FC Desna Chernihiv


FC Desna Chernihiv is a Ukrainian football club based in Chernihiv.
The original name of the club was "Avanhard" during its first year of existence. Between 1961–70 the club was called Desna. In 1972 it was replaced with SC Chernihiv that played in Chernihiv for the next couple of years. In 1977 Desna was revived now in place of the amateur club "Khimik Cherhihiv" that won regional competitions.
After the completion of the 2009–10 Ukrainian First League the club failed attestation and the PFL withdrew their license. However, the club was reformed with new management as "Sporting Football Club" Desna Chernihiv and was readmitted in the Ukrainian Second League.
On 27 May 2018, the team got promoted to the Ukrainian Premier League for the first time in their history.
The original team colours were blue shirts, blue shorts, blue socks.

History

Original team of masters Avanhard Chernihiv

The team of masters was established in Chernihiv in 1960 under the name "Avanhard" as part of the republican Avanhard sports society and entering competitions of the class "B" competitions. That year the Chernihiv team "Avanhard" would take part in the state football championship among the Class B teams. The team was created on already existing Chernihiv city team that also was known as Avanhard and played earlier in republican level competitions.
In the season 1958, “Avanhard Chernihiv”, signed Viktor Bannikov for one year, considered one of the best goalkeepers in the Soviet Union earning the title of the best twice in 1964 and 1970 and distinguished Master of Sport of USSR. From 1966 to 1979 the goalkeeper was Yuriy Hruznov from Chernihiv.
In the “Avanhard Chernihiv”'s squad were included better footballers of the region. Among them are goalkeeper V.Lomako, field players V.Kravchynskyi, Yu.Shkolnikov, O.Finkelberh, and others", in such way the chairman of regional council of sports societies and organizations V.Tatur informed readers of "Desnyanska Pravda" on 10 February 1960. "The team's coach is appointed a former Dynamo Kyiv player Aleksandr Shchanov. These days "Avanhard" will proceed with its training and in already the nearest future in Chernihiv will start reconstruction and upgrade of the city's stadium. In its construction will take part quite a few city residents, public, youth, and Komsomol activists". Over 26 seasons in the USSR championships, Desna played 1,099 matches, of which 380 won, 301 - tied and 418 - lost. They scored 1145 goals, conceded - 1251.
In February, “Avanhard Chernihiv” took part in the winter championship of the Chernihiv Oblast, and the team played their first official match on April 17, 1960 in Kirovohrad against the “Zirka”. The next match, “Avanhard” held a draw with Kievan “Arsenal”, and then lost at its home field to “Lokomotiv” out of Vinnytsia with a score of 0: 6. In May 1960, Aleksandr Shchanov was dismissed. The duties of a head coach were performed by his assistant Anatoliy Zhigan, who was approved in this position in July 1960. In its first season in the USSR championship, the team took 16th place out of 17 teams in the 1st zone of the Ukrainian Class B class and won relegation playoff against Avanhard Pryluky to stay in the league.

Name Change from “Avanhard Chernihiv” to "FC Desna Chernihiv"

