History of Spartak

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Foundation year – April 18, 1922.

Preceding Names: MCS (Moscow Coterie of Sport) – 1922, «Krasnaya Presnya» – 1923-1925, «Pischeviki» – 1926-1930, «Promcooperation» – 1931-1934, «Spartak» – with 1935.

Achievements:

- 12-fold Champions of USSR – 1936 (autumn), 1938, 1939, 1952, 1953, 1956, 1958, 1962, 1969, 1979, 1987, 1989;

- 12-fold Vice - Champions of USSR – 1937, 1954, 1955, 1963, 1968, 1974, 1980, 1981, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1991;

- 9-fold Bronze medal winner of USSR championships– 1936 (spring), 1940, 1948, 1949, 1957, 1961, 1970, 1982, 1986;

- 10-fold USSR Cup winner– 1938, 1939, 1946, 1947, 1950, 1958, 1963, 1965, 1971, 1992;

- 5-fold USSR Cup finalist – 1948, 1952, 1957, 1972, 1981;

- USSR Football Federation Cup winner-1987;

- 9-fold Russian Premier League champion – 1992, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001;

- 3-fold Russian Premier League vice- champion – 2005, 2006, 2007;

- 2-fold Bronze medal winner– 1995, 2003;

- 3-fold Russian Cup winner – 1994, 1998, 2003;

- 2-fold Russian Cup finalist – 1996, 2006;

- 6- fold Commonwealth Champions Cup Winner – 1993, 1994, 1995, 1999, 2000, 2001;

- Semifinalist of European Champions League – 1990/1991;

- Semifinalist of ECWC – 1992/1993;

- Semifinalist of UEFA Cup – 1997/1998.

MOSCOW COTERIE OF SPORT

In 1922 pro-revolutionary football clubs gave a tone to football in Moscow. Just then it was resolved to create a new worker-club which could join sportsmen who lived in Krasnaya Presnya and its suburbs. One of the authors of the idea was Ivan Timofeevitch Artemiev. He inspired with the idea a lot of at that date famous football players: Starostiny brothers, Haidin, Kvashnin, Prokofiev, Mizger and others.

The first match which was a friendly one, the new team played against a six fold champion of Moscow – Zamoskvoretsky Sport Club (ZCS). That outstanding event took place on the 18 th of April 1922 and was culminated in MKS victory by a score of 3:2. That was the birth of the club.

And the first official match took place on the 23-rd of April in an Opening Cup match. In that game MCS outplayed ZCS with a score 5:1.

In the spring championship of Moscow in 1922, MCS was included in class "B”. After the victory of all the matches in the regular championship and the first round of the absolute championship of Moscow among the winners in classes «A», «B», «C» and «D», MCS reached final where lost its game that was the match with OLLS (now cska Moscow).

In the autumn championship, MCS got the first place and after the victory over the weakest team of class «A», went upper.

FROM MCS TO PROMCOOPERATION

In 1923 MCS and their play ground went under control of Krasnopresnensk area komsomol comity. Simultaneously they got the new name – "Krasnaya Presnya” and won the spring Moscow championships of 1923/24. On June 20, 1924 new, completely reconstructed stadium "Krasnaya Presnya” was opened. And on August 8 there was the first international match. At the sight of 11 thousand spectators was out played Norway team AIF.

At the beginning of 1926, the team was transferred under the wing of the Food Products Producers Union. So, the team`s name was changed for "Pischeviki”. Also the team moved to a new arena – Stadium in honor of Tomsk Food Products Producers Union, which was built in July 1926. Now it is the well known "Young Pioneers Stadium”.

In 1931 by the decision of the All-Union Central Council of Trade Unions, the Food Products Producers Union was liquidated. As a result, "Pischeviki” changed the name for "Promcooperation”.

The 1932-1933th were the most mysterious years in the pre-Spartak history. Those days football events were not discussed in newspapers. So, it is difficult to find the reasons of the transferring of the leading players from "Promcooperation” to "Ducat” and it placed the team under the threat of the end of existence.

Tobacco factory «Ducat» was one of the biggest enterprises in Moscow and they paid serious attention to sport. The Factory sport coteries belonged to the Food Products Producers Union and the first football team was formed in 1926. In Spring 1931 «Ducat» starts its season in Krasnopresnensk Area championship, and in Autumn it plays in the second group of Moscow championship. In 1932-1933 "Ducat” plays in the group of the strongest teams and in 1934 started leaving the list of the leading Moscow clubs. In other words, "Ducat” and "Promcooperation” were the representatives of the same club: both of them belonged to the Food Products Producers Union, so the players` transferring from one team to another had centralized character.

