FC Spartak Moscow
| File:FC Spartak Moscow logo.png | |||
| Full name | Football Club Spartak Moscow | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Myaso [1], Krasno-belye (The Red-Whites), Narodnaya komanda (The People's Team) | ||
| Founded | 1922 | ||
| Ground | Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow | ||
| Capacity | 78,000 | ||
| Chairman |  Leonid Fedun | ||
| Manager |  Valery Karpin (caretaker) | ||
| League | Russian Premier League | ||
| 2008 | RPL, 8th | ||
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FC Spartak Moscow (Russian: Футбольный клуб «Спартак» Москва) is a football club from Moscow, Russia. They are nicknamed "Meat" because in Soviet era the club was owned by the Collective Production Farms (the kolkhoz and the sovkhoz) .
Spartak have won 12 Soviet championships (second only to Dynamo Kyiv) and 9 of 16 Russian championships. They have also won the Soviet Cup 10 times and the Russian Cup 3 times. Spartak have also reached the semi-finals of all three European club competitions.
The football club is a part of the Spartak Moscow sports society. Other teams in the society include ice hockey club Spartak Moscow.
History
Foundation
In the early days of Soviet football many government agencies such as the police, army, and railroads created their own clubs. In 1921 the Moscow Sport Circle (Moscow sport club of Krasnopresnensky district) (Russian: МКС, Московский кружок спорта), later named Krasnaya Presnya was formed by Ivan Artemyev and involved Nikolai Starostin, especially in its football team.[4] The team grew, building a stadium, supporting itself from ticket sales and playing matches across Russia.[5] As part of a 1926 reorganisation of football in the USSR, Starostin arranged for the club to be sponsored by the food workers union and the club moved to the 13,000 seat Tomskii Stadium and was known as Pishcheviki . The team changed sponsors repeatedly over the following years as it competed with Dinamo Moscow, whose 35,000 seat Dinamo Stadium lay close by.
As a high-profile sportsman, Starostin came into close contact with Alexander Kosarev, secretary of the Komsomol (Communist Union of Youth) who already had a strong influence on sport and wanted to extend it.[6] In November 1934, with funding from Promkooperatsiia, Kosarev employed Starostin and his brothers to develop his team to make it more powerful. Again the team changed its name, this time to Spartak Moscow.[7] It took its name from the Roman slave rebel and athlete Spartacus
It became part of the Spartak Sports Society during its establishment on April 19, 1935
Soviet period
In 1935 Starostin proposed the name Spartak that was derived from Spartacus, a gladiator-slave who led a rebellion against Rome, and was inspired by eponymous book by Raffaello Giovagnoli. Starostin is also credited with the creation of the Spartak logo.[2] The same year the club became a part of newly created Spartak sports society.
Czech manager Antonin Fivebr is credited as the first head coach of Spartak, though he worked as a consultant in several clubs simultaneously[3]. In 1936 the Soviet Top League was established. The first Championship was won by Dynamo Moscow, while in the second one held the same year Spartak came first. Before the World War II Spartak gained two more titles.
During 1950-s Spartak together with Dynamo Moscow dominated in the Soviet Top League. When the USSR national football team won gold medals on the Melbourne Olympics, it consisted largely of Spartak players. Spartak captain Igor Netto was the captain of the national team from 1954 to 1963. In the 1960s, Spartak won two league titles, but by mid-60s Spartak was no more regarded as a leading Soviet club. The club was even less successful in the 1970s and in 1976 Spartak was relegated into the lower league.
During the following season, the stadium was still full as the club's fans stayed with the team during its time in the lower division. Konstantin Beskov, who became the head coach (ironically, as a footballer Beskov made his name playing for Spartak's main rivals, Dynamo Moscow), introduced several young players, including Rinat Dasayev and Georgi Yartsev. Spartak came back the next year and won the title in 1979, beating Dynamo Kyiv and thanks to Spartak supporters, the period is considered to be the start of the modern-style fans' movement in the Soviet Union.
On October 20, 1982, disaster struck during the UEFA Cup match between Spartak and HFC Haarlem. Scores of people were trampled. The official number of deaths is 66 but many people believe this number to be significantly higher.
In 1989 Spartak won the its last USSR Championship defeating 2-1 the main rival Dynamo Kyiv in the closing round. Spartak's striker Valery Shmarov scored the "golden" free kick with almost no time left. The next season Spartak reached European Cup semifinal consequently eliminating Napoli (by penalties) and Real Madrid (with 3-1 away victory) but losing to Olympique de Marseille.
Modern period
A new page in the club’s history began when the USSR collapsed and its championship ceased to exist. In the newly created Russian league, Spartak, led by coach and president Oleg Romantsev dominated and won all but one title between 1992 and 2001. Year after year the team also represented Russia in the Champions League.