In 1961 the team received the name "Desna". According to the results of the 1961 season, Desna took the 5th place in its group and the 10th place in the final of the Ukrainian SSR. Among all the Ukrainian teams of the championship of the USSR Chernihiv team was the 13th.
In 1962, the team was coached by Yevgeny Goryansky and in 1965 Desna achieved its highest achievement in the Soviet Union era. Defeating six opponents, including class "A" teams - "Shinnik" and "Neftçi", the team reached the 1/8 finals of the USSR Cup, where they lost to "Kairat" in Almaty with a score 3:4. The following season, the team fought for leadership in the first zone of the Ukrainian class "B" - the winners were given the right to fight for securing the second group of the "A" class. "Desna" skipped forward only Khmelnitsky "Dynamo", and in the overall standings took the 4th place in the championship of the Ukrainian SSR.
In 1968, Desna, taking fourth place in the final tournament of the best Ukrainian teams of the "B" class, won a ticket to the second group of the "A" class. At the end of the 1970 season, the team took 11th place among 22 teams, but at the end of the year the decision of the new head of the Chernihiv region was to disband the club. In 1972 the city of Chernihiv was represented by a football team called the "team of Chernihiv city" and later renamed as SC Chernihiv. The team represented the Armed Forces of Kiev Military District and better known as SKA Kiev. The 1976 season was its last season at professional level.
At the same period of time in 1976 "Khimik" Chernihiv, led by the former player of the Desna, Yukhym Shkolnykov, won the Ukrainian SSR championship among the physical culture teams, thus gaining an opportunity to participate at professional level, the Soviet Second League. In 1977 "Desna", the composition of which was formed from the former players of "Khimik" Chernihiv, entered the Soviet Second League. In the 1982 season, the team, placed 2nd in the Ukrainian zone of the Second League, won silver medals of the football championship of the Ukrainian SSR.
In the season 1981–1982 Oleh Kuznetsov, played for FC Desna Chernihiv, later he played for Dynamo Kyiv, Rangers, Maccabi Haifa and CSKA-Borysfen Kyiv. He won with UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, Soviet Top League, Soviet Cup. Scottish Premier Division, Scottish League Cup, Scottish Cup with Rangers. He got the final with Soviet Union in UEFA Euro 1988 in the West Germany with 11th and 17th places for Ballon d'Or in 1988 and 1989.
In summer 1982, the club signed Oleksandr Ryabokon, the defender and then later he will be appointed as Head Coach in 2008–2009. In 1983-1984 the team was coached by the experience of Yevgeny Goryansky having coached Soviet Union and clubs like FC Dinamo Minsk, FC Dynamo Moscow, FC Dynamo Kyiv and FC Zenit Leningrad.
From 1985–1986 another coach was Mykhaylo Fomenko. In 1990 he got into the semifinal of Cup of the Ukrainian SSR against Naftovyk Okhtyrka. In 1991 he got into the quaterfinal of Cup of the Ukrainian SSR against Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih.

Transition from Soviet competitions to Ukrainian

After the collapse of the Soviet Union and the proclamation of Ukraine's independence, Desna started playing in the Ukrainian First League, but in the season 1993/94 it was relegated to the third tier. The coach was Yuriy Hruznov from 1990 to 1993 and the club won the Ukrainian Second League group tournament in the season 1996–97, the team returned to the First League for two seasons. Since 1999, for seven seasons, Chernihiv footballers performed in the Second League. In the Summer 2003, the club acquired the Serbia defender Milan Zagorac and the coach was Vadym Lazorenko from 2002 to 2004. Desna got second in the Ukrainian Second League with Oleksandr Kozhemiachenko top scores with 20 goals and in the season 2005–06 finally won the and Ukrainian Second League and the club return the team to the Ukrainian First League in the season 2006–07. First League in the championship of 2005/06 mentors Olexandr Tomakh and Yukhym Shkolnykov were managed.
In summer time 2006, FC Desna signed the professional Forward Andriy Yarmolenko, who played for who played for FC Dynamo Kyiv, Borussia Dortmund and now plays for West Ham United F.C.. He also played for under-21 squad for also participated in the 2008 UEFA European Under-19 Championship qualification. He later participated in qualification and finals of the 2011 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship. With the Ukraine National Team, in the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification game against Andorra, Yarmolenko made his first senior appearance for Ukraine and scored in a 5–0 win. On 2 September 2011, in an international friendly against Uruguay in Kharkiv, Yarmolenko set a national team record by scoring 14 seconds into the match, the fastest time in which a Ukraine national team player has scored a goal. UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying, play-off victory over Slovenia to qualify the nation for Euro 2016.
In the 2007/08 season Desna took the 4th place in the Ukrainian First League, which at that time was the best result of the team in the Ukrainian championship. In November 2008 the club's president Oleksiy Savchenko announced that he sold 50% of the club's stock for 10 million hryvnias and the club's co-owner became Ukrainian parliamentarian of Party of Regions Pavlo Klymets who was the owner of "Olimp" company specializing in production of vodka. After the end of the 2009/10 season Desna was deprived of professional status due to the fact that it did not pass the certification, but the new authority managed to revive the team and declare it in the Second League. In the season 2011–12, the coach was Oleksandr Deriberin that brought the club at the second place in Ukrainian Second League and gained the playoff.

