FC Zorya Luhansk

The modern Zorya Luhansk, during its Soviet period known as Zaria Voroshilovgrad and for a short period Zorya-MALS, was created in 1964. The history of the club begins in the early 20th century, right after the first stadium was built in the city of Luhansk in 1922, on the personal order of Vladimir Lenin and later named after him. 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.

The first Luhansk team was created in the Russian Empire in 1908 when the workers of the Russischen Maschinenbaugesellschaft Hartmann created the "Society of wise recreations". The football section was headed by the Czech specialist Henrich Drževikovski from Prague, who 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.

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 Kadiyevka, 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.

FD in Donetsk (2008)

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.[2] The name "Dzerzhynets" derives from the steam locomotive that was produced at the steam train factory FD – "Felix Dzerzhinsky".[2] That year "Dzerzhynets" reached 3rd place in the Ukrainian second league.

In 1937 "Dzerzhynets" won Ukrainian's second league and was promoted to the first. Moreover, it reached the 1/8 final of the Ukrainian Сup and the 1/16 final of the Soviet Cup. The team consisted of the following players: Klad'ko (coach), Grebenyuk, Svidyns'ky, Mazanov, Morozov, Krasyuk, Nosko, Movchan, Brovenko, Chernyavs'ky, Voloschenko, Lokotosh, Sytnikov, Evdokymov, Myroshnikov, Ischenko.

In 1938 "Dzerzhynets" became champions of Ukraine after having won 9 games and drawn two. It was thus admitted to the Soviet First League.

The club's mascot with the club's old badge used in 2000–2010

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

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

The oldest stadium in Luhansk is the Lenin's Stadium built in 1922 and for long time was the main city stadium.[10]

In March of 1951 in Luhansk was opened the new Voroshilov's Stadium with 7,447 seats capacity.[11] The stadium belonged to the Lokomotiv production association Luhanskteplovoz. In 1961 it was renamed as "Avanhard". Since 1962 it became a home for Trudovi Rezervy and later Zorya. In 2000-2002 the stadium was sold and became a property of the city. In 2003 Avanhard was fully renovated.

Following the Russian aggression against Ukraine, in 2014 Zorya relocated to Zaporizhia where it plays at Slavutych Arena.

• 
  Stadion "Avanhard" in Luhansk (2009)
• 
  Slavutych Arena in Zaporizhia (2011)
• 
  Announcement about the 1984 season's game Zoria – Rotor

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

MediaMix Concept, D & M, Lir, and also Steel Symphony.

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.

As of 12 April 2022[14][15]

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

No. Pos. Nation Player 2 DF  UKR Danil Skorko 8 MF  UKR Maksym Lunyov 10 MF  UKR Dmytro Khomchenovskyi 11 FW  UKR Oleksandr Hladkyi 14 MF  UKR Maksym Khlan 15 DF  UKR Vitaliy Vernydub 17 DF  UKR Vladyslav Yemets 18 DF  UKR Yuriy Tlumak 19 DF  UKR Akhmed Alibekov (on loan from Dynamo Kyiv) 20 MF  UKR Maksym Kazakov 21 FW  BRA Guilherme Smith 22 MF  UKR Vladyslav Kabayev 23 MF  UKR Serhiy Buletsa (on loan from Dynamo Kyiv) 24 FW  UKR Abdulla Abdullayev 25 MF  UKR Yevheniy Smyrnyi 28 MF  UKR Artem Hromov 29 MF  UKR Yehor Nazaryna

No. Pos. Nation Player 30 GK  UKR Mykyta Shevchenko (captain) 32 DF  UKR Maksym Imerekov 34 DF  UKR Denys Nahnoynyi 36 GK  UKR Anton Zhylkin 37 DF  UKR Valeriy Dubko 43 FW  UKR Danyil Alefirenko 45 DF  UKR Denys Favorov 46 DF  UKR Yuriy Dudnyk 47 FW  GHA Raymond Owusu 53 GK  UKR Dmytro Matsapura 68 FW  BRA Cristian 74 DF  UKR Ihor Snurnitsyn 83 MF  UKR Maksym Smiyan 94 MF  UKR Oleh Danchenko (on loan from AEK Athens)

Out on loan

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

No. Pos. Nation Player — DF  BRA Juninho (at Goiás until 31 December 2022) — DF  UKR Tymofiy Sukhar (at VPK-Ahro Shevchenkivka until 30 June 2022) — MF  UKR Volodymyr Bilotserkovets (at Metalurh Zaporizhya until 30 June 2022)

