FC Urartu

Football Club Urartu (Armenian: Ուրարտու Ֆուտբոլային Ակումբ, translated Futbolayin Akumb Urartu), commonly known as Urartu, is an Armenian professional football team based in the capital Yerevan that currently plays in the Armenian Premier League. The club won the Armenian Cup four times, in 1992, 2007, 2016, and 2023. In 2013–2014, they won the Armenian Premier League for the first time in their history.

In early 2016, the Russia-based Armenian businessman Dzhevan Cheloyants became a co-owner of the club after purchasing the major part of the club shares. The club was known as FC Banants until 1 August 2019, when it was officially renamed FC Urartu.

History

Kotayk

Urartu FC were founded as FC Banants by Sarkis Israelyan on 21 January 1992 in the village of Kotayk, representing the Kotayk Province. He named the club after his native village of Banants (currently known as Bayan). Between 1992 and 1995, the club was commonly referred to as Banants Kotayk. During the 1992 season, the club won the first Armenian Cup. At the end of the 1995 transitional season, Banants suffered a financial crisis. The club owners decided that it was better to merge the club with FC Kotayk of Abovyan, rather than disband it. In 2001, Banants demerged from FC Kotayk, and was moved from Abovyan to the capital Yerevan.

Yerevan

In 2001, FC Banants was relocated to Yerevan. At the beginning of 2003, Banants merged with FC Spartak Yerevan, but was able to limit the name of the new merger to FC Banants. Spartak became Banants's youth academy and later changed the name to Banants-2. Because of the merger, Banants acquired many players from Spartak Yerevan, including Samvel Melkonyan. After the merger, Banants took a more serious approach and have finished highly in the league table ever since. The club managed to lift the Armenian Cup in 2007. Experience made way for youth for the 2008 and 2009 seasons. The departures of most of the experienced players have left the club's future to the youth. Along with two Ukrainian players, Ugandan international, Noah Kasule, has been signed.

The club headquarters are located on Jivani Street 2 of the Malatia-Sebastia District, Yerevan.

Domestic

European

As of match played 17 July 2025

Stadium

The construction of the Urartu Stadium was launched in 2006 in the Malatia-Sebastia District of Yerevan, with the assistance of the FIFA goal programme. It was officially opened in 2008 with a capacity of 3,600 seats. Further developments were implemented later in 2011, when the playing pitch was modernized and the capacity of the stadium was increased up to 4,860 seats (2,760 at the northern stand, 1,500 at the southern stand and 600 at the western stand).

Training centre/academy

Urartu Training Centre is the club's academy base located in the Malatia-Sebastia District of Yerevan. In addition to the main stadium, the centre houses 3 full-size training pitches, mini football pitches as well as an indoor facility. The current technical director of the academy is the former Russian footballer Ilshat Faizulin.

Fans

The most active group of fans is the South West Ultras fan club, mainly composed of residents from several neighbourhoods within the Malatia-Sebastia District of Yerevan, since the club is a de facto representer of the district. Members of the fan club benefit from events organized by the club and many facilities of the Banants training centre, such as the mini football pitch, the club store and other entertainments.

Honours

• Armenian Premier League Winners (2): 2013–14, 2022–23 Runners-up (5): 2003, 2006, 2007, 2010, 2017–18
• Armenian Cup Winners (4): 1992, 2007, 2016, 2022–23 Runners-up (7): 2003, 2004, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2021–22, 2023–24
• Armenian Supercup Winners (1): 2014 Runners-up (5): 2004, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2016

Current squad

As of 1 March 2026

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

Out on loan

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

Personnel

Technical staff

Management

Urartu-2

Urartu has also the second team, Urartu-2 which plays in the Armenian First League. They play their home games at the training field with artificial turf of the Urartu Training Centre.

Managerial history

• Armenia Varuzhan Sukiasyan (1992–94)
• Armenia Poghos Galstyan (July 1, 1996 – June 30, 1998)
• Armenia Oganes Zanazanyan (2001–05)
• Armenia Ashot Barseghyan (2005–06)
• Russia Nikolay Kiselyov (2006–07)
• Czech Republic Jan Poštulka (2007)
• Bulgaria Nikolay Kostov (July 1, 2007 – April 8, 2008)
• Bulgaria Nedelcho Matushev (April 8, 2008 – June 30, 2008)
• Denmark Kim Splidsboel (2008)
• Armenia Armen Gyulbudaghyants (Jan 1, 2009 – Dec 1, 2009)
• Armenia Ashot Barseghyan (interim) (2009)
• North Macedonia Stevica Kuzmanovski (Jan 1, 2010 – Dec 31, 2010)
• Armenia Rafael Nazaryan (Jan 1, 2011 – Jan 15, 2012)
• Ukraine Volodymyr Pyatenko (Jan 17, 2013 – June 30, 2013)
• Slovakia Zsolt Hornyák (July 1, 2013 – May 30, 2015)
• Armenia Aram Voskanyan (July 1, 2015 – Oct 11, 2015)
• Spain Tito Ramallo (Oct 12, 2015 – Oct 3, 2016)
• Armenia Artur Voskanyan (Oct 3, 2016 – Aug 11, 2018)
• Russia Ilshat Faizulin (Aug 12, 2018 –Nov 24, 2019)
• Armenia Aleksandr Grigoryan (Nov 25, 2019 –Mar 10, 2021)
• Armenia Robert Arzumanyan (10 March 2021 – 24 June 2022)
• Russia Dmitri Gunko (27 June 2022 – 18 June 2025)
• Armenia Robert Arzumanyan (19 June 2025–)

See also

• Football in Armenia
• Football Federation of Armenia

External links

• (in English, Armenian, and Russian)
• at Weltfussball.de. 2018-10-08 at the Wayback Machine (in German).