First Cup Quaterfinal and promotion to Premier League

In the 2012–13 season Desna won the Ukrainian Second League title and rose in the class. Following the results of the championship of 2013/14 the team took the 5th position in the First League. In the Ukrainian Cup in the season 2013-14, the team for the first time in history reached the quarter finals, having beaten "Metalurh" Zaporizhya on its field. In the match 1/4 finals with the "Shakhtar" "Desna" lost with a score of 0:2. The coach Oleksandr Ryabokon was elected best coach of the Ukrainian First League in the season 2016–17.
In the summer 2016, the club signed the striker Oleksandr Filippov, from FC Avanhard Kramatorsk and in 2016/17 season Desna won the silver medals of the First League and for the first time in history gained the right to compete in the Premier League.
However, on 1 June 2017, it was announced that Desna was denied in receiving license to play in the top division. The argument was that the club is not able to provide guarantees for an adequate financing of infrastructure. In reality, the problem was not only in half-shady financial irregularities, but also shady ownership of the club. The license was received by NK Veres Rivne, the third-placed team during the last season in the second-tier division.
Both clubs FC Desna Chernihiv and NK Veres Rivne did not play at their home stadiums in the 2016–17 Ukrainian First League. The first one played in Kiev at the Obolon Arena, while the other one played in Varash, at the Izotop Stadium of the Rivne Nuclear Power Plant. The administration of Desna released a letter of protest before a meeting of FFU representative. On 2 June 2017, it was announced about the final composition of the clubs and calendar for the upcoming season. In summer 2017 FC Desna signed Temur Partsvania that in 2009 he won the 2009 UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship with Ukraine-19.
the new striker of FC Desna Chernihiv since 2016
In October 2017 the club's president Aleksei Chebotarev resigned for being wanted by the Ukrainian law enforcement and ran from Ukraine, the club's ownership was passed to Volodymyr Levin Illich. In particular, the former president is in suspicion to be involved in organization of crime groups that were involved in killing and kidnappings during the Euromaidan events in Kiev in fall-winter of 2013-14. Some followers of football were pointing out that the club was proudly demonstrating the club's supervisory board without showing any information about the club's owner, three members out of 14 were also current members of the UAF Executive Committee including Hennadiy Prokopovych and Artem Frankov as well as the president of the Ukrainian PFL Serhiy Makarov.
According to the results of the 2017/18 season Desna won the bronze medals of the First League and gained the right to compete in the Premier League through the play-offs against Zirka Kropyvnytskyi. The captain Denys Favorov was elected Best Player Ukrainian First League in the season 2017–18. The team got into the Quarterfinals of the Ukrainian Cup in the season 2017-18 against Dynamo Kyiv.

Europa League third qualifying round

In 2018 the club signed the experienced golkeeper Yevhen Past and in January 2020 the Estonian international experience Joonas Tamm and the club during the season 2019-20 got again into the Quarterfinals of the Ukrainian Cup for the second time of the history of the club.
In Premier League in the season 2019–20, Desna got the 4th place, through the play-offs for the Championship round table, winning also against club like Dynamo Kyiv in Kiev at the NSC Olimpiyskiy on 15 September 2019 for 1-2.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Ukraine and based on resolutions of the Cabinet of Ukraine and the UAF Executive Committee, on 11 March 2020 the UPL adopted a decision to conduct games of the league's championship as well as under-21 and under-19 championships without spectators until 3 April 2020.
FC Desna Chernihiv, started the play-offs for the Championship round table, the 15th March 2020 with Dynamo Kyiv in Kiev drawing drawing 1-1 at the NSC Olimpiyskiy. Due to pandemic situation worldwide, the League was temporally suspended.
The play-off started again the 30th of May 2020 and FC Desna Chernihiv won away 0-2 against FC Kolos Kovalivka and 5-1 away against FC Oleksandriya on 14th June 2020. Next match Desna lost 3-2 against Shakhtar Donetsk the 6 June 2020. Desna made incredible performance winning 5-1 away against FC Oleksandriya the 15 of June 2020. On 21th June 2020, the club lost 1-2 at home against Zorya Luhansk and one week later FC Desna won 3-2 at home against Dynamo Kyiv in an incredible match. On 5th of July 2020 the club won 5-1 at home against FC Kolos Kovalivka.
Wednesday 8th July 2020, Desna qualified matematically for the Europa League third qualifying round, for the first time in the history of the Club since 1960, following the victory of the Ukrainian Cup by Dynamo Kyiv against Vorskla Poltava and beling the third best attach and the third best defence in the season.

