Full name | Football Club Zhemchuzhina Yalta |
---|---|
Founded | 2010 |
Dissolved | 2014[1][2] |
Ground | Avanhard Stadion |
FC Zhemchuzhina Yalta (Russian: «Жемчужина» (Ялта); FC Zhemchuzhyna Yalta in Ukrainian transliteration (Ukrainian: „Жемчужина“» (Ялта)) was a professional football club based in Yalta. Founded in 2010, the club reached the Ukrainian Second League for the 2012–13 season. In June 2013 it was refused a license for the league, however, and expelled from professional football, due to the club's debts.[3][4] Following the annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation, Zhemchuzhina were accepted into the Russian Professional Football League for the 2014–15 season.[5] As Ukraine considers Crimea Ukrainian territory, Football Federation of Ukraine lodged a complaint with UEFA about Crimean clubs' participation in Russian competitions. UEFA's judgment is that any matches Zhemchuzhina plays "under the auspices of the Russian Football Union will not be recognised".[6]
On 4 December 2014 UEFA banned Crimean clubs from participating in Russian professional competitions,[7] and announced that a new local Crimean league will be set up in the future that UEFA will manage directly.[8]