SPARTAK. SOVIET ERA

On September 22 in 1934 the formation of a voluntary sports society "Spartak” was announced. On November 14 "Promcooperation” was changed to "Spartak”. The final decision about the creation of VSO "Spartak” was made on January 28, 1935. The first match of "Spartak” Moscow took place on the same stadium that it had been before in 1922, when the history of "Spartak” began. On April 12 in a friendly match "Spartak” Moscow outplayed "Trekhgorka” – 7:1.

In a week, on April 19, All-Union Physical Culture Union and People`s Commissar Council confirmed the statute of Voluntary Sport Community (VSC) "Spartak” (enactment №45) Also, were approved such things as: the community rules, emblem and uniform colors: red football jerseys with a white cross stripe on front and back, 8,5 sm. Wide. The new football team got a sport centre in Tarasovka, which field was opened on July 18 in a friendly match with "Spartak” from Pavlovsky Posad. All the football structure was called The Central Football School "Spartak”. The director of the structure in 1934 was Nicolay Petrovich Starostin.

The emblem and the name of Spartak Moscow were invented by the founding father Nicolay Starostin. This is how the story of Spartak foundation describes his brother Andrei Starostin:

«I am ready to assert in any committee that the name appeared suddenly after the many altercations. He saw the book by Giovagnoli and maybe thought: "that is what we need – Spartak!” Everyone agreed quickly, as Spartak - the hero of gladiators, possessed all the features, that the real modern sportsman must posses».

Before the first start of the team in the USSR Championship some serious changes of directions were made. Nicolay Starostin became the director of Spartak, and Ivan Fillipov became the team manager. During the gathering in Sukhumi the team trained Mikhail Kozlov and before the spring championship, Spartak got a new coach from Chech Republic-Antonin Fivebr, who had an experience of coaching in Italy and Spain.

The debut in the new tournament was crushed – Spartak lost cska 0:3. This Spring championship finished on the third position. During the break between the spring and autumn championships, the Red-White took part in USSR cup, where they lost in the ¼ of final to Dynamo Tbilisi.

Before the autumn championship started Mikhail Kozlov took the team management over as the Czech coach left for Leningrad. And after one defeat in seven matches, Spartak became the winner of the autumn championship. We`ve got the first champion's title!

In 1938 and 1939 the Red-White played amazingly, they won both championships and the USSR Cups.

On June 22, 1941 Moscowites were to play in Leningrad with the local Spartak. The war began. The teams manager and ex-goalkeeper Ivan Filippov and the coach Petr Popov went to the front. Both of them, like Vladislav Zhmelkov, getting a medal "For Courage ” and an Order of Fame of third degree, finished the war in 1945 in Berlin. On the war fields fell two Spartak players: Anatoly Velichkin and Stepan Kustylkin.

During the war Spartak won a championship and a Cup of Moscow.

In 1949 two young players joined Spartak – Igor Netto and Nikita Simonyan, and in 1948 – Alexei Paramonov – great outstanding players of SM.

The flash of the team started in the season of 1952 that year Spartak won golden medals, but in the USSR cup final they lost Torpedo 0:1. Next year Spartak players became the best team in the USSR, then lost just 2 matches out of 25. Wow! We are fivefold champions of the USSR!

During the following 5 years Spartak won 2 sets of golden medals twice they won silver medals and once – bronze. Also in 1958 they won USSR cup.

By the way on the Olympic Games in Melbourne the «golden» national team of USSR was based on Spartak players. Such as: Tishenko, Ogonkov, Netto, Paramonov, Maslenkin, Salnikov, Tatushin, Ilin, Isaev and Simonyan.

It took Spartak 4 years before they became the champion again (in 1962). And in 1963 together with the silver medals they won USSR Cup.

In 1966 there was a significant event in the history of Spartak - the team made a debut in ECWC. It happened due to the gaining the USSR cup in 1965. After the victory in 1/16 under OFK (6:1) in the next round Spartak relinquished "Rapid” from Austria 1:1 in a home game and 0:1 in a guest game.

The first European pancake was not lumpy. In 1969 Spartak under the direction of the best shooter in the history Nikity Simonyan Spartak became the champion of the USSR, thus they got the opportunity to take part in the European Champions Cup.

In 1974 the team achieved second place in the Championship and then the «black years» of Spartak became. In 1975 – 10-th place, 1976 (spring) – 14-th, 1976 (autumn) – 15-th. As a result the strongest and the most titled club came down to the 1st league (once in his history). So to say, in 1976 the potential head coach of Spartak Oleg Romantsev made a debut.

In 1977, in the line of duty of the Spartak`s coach was invited Konstantin Beskov – the greatest Soviet coach. The courage of the action that the director Nicolay Starostin with his brother Andrei made - amazes. As Beskov was the real part of Dynamo – the historical opponent of Spartak.

