FC Torpedo Moscow
Football Club Torpedo Moscow (, "FK Torpedo Moskva"), known as Torpedo Moscow, is a Russian professional football club based in Moscow that was founded in 1924 and currently plays in the Russian Football National League, the second tier of Russian football. Their colors are white and black, with green also commonly being associated with the club. Torpedo are historically one of the big Moscow clubs who enjoyed great success during the Soviet era, both domestically and in Europe. In recent history, however, the club has suffered from financial troubles and poor management which has seen them drop down  the divisions. A top flight club since 1938, Torpedo were relegated for the first time in their history following the 2006 Russian Premier League season and have only played one campaign in the top division since, in 2014–15, spending the other seasons bouncing around between the second and third tiers. History. Club history. Torpedo Moscow Football Club (based on Proletarskaya Kuznitsa teams) was formed in 1924 by the AMO automotive plant (later known as "Stalin Automotive Plant – ZIS" and later "Likhachev Automotive Plant – ZIL"). They played in the Moscow League until 1936 when they became one of the founder members  of the Soviet 'B' League and changed their name to Torpedo Moscow. In 1938, they were promoted to the 'A' League. Torpedo have won the National League Championship on three occasions, and have lifted the National Cup seven times. In 1957 Torpedo Moscow, as well as other Soviet sport clubs named "Torpedo", became a part of the republican VSS "Trud" of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic. Nicknamed "the Black-Whites," Torpedo has not been a major force in Russian football since the days of Eduard Streltsov, the brilliant striker of the 1950s and 1960s, known as "the Russian Pelé ." Past glories for Torpedo include three USSR titles (1960, 1965, and autumn 1976), six USSR Cups (1949, 1952, 1960, 1968, 1972, 1986), one Russian Cup (1993) and three appearances in the quarterfinals of European/UEFA Cup competition, and one Ciutat de Lleida Trophy in 1991. The club used to belong to the ZIL automobile plant until a fallout in the mid-1990s that resulted in Torpedo leaving their historic ground and moving across town to Luzhniki, as they became property of the Luzhniki corporation and its name was changed to Torpedo-Luzhniki between (1996–1997) before it was renamed Torpedo Moscow. After  selling Torpedo Moscow in 1996, ZIL created a new team, Torpedo-ZIL (1997), which debuted in the Third Division and reached the Russian Premier League in 2000. However, ZIL sold the team to MMC Norilsk Nickel in 2003, where it was relaunched as FC Moscow. This new team, however, was eventually dissolved after spending the 2010 season in Amateur Football League when its owner and main sponsor, MMC Norilsk Nickel, withdrew funding. After selling Torpedo-ZIL in 2003, ZIL created another team, Torpedo-ZIL (2003), which began play in the Third Division. This team, however, was also eventually disbanded in  2011 after its efforts to seek promotion to the First Division failed. Under SC Luzhniki ownership (1996–2009), Torpedo Moscow was relegated to the First Division in 2006 and after two seasons it fell further to the Second Division. In early 2009, Luzhniki sold the team back to ZiL. It was speculated that ZIL would merge Torpedo Moscow and Torpedo-ZIL (2003), but instead an independent Torpedo Moscow spent 2009 in the Amateur Football League, later earning two consecutive promotions to gain a spot in the First Division in 2011. In their first season back in the First Division, the team  finished eighth during the first half of the tournament at the end of 2011, taking them through to a Top 8 Promotion playoff during the season's second half. In the 2012–13 season, Torpedo barely avoided relegation to the second division. At the end of the championship head coach was replaced once again when 42-year-old Vladimir Kazakov was hired, who played for Torpedo in the past. Several players with experience of playing at the highest level were acquired. However, in the first 6 matches, black-white were able to earn only two points, Kazakov took the blame and  resigned. In 2013, a team led by Aleksandr Borodyuk began to become more competitive, ultimately placing third in the 2013–14 season