Pyunik
FC Pyunik is an Armenian professional sports club founded in 1992 and based in the Kentron neighbourhood of Yerevan, Armenia. The club plays at the Vazgen Sargsyan Republican Stadium and competes in the Armenian Premier League, where it has established itself as the most successful team in Armenian football history with 34 official titles. Pyunik has won 16 Armenian Premier League titles, 8 Armenian Cups, and 10 Armenian Super Cups, making it one of the most popular football clubs in Armenia alongside Urartu, Shirak and Ararat. The club's youth academy has produced notable Armenian internationals including Henrikh Mkhitaryan, who have gone on to play for top European clubs.
History
Overview
General information about the club
FC Pyunik was founded in 1992 by Armenian football legend Khoren Oganesian and was originally named Homenetmen Yerevan. The club's name was changed to FC Pyunik (Armenian for "Phoenix") in 1995. Since its creation, Pyunik has always played in the Armenian Premier League and has become the most successful team in Armenia with 34 official titles won to date.
Most recent season and achievements
In the 2022/23 season, after victories over Cluj and Dudelange, Pyunik became the first ever Armenian club to reach the third round of Champions League qualifying, where they faced Crvena Zvezda, losing 7–0 on aggregate. Subsequently dropping into the Europa League play-off round against Sheriff Tiraspol, they lost on penalties after two scoreless draws, qualifying for the Conference League group stages - their first ever group stage appearance in European competition. They became the first Armenian team to win a game in UEFA group stage competitions with a victory over Slovan Bratislava thanks to goals from Artak Dashyan and Yusuf Otubanjo.
History
Early years
Pyunik was founded in 1992 and won the first Armenian Premier League competition that same year, sharing the title with Shirak as both teams were tied on points. Following the name change to FC Pyunik in 1995, the club won the 1995–96 Armenian Premier League and ended the season with a 59-match unbeaten streak. In 1996, Pyunik played its first international cup match against Finnish club HJK Helsinki, winning 3–1, and also secured the 1996-97 Armenian Premier League title.
Successful period
In 1997, Pyunik played its first UEFA Champions League qualifying match against Hungarian side MTK Budapest FC but failed to qualify following a 6–3 aggregate defeat. The club experienced a golden period from 2002 onwards, winning the Armenian Premier League a record 10 times in a row from 2001 to 2010. In 2002, Pyunik advanced to the second round of the UEFA Champions League qualifying round after beating Finnish champions Tampere United 6–0 on aggregate.
Crisis and recovery
1998 proved crucial for the club following the loss of its main funding source and departure of key players. Pyunik finished 6th that season and withdrew from football altogether. The club secured a comeback following its absorption of FC Armenicum, a newly promoted team. The new management reinforced the squad with foreign players from Argentina, Cameroon, Mali and Romania, leading to victories in the 2001 Armenian Premier League and 2002 Armenian Cup.
Current period
Recent managerial changes have included Roman Berezovsky being announced as manager on 8 January 2020, leaving by mutual consent on 13 July 2020. Artak Oseyan was announced as manager on 20 July 2020 but left on 13 December 2020, followed by Yegishe Melikyan being announced on 7 January 2021. On 31 December 2024, ownership of the club passed from Artur Soghomonyan to Anton Farber.
Achievements and Honors
Domestic competitions
Pyunik holds the record for most Armenian Premier League titles with 16 championships (1992, 1995–96, 1996–97, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2014–15, 2021–22, 2023–24) and has been runners-up twice (2018–19, 2022–23). The club also holds the record for Armenian Cup victories with 8 titles (1995–96, 2002, 2004, 2009, 2010, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15) and has been runners-up 3 times. Additionally, Pyunik has won a record 10 Armenian Super Cup titles (1998, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2015, 2022) and finished as runners-up 6 times.
Continental and global competitions
Internationally, Pyunik has yet to win an international title, with the closest result being a bronze place finish in the 2006 Commonwealth of Independent States Cup. The club's domestic success regularly qualifies them for UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League qualifying rounds, with their historic achievement being the first Armenian club to reach the third round of Champions League qualifying and the first to win a game in UEFA group stage competitions.
Symbols and Colors
Current logo and logo history
The club has had five different badge designs throughout its history. Following the club's reappearance in 2001, Pyunik introduced its iconic logo design featuring a bold letter P placed on top of a football, which was kept for 13 years. In 2014, they introduced a double-headed golden phoenix crest, but this change proved unpopular among fans. In 2019, Pyunik introduced a new badge returning to its original round shape with a predominantly blue logo and a red phoenix in the center.
Traditional home and away kits colors
Throughout the seasons, Pyunik has predominantly worn blue and white jerseys, with a few exceptions including the club's first jerseys which were orange. Puma has been the club's kit supplier since 2019, though Joma supplied the team's kit for the 2020–21 season.
Traditional Rivals
Ararat
Pyunik's rivalry with Ararat originates with the creation of the club itself. Pyunik's founder Khoren Oganesian is considered an Ararat club idol due to his achievements during the Soviet period, including winning the 1975 Soviet Cup. Both clubs are considered the most successful in Armenia, with Pyunik's recent success leading its image to surpass that of Ararat, creating arguments over which club has had a bigger impact on Armenian football. Both clubs are also the two most popular in the country and favorites within the Armenian Diaspora.
Urartu
The rivalry between Pyunik and Urartu is known as the clash of Yerevan neighborhoods, since Pyunik is located in the wealthier Kentron neighborhood while Urartu is located in the lower-class Malatia-Sebastia neighborhood. This rivalry began when Urartu relocated from Abovyan to Yerevan in 2001, competing with and eventually becoming one of the largest teams in the city. The Pyunik-Urartu rivalry is seen as one of the biggest clashes in Armenian football, with both teams' youth academies also competing as they are considered two of the best in the country.
Club Traditions and Behind the Scenes
Nicknames
The club is commonly known as Pyunik, which literally means 'Phoenix' in Armenian.
Ownership and finances
Anton Farber is the current owner and President of Pyunik since 2024, with Suren Baghdasaryan serving as Vice-president, Kim Arakelyan as General Director, Denys Kulakov as Sporting Director, and Tigran Poghosyan as Technical Director.
Traditions and culture
Pyunik's supporter base is traditionally regarded as part of Yerevan's higher class, in contrast with the supposedly more lower-class base of cross-town rival FC Urartu. The club is considered one of the most popular in Armenia and has one of the biggest Ultras fanbases called Sector 18, named after the sector they occupy at the Vazgen Sargsyan Republican Stadium. The fanbase has grown not only in Yerevan but in other provinces of Armenia and within the Armenian Diaspora.
Stadium
Pyunik's home stadium is the Vazgen Sargsyan Republican Stadium, which is also home to the Armenia national football team. The club has used several locations throughout its history: Hrazdan Stadium (1992–98), Vazgen Sargsyan Republican Stadium (2001–08, 2008–13, 2018–present), Pyunik Stadium (2008, 2017–18), and Yerevan Football Academy Stadium (2013–17). The Republican Stadium has a capacity for international fixtures and is sometimes used by other Armenian teams for their international cup matches. The club is currently planning to build an all-seater 5,000 capacity stadium.