No. Pos. Nation Player — MF  UKR Denys Yanakov (at Polissya Zhytomyr until 30 June 2022) — FW  IRN Shahab Zahedi (at Puskás Akadémia until 30 June 2022)

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.[22]

Soviet Union

Ukraine

Trudovi Rezervy

Season	Div.	Pos.	Pl.	W	D	L	GS	GA	P	Domestic Cup	Europe		Notes
Trudovi Rezervy / Trudovye Rezervy
1949	2nd (Gruppa II. Ukrainskaya Zona)	15	34	9	6	19	44	59	24
1950	3rd (Ukraine)	1	18	11	4	3	35	18	26
		2	3	2	0	1	4	5	4				Final group
1951		1	18	13	4	1	46	10	30
		6	6	0	3	3	6	14	3				Final group
Original club disbanded in 1951 and revived in 1957
1957	2nd (Klass B)	16	34	6	10	18	18	55	22	1⁄2 finals (Zone)
1958		6	30	12	10	8	35	26	34	1⁄4 finals (Zone)
1959		4	26	15	3	8	55	31	33	1⁄2 finals (Zone)
1960		3	36	19	9	8	69	40	47				Ukrainian Championship
1961		2	36	22	7	7	56	23	51				Ukrainian Championship
		4	2	0	1	1	0	2	1				Playoff
1962		1	24	14	5	5	52	22	33	1⁄4 finals (Ukraine)
		1	10	6	4	0	22	11	16				Champions of Ukraine
		1	2	2	0	0	5	1	4				Promotional playoff; Reorganization
1963	2nd (Klass A. Vtoraya gruppa)	5	34	15	11	8	41	26	41	1⁄32 finals
FC Trudovi Rezervy Luhansk merged with amateur SC Zorya Luhansk under name FC Zorya Luhansk

Season	Competition	Round	Opponent	Home	Away	Aggregate	Qual.
1973–74	European Cup	1R	APOEL	2–0	1–0	3–0
		2R	Spartak Trnava	0–1	0–0	0–1
2014–15	UEFA Europa League	2Q	Laçi	2–1	3–0	5–1
		3Q	Molde	1–1	2–1	3–2
		PO	Feyenoord	1–1	3–4	4–5
2015–16	UEFA Europa League	3Q	Charleroi	3–0	2–0	5–0
		PO	Legia Warsaw	0–1	2–3	2–4
2016–17	UEFA Europa League	Group A	Manchester United	0–2	0–1	4th
			Fenerbahçe	1–1	0–2
			Feyenoord	1–1	0–1
2017–18	UEFA Europa League	Group J	Athletic Bilbao	0–2	1–0	3rd
			Hertha	2–1	0–2
			Östersund	0–2	0–2
2018–19	UEFA Europa League	3Q	Braga	1–1	2–2	3–3
		PO	Leipzig	0–0	2–3	2–3
2019–20	UEFA Europa League	2Q	Budućnost Podgorica	1–0	3–1	4–1
		3Q	CSKA Sofia	1–0	1–1	2–1
		PO	Espanyol	2–2	1–3	3–5
2020–21	UEFA Europa League	Group G	Braga	1–2	0–2	3rd
			Leicester City	1–0	0–3
			AEK Athens	1–4	3–0
2021–22	UEFA Europa League	PO	Rapid Wien	2–3	0–3	2–6
	UEFA Europa Conference League	Group C	Roma	0–3	0–4	3rd
			CSKA Sofia	2–0	1–0
			Bodø/Glimt	1–1	1–3
2022–23	UEFA Europa Conference League	3Q

Notes

• 1R: First round
• 2R: Second round
• 2Q: Second qualifying round
• 3Q: Third qualifying round
• PO: Play-off round

Wikimedia Commons has media related to FC Zorya Luhansk.

• Official website
• (in Russian) zarya.lg.ua – Information site of fans of FC Zarya Lugansk
• (in Russian) Unofficial website
• (in Ukrainian) "Zorya" (Dawn) of the football Luhansk-land Archived October 14, 2012, at the Wayback Machine - Information about football in Luhansk Oblast on Football Federation of Ukraine website
• (in Russian) Luhansk Our Football. Statistics, historical trivia, regional competitions overview