and securing a playoff spot for promotion to the Premier League. The team drew the previous year's 14th-placed Premier League team, Krylia Sovetov Samara, in a game held on 18 May 2014 at the stadium in suburban Ramenskoye, which ended 2–0 for Torpedo. On 22 May, in the tie's second leg at Metallurg Stadium in Samara, Torpedo played to a draw, thus prevailing on aggregate and returning to the Premier League after an eight-year absence . The 2014–15 season began poorly for Torpedo in the top division; in the first matchday, the club was defeated 1–4 by CSKA Moscow. At the end of the season, the team was relegated back to the Russian Football National League after finishing second-last, in 15th. Due to a lack of financing, however, Torpedo could only receive licensing for play in the third-tier Russian Professional Football League for 2015–16 season, thus sealing a two-level relegation. In 2017 Torpedo club got new owner – Roman Avdeev, the Russian billionaire, head of Ingrad real estate development company and Rossium concern. The  Eduard Streltsov stadium, Torpedo's home stadium, is also owned by Rossium. In 2017 Roman Avdeev announced the reconstruction of the stadium. Work began in 2019–2020, once completed, the capacity will be 15,000 (all-seated). In July 2018 Erving Botaka's failed transfer back to Torpedo Moscow caused a stir when it was reported the club canceled his contract because the ultras refused to allow a black footballer to play for the club. Torpedo later denied this via an official statement but the Torpedo ultras were adamant with their own statement. Torpedo is sponsored by Credit Bank of Moscow and  Ingrad. At the end of the 2018–19 season, they were promoted back to the second-tier FNL. Supporters and rivalries. The fans of Torpedo are "twinned" with the fans of Spartak. Torpedo's rivalries are with the other Moscow clubs (excluding Spartak), Lokomotiv, CSKA, and Dynamo, with whom they contest the Moscow derbies, as well as FC Zenit Saint Petersburg. Some fans have been known to show very far-right symbols and banners both during and outside of matches, such as the Celtic Cross and the Swastika, which has been reported negatively by media on several occasions. Youth structure. Torpedo  have one Russia's best and largest football education structures, ranging from the club's academy to several football schools around the city associated with the club, who provide financial and technical support to them. Torpedo's football school, which would later become the club's academy, was founded in 1957 and has traditionally been one of the strongest producers of players in Russia with many players making the step-up to the first team and others being moved onto other clubs after graduating from the academy. Torpedo's school has also been under the jurisdiction of Torpedo-ZIL and  FC Moscow at various points in history amid changes in the club's ownership. The club has produced some of Russia's most important players in history, including national team legends, twin brothers Aleksei Berezutski and Vasili Berezutski, Sergei Ignashevich, who would later go on to manage the club and Eduard Streltsov, a club legend who would have Torpedo's stadium named after him. Other graduates of the club's famed academy include former Chelsea and Celtic goalkeeper Dmitri Kharine, Zenit goalkeeper Andrey Lunyov, Pavel Mamaev, Kirill Nababkin, Valentin Ivanov, Valery Voronin, Aleksandr Ryazantsev. Torpedo's reserve squad, the highest  level of their academy, has played professionally in the Russian football pyramid as FC Torpedo-d Moscow (Russian Second League in 1992–93, Russian Third League in 1994–95), FC Torpedo-Luzhniki-d Moscow (Russian Third League in 1996–97) and FC Torpedo-2 Moscow (Russian Second Division in 1998–2000). They have since returned to youth football with FC Torpedo-M currently the final stage of Torpedo's academy, competing in the youth competitions in Russia. Players. Current squad. "As of 3 March 2022, according to the FNL website" Notable players. Had international caps for their respective countries. Players whose name is listed in  bold represented their countries while playing for Torpedo. "For full list, see " Player records. Most appearances. "As of the match played 20 April 2007 and according to official site. Players in bold are still currently playing for Torpedo Moscow."