Stadium and facilities

The team play in the Olympic sports training center "Chernihiv". The Stadion Yuri Gagarin in Chernihiv was built in 1936 for 3,000 spectators in eastern portion of a city park that exists since 1804 and where previously was located residence of the Chernihiv Archbishops. During World War II, the Chernihiv Stadium was heavily damaged and in the 1950s was completely reconstructed, included stadium walls and two stands for 11,000 spectators. In 1961, it was named after the Russian Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin. On 25 May 1964, Gagarin in person attended the stadium. In the mid 1980s, the stadium capacity was increased to 14,000.

Desna's Supportes

The fans of FC Desna Chernihiv called "Ultra Desna" are quite famous for supporting and following their team, at home and away. When the team enter in the stadium they can expect a warm welcome by their fans. The fans they always support the team until the end of every single match. During FC Desna Chernihiv matches, the fan area is a strip of white and blue colors. On 12 March 2020 during the Quarterfinal match against Vorskla Poltava, the match was played behind closed doors due to quarantine in Ukraine during COVID-19 pandemic and "Ultra Desna" supported the team outside the Stadion Yuri Gagarin. They are also active in many social media like the Russian-based Telegram Channel.

Honours and distinctions

Crest

The crest of the club, which was created in early 2008 contained an image of an eagle from the coat of arms of Chernihiv and a sign of Chernihiv prince Mstyslav Volodymyrovych.
The modern crest, made in the traditional white and blue colors of the Desna, was presented on July 27, 2016. In the development of the emblem the fans of the team took part. On the shield is a stylized eagle - the main element of the city coat of arms of Chernihiv. The image of the eagle was used as a symbol of Chernihiv princes from the middle of the 10th century. The golden cross, which holds the eagle, symbolizes the importance of Christianity in the history of the city, one of the main spiritual centers of Ukraine. Vertical blue and white stripes on the emblem are based on the form in which the players of the Desna have been playing since 1962. The inscription "Desna" is made in a font that was used on the previous emblems of the club.
There are old crests of the club:

Colours

The historical colors of the Desna are white and blue. In the season of 1961, for the basic set of the form, white and blue colors were used, for the reserve set - green-blue. In a friendly match against the Stockholm Hammarby on October 22, 1961, the players of the Desna appeared on the field wearing red T-shirts and blue shorts.

Players

Current squad

Out on loan

Personnel

Notable players

Top scorers

#PlayerCareerGoals Pct.
1Andriy Protsko1966–1970 & 1977–198057
2Oleksandr Filippov201647
3Yukhym Shkolnykov1963-196844
4Yevhen Chepurnenko2012–2014 & 2015-201738
5Mykola Lytvyn1981 & 1986–198927
6Yehor Kartushov201225
7Dmytro Kolodin2005–200724
8Denys Favorov201624
9Vitaliy Havrysh2003–200617
10Denys Bezborodko2017–201914

Most capped players

#NameCareerCapsGoals
1Serhiy Sapronov1979–1984 & 1987–1992 & 1996–2000474
2Hennadiy Horshkov1977–1979 & 1980–1987385112
3Valeriy Kravchinskiy1960–19703833
4Andriy Protsko1966–1970 & 1977–198031857
5Volodymyr Avramenko1991–200431459
6Oleksandr Kozhemyachenko1999-2011310128
7Valentyn Buhlak1981–1992277
8Oleksandr Savenchuk1993–2004275
9Viktor Rudoy1980-1999269
10Ihor Bobovych1993-200726750

Managers and presidents

Soviet period

Ukraine

PresidentCitizenshipPeriod
Ivan FedoretsJanuary 1994—1997
Arkadiy Rynskyi1997 — 1998
Volodymyr Khomenko1998 — 1999
Ivan ChausSeptember 1999 — August 2007
:uk:Савченко Олексій Юрійович|Oleksiy SavchenkoAugust 2007—2008
Pavlo Klymets
Valeriy KorotkovFebruary — May 2009
Oleksandr PovorozniukMay 2009—2010
Yuriy Tymoshok2010 — 2012
Oleksiy Chebotaryov2010 — 2017
Volodymyr Levin Illich2017—present

League and cup history

Soviet Union

Ukraine

1 tier - 2 seasons

2 tier - 4 seasons + 14 seasons

3 tier - 20 seasons + 13 seasons

4 tier - 2 seasons

European record

Desna qualified for European football for the first time in the 2020–21 season, where it will make the debut in the Europa League.