Problems began in the new century. Several charismatic players (Ilya Tsymbalar and Andrey Tikhonov among others) left the club as a result of conflict with Romantsev. Later Romantsev sold his stock to oil magnate Andrei Chervichenko, who in 2003 became the club president. The two were soon embroiled in a row that would continue until Romantsev was sacked in 2003 with the club suffering several sub-par seasons until Chervichenko finally sold his stock in 2004. The new ownership made a number of front office changes with the aim of returning the team to the top of the Russian Premier League.[4]
In the 2005 season, Spartak, led by Aleksandrs Starkovs, finished 2nd in the league following an impressive run to beat Lokomotiv, Zenit and Rubin to the last Champions League place.
Following a mixed start to the 2006 season and public criticism from Dmitry Alenichev, the team's captain and one of its most experienced players, Starkovs left his position to Vladimir Fedotov.
Spartak was entitled to place a golden star on its badge in 2003 in commemoration of having won five Russian championships (this having been achieved in 1997).
Achievements
- Champion of the USSR 1936 (autumn), 1938, 1939, 1952, 1953, 1956, 1958, 1962, 1969, 1979, 1987, 1989
- Champion of Russia 1992, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001
- USSR Cup 1938, 1939, 1946, 1947, 1950, 1958, 1963, 1965, 1971, 1992
- Winner of the Russian Cup 1994, 1998, 2003
- CIS Cup Champions 1993, 1994, 1995, 1999, 2000, 2001
- USSR Federation Cup 1987
- Champion of 1969 Friendship Cup 1969
- Ciutat de Barcelona Trophy Champions 1982
- Runners-Up in the Russian League 2005, 2006, 2007
- Runners-Up in the Channel One Cup 2007
European campaigns
| Season | Achievement | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| European Cup / UEFA Champions League | |||
| 1980-81 | Quarter Final | eliminated by Real Madrid 0-0 in Moscow, 0-2 in Madrid | |
| 1990-91 | Semi Final | eliminated by Marseille 1-3 in Moscow, 1-2 in Marseille | |
| 1993-94 | Quarter Final | finished third in a group with Barcelona, Monaco and Galatasaray | |
| 1995-96 | Quarter Final | eliminated by Nantes 2-2 in Moscow, 0-2 in Nantes | |
| UEFA Cup Winners' Cup | |||
| 1972-73 | Quarter Final | eliminated by Milan 0-1 in Moscow, 1-1 in Milan | |
| 1992-93 | Semi Final | eliminated by Antwerp 1-0 in Moscow, 1-3 in Antwerp | |
| UEFA Cup | |||
| 1983-84 | Quarter Final | eliminated by Anderlecht 2-4 in Brussels, 1-0 in Moscow | |
| 1997-98 | Semi Final | eliminated by Inter 1-2 in Moscow, 1-2 in Milan | |
League positions
Nickname
The team is usually called "red-and-whites", but among the fans "The Meat" is a very popular nickname. The origins of the nickname belong to the days of the foundation of the club; in the 1920s the team was renamed several times, from "Moscow Sports Club" to "Red Presnya" (after the name of one of the districts of Moscow) to "Pishcheviki" ("Food industry workers") to "Promkooperatsiya" ("Industrial cooperation") and finally to "Spartak Moscow" in 1935, and for many years the team was under patronage of one of the Moscow food factories which dealt with meat products.
One of the most favourite slogans of both the fans and players is "Who are we? We're The Meat!" "Meats by Ste'
The other nickname is "Svin'i" ("Pigs"), although, unsurprisingly, this is considered offensive by the team's fans.
Rival teams
At present, Spartak's arch rival is CSKA Moscow; although this is a relatively recent rivalry having only emerged in the last twenty years. Seven of ten matches with the largest audience in Russian Premier League (including top three) were Spartak-CSKA derbies.[5] One of the most celebrated rivalries is "Spartak-Dinamo", with neighbours Dinamo Moscow. However, this has faded somewhat due to Dinamo's poor performances. Matches against Lokomotiv Moscow and Zenit St.Petersburg attract thousands of people as well, almost always resulting in packed stadiums. Another rivalry was lost with the collapse of the Soviet Union. This was with Dynamo Kyiv, one of the leaders of the USSR championship; since they are now playing in the Ukrainian championship, they must qualify for UEFA tournaments to meet each other.
Stadium
Spartak has never had its own stadium and the team has played in various Moscow stadiums throughout its history and even once an exhibition match on Red Square. Currently, the club's home ground is the 5-star Luzhniki Stadium which officially belongs to another Moscow club, Torpedo.
