Full name | FC Arsenal Kharkiv |
---|---|
Founded | 1998 |
Ground | Arsenal-Spartak, Kharkiv |
Capacity | 2,300 |
Chairman | Volodymyr Chumak |
Manager | Vladislav Kisel |
League | Druha Liha B |
2008–2009 | 12th (withdrew) |
FC Arsenal Kharkiv is a football club based in Kharkiv, Ukraine. Arsenal Kharkiv currently plays in the regional competitions of Kharkiv city. In 2005 on the base of the club was formed another club FC Kharkiv. FC Arsenal has a well established infrastructure with series of stadiums and sport schools.
Arsenal Kharkiv withdrew from the Professional Football League of Ukraine after the 2008–09 season, while its youth teams continue to compete in national youth competitions.
The club was formed on 30 January 1998 at the Kharkiv Aviation Institute sports court. Its initial home stadium was "Spartak" and the first head coach – Valentyn Kryachko. The club's first game at professional level took place on 2 August 1999 in Kremenchuk against the local FC Kremin Kremenchuk, which Arsenal won 1:0. The club's first goal was scored by Viktor Hryhorov.
In 2005 the club was reorganized after a successful season in the 2004-05 Ukrainian First League. After obtaining promotion to the Ukrainian Top League, the club yielded the opportunity to a newly established club FC Kharkiv which was led by the former coach of Arsenal Hennadiy Lytovchenko. Several Arsenal's leading footballers also joined the new club.
In 2005 FC Arsenal Kharkiv started out again from the Ukrainian Second League.
The club has a possession of two stadiums Arsenal-Spartak Stadium (former Spartak) and Arsenal-Bavaria Stadium (former stadium of local rope factory). Also the club has a complex of four fields with a synthetic surface called Arsenal-OPEN.Arsenal-Spartak has capacity of 1500 people, but it's planned to enlarge it to 8000 by 2010; Arsenal-Bavaria has a capacity to accommodate 2300 spectators. In July 2010 Arsenal-Bavaria was given away to FC Helios Kharkiv and was renamed into Helios Arena.