FC Pyunik

Pyunik
Փյունիկ
Full nameFootball Club Pyunik Yerevan
Nickname(s)Նռնագույններ (Pomegranate Color)
Founded20 January 1992; 32 years ago (1992-01-20)
PresidentArthur Soghomonyan
ManagerYegishe Melikyan
LeagueArmenian Premier League
2023–241st of 10 (Champions)
WebsiteClub website
Current season

Football Club Pyunik Yerevan (Ֆուտբոլային Ակումբ Փյունիկ Երևան), commonly known as Pyunik ("Phoenix"), is an Armenian professional sports club based in the Kentron neighbourhood of Yerevan. Pyunik is mostly known for its professional football team which, since its creation in 1992, has always played in the Armenian Premier League, becoming the most successful team of Armenia in number of official titles, with 31 won to date.[1][2][3][4]

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.[5] Pyunik's domestic success usually qualifies the team for UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League qualifying rounds. Pyunik is also known to be one of the most popular football clubs in Armenia, along with Urartu, Shirak and Ararat.[6]

Pyunik has always had a fierce rivalry with Ararat, as both clubs are considered to be the most successful clubs in Armenia, the latter due to its Soviet accomplishments.[7] Both clubs are also the two most popular in the country and favorites within the Armenian Diaspora. Pyunik also shares a rivalry with Urartu which began when Urartu relocated from Abovyan to Yerevan in 2001, and became the third largest team in the city. The Pyunik-Urartu rivalry is seen as one of the biggest clashes in Armenian football.

Pyunik's home stadium is the Vazgen Sargsyan Republican Stadium, which is also home to the Armenia national football team. The youth academy has produced many Armenian internationals such as Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Robert Arzumanyan, Karlen Mkrtchyan, Edgar Manucharyan, Varazdat Haroyan and Gevorg Ghazaryan, many who have played or are playing for top European clubs.

  1. ^ "Հայաստանի Առաջնության, Գավաթի և Սուպերգավաթի խաղարկությունները". freenet.am. Archived from the original on 7 September 2014. Retrieved 29 April 2020.
  2. ^ "Armenia - List of Cup Finals". Archived from the original on 2007-05-18. Retrieved 29 April 2020.
  3. ^ "Club History". Archived from the original on 19 April 2022. Retrieved 29 April 2020.
  4. ^ "Armenia - List of Champions". Archived from the original on 1 September 2022. Retrieved 29 April 2020.
  5. ^ "Commonwealth of Independent States Cup 2006". Archived from the original on 25 September 2022. Retrieved 29 April 2020.
  6. ^ "Armenia: Top Armenian Football Clubs". Archived from the original on 21 July 2020. Retrieved 29 April 2020.
  7. ^ "Armenia always a football hotbed". Archived from the original on 24 December 2019. Retrieved 29 April 2020.