The teams lines up had to be rearranged completely, so many new players joined the team giving a spell to the previous season’s failure. The most genius purchase of Beskov`s were Sergey Shavlo, Georgy Yartsev, Yuri Gavrilov.

Amazingly, but thanks to its game, Spartak gathered even more supporters than the other clubs did in the Premier League. Such an attendance meant that people believed in their team even in its difficult times. Almost everyone understood: Spartak is in a formative stage. For, it is as easy to destroy the team in half a year as difficult to restore it.

The ticket to the high life Spartak got when it were two tour left. The small golden medals were the honest award for the team, which almost found itself. And the matter was not just in the certain coming back to the company of the best, but in the appearance of the game itself. The Red-White did not use so called "guest model” and played with the only wish –to win.

The year 1978 was famous for the building of foundation of the future success and domination in the Soviet and Russian football up to 2001 year. In 1978 firstly played for Spartak young Fyodor Cherenkov- the alive legend of Spartak. Having finished that championship on fifth place, in the following season already Spartak won golden medals, despite all the prejudices.

Since that year «Spartak» had become the awesome power both in Soviet Union and in Europe. The teams result proved that: during 10 seasons (1979-1989) the Red-White won four championships, five times won the silver medals and twice-the bronze. That was an amazing result, considering the power of the Soviet championship.

In 1980 «Spartak» started its unique successful streak, taking part in European cups for 25 years at a run interchanging great games with not very good ones.

The year 1988 came to an end together with the victory in a Country cup and retirement of Konstantin Beskov out of misunderstanding between the coach and Nicolay Starostin. In that very year Rinat Dasaev was called the best goalkeeper of the world.

In 1989 the era of Oleg Romantsev in "Spartak” began. The young coach being at the head of the team won the championship at once, that was the thing, nobody could expect at the beginning of the season. The destiny of the golden medals was made or broke in the match against Dynamo Kiev, where Spartak players wrested out the victory on the second additional minute of the match, due to the scored free kick of Valery Shmarov. That goal still refers to one of the best goals in Spartak history.

In 1990 «Spartak» was just on fifth position, but in the European Champions Cup 1990/91 reached semifinal –the highest achievement of the team in Europe under USSR. On the way Moscowites outplayed "Napoli” headed by Diego Maradona and Real Madrid.

The latest championship of USSR, the Red-White finished on the second place, trailing cska Moscow by two points.

SPARTAK. THE ERA OF RUSSIA. 10 YEARS OF TRIUMPH.

In 1992 «Spartak» became the first champion of Russia, the latest USSR Cup winner and reached the semi-final of ECWC, where they lost to Belgium "Antverpen”, in spite of the fact that Spartak was the main pretender to the victory in the tournament. Simultaneously Spartak outplayed «Liverpool» – 4:2 at home and 2:0 on a visit. Since that season the club joined Andrei Tikhonov – the great player and favorite of Spartak`s fans.

During the following 10 years, «Spartak» gained 8 more champion titles (getting lower just twice the bronze medals in 1995 and 2002) and became the most titled Russian club. And in 1997/98 they reached the semifinal of UEFA cup.

In the European Champions League 1995/96 «Spartak» achieved the unique result – 6 victories in 6 matches in the group stage. That very season was the first one for Egor Titov – the potential captain and devisee of the greatest traditions of Spartak`s football.

THE BLACK PERIOD

Being the champions of Russia for the last time in 2001, Spartak finished the following season with bronze medals, combining successful and ineffectual matches together. There were a lot of incomprehensible legionnaires. Some of them failed to play at least a game for Spartak, disappearing somewhere after a while. The team was being ruined by eye and the new president Andrei Chervichenko (headed up the club in 2000) became a synonym to "misfortune” During his management the team spent the most humiliating euro company. In the European Champions League-2001/02 «Spartak» lost all 6 matches with 18 let in goals against jus 1 scored and this result is an "anti-record” of European Champions League.

In 2003 and 2004 «Spartak» takes 10th and 8th places- this is the worst result of the Red-White in Russian history. The only white spot was the victory over Rostov in the Russian Cup final (1:0) That match was the last in the career of Oleg Romantsev. He was fired after the quarrel with Chervichenko.

UNSUCCESSFUL RENAISSANCE ATTEMPT

In 2005 Leonid Fedun became the new owner of FC Spartak. Under his ownership, the results of the team progressed with the following events: the return of Spartak’s legend Dmitry Alenichev (winner of the UEFA cup and the Champions League), silver medals in the national championship in 2005, 2006 and 2007, finals in the Russian cup in 2006 (having missed the gold just by a tiny bit), the return to the European cups.

However, the policies practiced by the club, especially on the transfer market, still didn’t let the club occupy the place in Russia and Europe, where they belong. Activities undertaken by the management of the team face fierce protests by the veterans and the fans of the team.