 | DF | ARM | Zhirayr Margaryan |
| 90 | MF | RUS | Oleg Polyakov |
| 92 | GK | RUS | Aleksandr Mishiyev |
| 99 | DF | ARM | Khariton Ayvazyan |

### Out on loan

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| — | GK | ARM | Hayk Ghazaryan (at BKMA Yerevan) |
| — | MF | ARM | Gor Lulukyan (at BKMA Yerevan) |
| — | MF | ARM | Garnik Minasyan (at BKMA Yerevan) |
| — | MF | ARM | Levon Bashoyan (at BKMA Yerevan) |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| — | MF | ARM | Hamlet Sargsyan (at BKMA Yerevan) |
| — | MF | ARM | Ruben Tigran Yesayan (at BKMA Yerevan) |
| — | FW | ARM | Edik Vardanyan (at BKMA Yerevan) |

## Personnel
### Technical staff

| Position | Name |
| Head Coach | Dmitry Gunko |
| Coach | Nikolay Tyunin |
| Fitness Coach | Aleksey Gorshkov |
| Coach Analyst | Francisco Compañ |
| Goalkeepers Coach | Stepan Ghazaryan |
| Doctor | Arsen Hambaryan |
| Physiotherapist | Karen Gharibyan |
| Physiotherapist | Karapet Israelyan |
| Team Manager | Davit Shahbagyan |
| Kit Manager | Harutyun Jangchyan |
| Interpreter | Areg Harutyunyan |
| Urartu-2 Coach | Igor Paderin |

### Management

| Position | Name |
| President | Dzhevan Cheloyants |
| General Director | Gohar Vardanyan |
| Sport Director | Dmitrii Kudryashov |
| Deputy General Director for Administration and Maintenance | Georgii Gzrayan |
| Deputy General Director for PR, Information and Marketing | Lusine Harutyunyan |
| Press Officer | Gevorg Malakyan |
| Lawyer | Hamlet Petrosyan |

## Urartu-2

Urartu has also the second team, Urartu-2 which plays in the Armenian First League. They play their home games at the training field with artificial turf of the Urartu Training Centre.

## Managerial history

* Varuzhan Sukiasyan (1992–94)
* Poghos Galstyan (July 1, 1996 – June 30, 1998)
* Oganes Zanazanyan (2001–05)
* Ashot Barseghyan (2005–06)
* Nikolay Kiselyov (2006–07)
* Jan Poštulka (2007)
* Nikolay Kostov (July 1, 2007 – April 8, 2008)
* Nedelcho Matushev (April 8, 2008 – June 30, 2008)
* Kim Splidsboel (2008)
* Armen Gyulbudaghyants (Jan 1, 2009 – Dec 1, 2009)
* Ashot Barseghyan (interim) (2009)
* Stevica Kuzmanovski (Jan 1, 2010 – Dec 31, 2010)
* Rafael Nazaryan (Jan 1, 2011 – Jan 15, 2012)
* Volodymyr Pyatenko (Jan 17, 2013 – June 30, 2013)
* Zsolt Hornyák (July 1, 2013 – May 30, 2015)
* Aram Voskanyan (July 1, 2015 – Oct 11, 2015)
* Tito Ramallo (Oct 12, 2015 – Oct 3, 2016)
* Artur Voskanyan (Oct 3, 2016 – Aug 11, 2018)
* Ilshat Faizulin (Aug 12, 2018 –Nov 24, 2019)
* Aleksandr Grigoryan (Nov 25, 2019 –Mar 10, 2021)
* Robert Arzumanyan (10 March 2021 – 24 June 2022)
* Dmitri Gunko (27 June 2022–)