However, the club's new board has recently declared that "Spartak will soon play on their own stadium". The federal government has agreed to give land for the stadium near the Tushino air field. The construction will begin in 2007 and is expected to end in 2009. [6]
Racism incidents
The club has a history[7] of racist incidences between supporters and foreign players, especially of black complexion, with the possible connivance of club officials[citation needed]and players.[7] In 2003, Cameroonian player Jerry-Christian Tchuissé denounced suffering racist taunts, such as bananas being thrown onto the pitch and chants that mimicked monkey sounds coming from the stands, every time he played against Spartak, his former club. The Russian Football Union (RFU) intervened and invited him to take part in a showcase match aimed at fighting racism.[8] In 2007, the club was placed under investigation by the RFU for their fans' behaviour, after a banner was unfurled in the stands which contained abuse directed at a club's new signing, Brazilian player Welliton Soares Morais; the banner read, in English: "The number 11 belongs to Tikhonov. Monkey go home".[9] The club was eventually found guilty, and fined 19,000 dollars.[10]
Current squad
As of August 31, 2009, according to the Russian Premier League official website. Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Reserve squad
The following players are listed by Spartak's website as reserve players and are registered with the Premier League. They are eligible to play for the first team.
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Spartak's reserve squad played professionally as FC Spartak-d Moscow (Russian Second League in 1992-1993, Russian Third Division in 1994-1997) and as FC Spartak-2 Moscow (Russian Second Division in 1998-2000).
Out on loan
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Notable players
Personnel
- President: Leonid Fedun
- Executive director: Valery Karpin
- Assistant coach: Igor Lediakhov
- Assistant coach: Sergey Rodionov
- Goalkeeping coach: Gintaras Staučė
- Physical training coach: Óscar Antonio García Hermo
- Reserves team coaches: Dmitry Gunko, Vasily Kulkov, Valery Kleimyonov (goalkeeping)
- Rehabilitation coaches: Temir Ondar, Manuel Barreto, Liu Hungsheng
Managers
| Name | Period | Trophies |
|---|---|---|
 Antonin Fivebr
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1936 | |
 Mikhail Kozlov
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August 1936-1937 | |
| Konstantin Kvashnin
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1937-September 1938, 1944, 1948 | |
| Pyotr Popov
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September 1938—1939; 1941 | |
| Vladimir Gorokhov
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1940, 1942-1943 | |
| Pyotr Isakov
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1945 (January-August), caretaker | |
| Alber Wolrat
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September 1945-1947 | |
| Abram Dangulov
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1949-May 1951 | |
| Pyotr Isakov
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1945 (January-August), caretaker | |
| Georgi Glazkov
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June-December 1951 | |
| Vasily Sokolov
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1952-1954 | |
| Nikolay Gulyaev
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1955—1959, 1966, 1973—1975 | |
| Nikita Simonyan
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1960-September 1965, July 1967-1972 | |
| Sergei Salnikov
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January-July 1967 | |
| Anatoly Krutikov
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1976 | |
| Konstantin Beskov
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1978-1988 | |
| Oleg Romantsev
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1989-1995, 1997-May 2003 | |
| Georgi Yartsev
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1996 | |
| Vladimir Fedotov
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May-June 2003 (caretaker), September-December 2003 (caretaker), April 2006-June 19, 2007 | |
| Andrei Chernyshov
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June-September 2003 | |
 Nevio Scala
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January-September 2004 | |
 Aleksandrs Starkovs
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September 2004-April 2006 | |
| Stanislav Cherchesov
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June 19? 2007-August 15, 2008 | |
| Igor Lediakhov
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August 15, 2008-September 9, 2008 (caretaker) | |
 Michael Laudrup
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September 9, 2008 - April 15, 2009 | |
| Valery Karpin
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April 15, 2009 - Present |
References
- ^ "Zenit wrest trophy from Moscow". fifa.com. 2007-11-12. Retrieved 2007-11-16.
- ^ History of Spartak, fcspartak.ru Template:Ru icon
- ^ "History of Spartak 1936". Retrieved 2007-11-28.Template:Ru icon
- ^ All-star Spartak rise again, Eduard Nisenboim, uefa.com
- ^ Samye poseschaemye matchi v istorii chempionatov RossiiTemplate:Ru icon
- ^ Kommersant. "Characteristics of the Spartak Stadium". Retrieved 2007-03-31. Template:Ru icon
- ^ a b "Gyan accuses Spartak of racism" - BBC Sport, 10 November 2006
- ^ BBC News: Tackling racism in Russian football
- ^ KickItOut.com
- ^ IHL: Spartak Moscow fined US$19,000 (€14,000) for racist banner aimed at own player
External links
- Official website
- Fratria - FC Spartak Ultras
- International Fansite
- Site of future stadium of Spartak
- Spartak-Video
- The Red-White INFOrmation History and statistics FC Spartak Moscow
- FC Spartak Moscow - news
- FC and HC Spartak Moscow - news, squad, history, statistics
- Multilanguage site of fans of Spartak Moscow team