FC Zorya Luhansk

History

The modern professional team of Zorya Luhansk, during its Soviet period known also as Zaria Voroshilovgrad/Lugansk and for a short period Zorya-MALS, was created in 1964 as the city's team of masters by merging the factory team with another team of masters "Trudovye Rezervy". Before 1964, the factory team played mostly in republican competitions of the Ukrainian SSR.

The history of football in the city of Luhansk begins in the early 20th century. The first Luhansk team was created in the Russian Empire in 1908 when the workers of the Russischen Maschinenbaugesellschaft Hartmann (today "Luhansk Locomotive") created the "Society of Rational Recreations". One of the disciplines was a game of kickball headed by the Czech specialist Henrich Drževikovski from Prague, who originally was an instructor of gymnastics of the factory's ministerial school. That team played its games and conducted its training on the empty lot near the factory where today the sport hall "Zorya" is located.

The first mention of games involving the Luhansk team dates back to 1911. In 1913 in Kostyantynivka the first regional football league of Donets basin was created. During World War I and the subsequent Soviet and German hostilities, the league was suspended until 1920, by which time the situation in the region had stabilized. In 1922 a new stadium was built, possibly "on the personal order" of Vladimir Lenin and later named after him. In 1923 the workers of the Luhansk steam train factory of the October Revolution (hence the club's logo with a locomotive) organized their football team "Metalist" which became the forerunner of today's Zorya. The following year there the championship of the newly created Luhansk okruha (district) was created. In the final game the collective city team of Luhansk was victorious against their rivals from the city of Snizhne, winning the title after extra time 1–0. In 1926, the All-Ukrainian Committee of the Mining Workers' council organized a team of Donbass miners, players from Kadiivka, for a tour in Germany (Weimar Republic). There the Donbass team won four of their eight games. The following year an international game took place in Luhansk, in which the city team was challenged by their rivals from Austria. The Donbas players lost the game.

In 1936 the football teams "Metalist" and "Dynamo" (KGB team) merged to form the united Luhansk city-team which the following year was named Dzerzhynets Sports Society (Ukrainian: Dzerzhynets Voroshylovhrad; DZV). The name "Dzerzhynets" derives from the steam locomotive that was produced at the steam train factory FD – "Felix Dzerzhinsky". That year "Dzerzhynets" reached 3rd place in the Ukrainian second league.

Post war revival

After World War II, the club was not revived right away. The city of Luhansk was represented by Dynamo Luhansk, while in 1949–1951 there was as well a team of the Luhansk regional party administration "Trudovi Rezervy". In 1950 Dynamo Luhansk merged into Trudovi Rezervy. In 1951 the chief of Trudovi Rezervy's regional administration, Ivan Lomakin; went on trial and the team was liquidated. In 1948 "Dzerzhynets" was re-established in the lower leagues of the Ukrainian championship. Due to the liquidation of Trudovi Rezervy, Dzerzhynets was allowed to compete among the "mater teams" (Soviet terminology for their professional level). Few players from Trudovi Rezervy joined the factory team. In 1954, Dzerzhynets was transferred under the administration of the Republican Volunteer Society of "Avanhard" which continued its participation in competitions until 1959.

Due to a bleak performance of "Avanhard" in 1957 in the city of Voroshilovhrad, it was revived as another club "Trudovi Rezervy" which this time comprised students from the Leningrad Technicum of Physical Culture and Sports (today College of Physical Culture and Sports of the Saint Petersburg State University). After the liquidation of Avanhard in 1959, in 1960 in Luhansk the October Revolution (OR) Factory team. was established. Since 1960 the Football championship of the Ukrainian SSR among "teams of masters" was conducted as part of the Class B competitions which at first were second tier and later third tier until completely phased away. Afterwards, Ukrainian football competitions were adopted into one of zones of the Soviet Second League. Another all-Ukrainian football competitions among "collectives of physical culture" (KFK) were conducted since 1964 that were ongoing until 1991 and sometimes are confused for the actually championship mentioned before. Neither Trudovi rezervy or Zorya played in competitions among collectives of physical culture", but did play in football championship of Ukrainian SSR which until 1959 was not considered as a competition among teams of masters.

Modern period

During the already ongoing 1964 season and playing several rounds, on 10 April 1964 the Soviet Football Federation issued its decision about merger of two clubs "Trudovi Rezervy" and OR Factory team (SC Zorya) into FC Zorya Voroshilovhrad. In 1972 Zorya did not only win its only Soviet championship, but also represented, re-enforced with only three players from other clubs, the USSR at the Brazilian Independence Cup (Taça Independência) mid-year. However, only Volodymyr Onyshchenko represented the club at the Final of the European Football Championship few weeks earlier. In 1992 the club was acquired by a Moscow Science-Production Association "MALS" and participated in the competition of the Ukrainian Top League.

In the season 2005–06 they won first place in the Persha Liha, and had been promoted to the Vyscha Liha. Zorya was one of the original twenty teams to debut for the first season of the Ukrainian Premier League. The team played for five seasons until the 1995–96 season in which they finished eighteenth and were sent down to the Persha Liha. Zorya relegated to Druha Liha in 1996–97 season but she returned to Persha Liha in 2003–04 season. The War in Donbas which started in 2014 made the team relocate to Zaporizhzhia, as Luhansk was seized by the Russian-backed Luhansk People's Republic forces. In 2016 the team had advanced sufficiently in the standings that they were involved in the European wide play-offs in the UEFA Europa League. In the 2016-17 Europa League season, Zorya Luhansk played group matches against Feyenoord, Fenerbahçe, and Manchester United.

Names

Predecessors

1923–35: FC Metallist Lugansk (city was renamed to Voroshilovgrad in 1935)

1936–40: FC Dzerzhinets Voroshilovgrad (dissolved due to the war; named after Felix Dzerzhinsky)

1948–53: FC Dzerzhinets Voroshilovgrad (team transferred under Avanhard sports society)

1953–59: FC Avangard Voroshilovgrad (reorganized, city was renamed to Lugansk in 1958)

Trudovi Rezervy

1949–51: Trudovye Rezervy Voroshilovgrad (team liquidated, criminal proceedings)

1957–64: Trudovye Rezervy Lugansk (new team; team merged into SC Zorya)

Zorya

1960–64: SC Zaria Lugansk (revived as the OR Factory sports club and reorganized)

1964–70: FC Zaria Lugansk (merged with Trudovi Rezervy to united football club)

1970–90: FC Zaria Voroshilovgrad (city was renamed to Voroshilovgrad in 1970)

1990–91: FC Zaria Lugansk (city was renamed back to Lugansk in 1990)

1992–96: FC Zorya-MALS Luhansk (renamed with adding of the sponsor name)

1996–present: FC Zorya Luhansk (Ukrainian period, modern team)

Colours and badge

The club's colours have been black and white. In 2010 the club adopted its own mascot, a black-white cat which after the club's relocation also moved to Zaporizhia.

The club's badge was adopted after 2010 and was completely redesigned. In the early 1990s the club's badge also carried the brand of local company "MALS". Earlier badges had a silhouette of an oncoming locomotive.

Stadiums

The oldest stadium in Luhansk is Lenin Stadium, built in 1922, and for long time was the main city stadium. In March 1951, the Voroshilov Stadium was opened in Luhansk, with a capacity of 7,447 seats. The stadium belonged to the Lokomotiv production association Luhanskteplovoz. In 1961 it was renamed "Avanhard". Since 1962 it became the home for Trudovi Rezervy and later Zorya. In 2000–2002, the stadium was sold and became the property of the city. In 2003, Avanhard was fully renovated. Following the Russian aggression against Ukraine, in 2014 Zorya relocated to Zaporizhia where they played at Slavutych Arena.

Reserve team

The reserve team of Zorya, Zorya Luhansk Reserves (Ukrainian: ФК «Зоря» Луганськ дубль) currently plays in the Ukrainian Premier Reserve League.

Honours

Domestic competitions

Soviet Top League

Winners (1): 1972

Soviet Cup

Runners-up (2): 1974, 1975

Soviet First League (Class A, Second Group)

Winners (2): 1962, 1966

Soviet Second League

Winners (1): 1986

Runners-up (1): 1991 (West)

Ukrainian SSR (parallel competition since 1960, please, refrain from placing it as the Soviet Second League as it not always had the same status)

Winners (3): 1938, 1962, 1986

Runners-up (1): 1950,

Ukrainian Cup

Runners-up (2): 2015–16, 2020–21

Ukrainian First League

Winners (1): 2005–06

Ukrainian Second League

Winners (1): 2002–03

Runners-up (1): 1998–99 (Group C)

Current squad

As of 19 September 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.

Technical staff

Presidents and owners

Source:

1989–90: Administration chairman Oleksiy Vintun

1990: Chairman I. Shyrokyi

1990: Chairman O. Lyakhov

1990–92: President Yuriy Koniayev

1992–96: President Volodymyr Tarasenko

1996–01: President Dmytro Makarenko

2001–02: President Volodymyr Makarov

2002–05: President Yuriy Sevastianov

2005–07: President Valeriy Shpichka

2007–09: President and owner Valeriy Bukayev

2009: Owner Marina Bukayeva

2009: President Oleksandr Yehorov

2009: President Manolis Pilavov

2009–2023: President and owner Yevhen Heller

General directors

2009–2020 Serhiy Rafailov

2020–2023 Stanislav Ohanov

Ihor Huz (nachalnik komandy)

Managers

Reserve team

Volodymyr Mykytyn (2008 – 2021)

Longest serving coaches

Last Updated after 2020/21 season

League and cup history

FC Zorya Luhansk spent 14 seasons in the Soviet top tier including the Class A Group One and the Top League (1967–1979). The club managed to become champions of the Soviet Union in 1972. Following dissolution of the Soviet Union, as Ukrainian club Zorya spent 20 seasons in the Ukrainian top tier including the Top League and the Premier League (1992–1996 and 2006–present).

The statistics is based on information from the club's official website.

European record

Its first European competition participation occurred in 1973–74 season in UEFA European Cup as the Soviet representative. Zorya played its first game as Zaria at its home stadium Avanhard (Avangard) on September 19, 1973, hosting the Cypriot club APOEL. After that season, the club did not participate in continental competitions for over 40 years until 2014–15 season.

UEFA club coefficient ranking

As of 18 September 2023

Football Club Elo ranking

As of 14 June 2023