Football Club Pyunik (), commonly known as Pyunik (), is an Armenian professional sports club based in the Kentron neighbourhood of Yerevan. Pyunik is mostly known for its professional football team which, since its creation in 1992, has always played in the Armenian Premier League, becoming the most successful team of Armenia in number of official titles, with 34 won to date.
Pyunik is also known to be one of the most popular football clubs in Armenia, along with Urartu, Shirak and Ararat.
Pyunik has always had a fierce rivalry with Ararat, as both clubs are considered to be the most successful clubs in Armenia, the latter due to its Soviet accomplishments. Both clubs are also the two most popular in the country and favorites within the Armenian Diaspora. Pyunik also shares a rivalry with Urartu which began when Urartu relocated from Abovyan to Yerevan in 2001, and became the third largest team in the city. The Pyunik-Urartu rivalry is seen as one of the biggest clashes in Armenian football.
Pyunik's home stadium is the Vazgen Sargsyan Republican Stadium, which is also home to the Armenia national football team. The youth academy has produced many Armenian internationals such as Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Robert Arzumanyan, Karlen Mkrtchyan, Edgar Manucharyan, Varazdat Haroyan and Gevorg Ghazaryan, many who have played or are playing for top European clubs.
International History Internationally, Pyunik has yet to win an international title, with the closest result being a bronze place finish in the 2006 Commonwealth of Independent States Cup. Pyunik's domestic success usually qualifies the team for UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League qualifying rounds.
History Pyunik was founded in 1992 by Armenian football legend Khoren Oganesian and originally named Homenetmen Yerevan.(2005) Encyclopedia of Football Head. "George - Hirair LTD", page 63. The club won the first Armenian Premier League competition held in 1992 which it shared with Shirak since both teams were tied on points. In 1995, Homenetmen Yerevan was renamed FC Pyunik (Armenian for "Phoenix"). Following the change of name, Pyunik went on to win the 1995–96 Armenian Premier League and end the season with a 59-match unbeaten streak.
In 1996, Pyunik played its first international cup match, a UEFA Europa League qualifying match against Finnish club HJK Helsinki which Pyunik won 3–1. Pyunik also won the 1996-97 Armenian Premier League securing itself another chance at qualifying for an international cup playoffs the following year.1996–97 Armenian Premier League
In 1997, Pyunik played its first UEFA Champions League qualifying match against Hungarian side MTK Budapest FC yet failed to qualify for the playoffs following a 6–3 defeat on aggregate.
1998 proved to be a crucial year for the club following the loss of its main source of funding and the subsequent departure of its main players. Pyunik finished 6th that season and withdrew from football altogether.
Pyunik secured a comeback to professional football following its absorption of FC Armenicum, a newly promoted team to the Armenian Premier League. The club's new management sought to bring more experience to the club and reinforced the squad with foreign players from Argentina, Cameroon, Mali and Romania. The reinforcements brought positive results and Pyunik went on to win the 2001 Armenian Premier League and 2002 Armenian Cup.
2002 saw Pyunik advance to the second round of the UEFA Champions League qualifying round after beating Finnish champions Tampere United 6–0 on aggregate. From 2002 forwards, Pyunik went on to win the Armenian Premier League a record of 10 times in a row, from 2001 to 2010.
On 8 January 2020, former Armenian international goalkeeper Roman Berezovsky was announced as the club's new manager. Just over 7-months later, 13 July 2020, Berezovsky left the club by mutual consent. On 20 July 2020, Artak Oseyan was announced as Pyunik's new manager, but left his role as head coach on 13 December 2020. On 7 January 2021, Yegishe Melikyan was announced as Pyunik's new manager.
In the 2022/23 season, after victories over Cluj and Dudelange, Pyunik became the first ever Armenian club to reach the third round of Champions League qualifying, where they played against former European Champions Crvena Zvezda, losing 7–0 on aggregate.
Subsequently, Pyunik dropped into the play-off round of the Europa League, where they played against the Moldovan side Sheriff Tiraspol. After two scoreless draws, Pyunik lost on penalties, thus dropping into the group stages of the Conference League, the first ever group stage appearance in a European competition for the club.
After a defeat away against Basel on the first matchday, Pyunik faced Slovan Bratislava in their first home match in Yerevan, which they won thanks to goals from Artak Dashyan and Yusuf Otubanjo. This result meant that they became the first ever Armenian team to win a game in UEFA group stage competitions.
On 31 December 2024, Pyunik released a statement stating that ownership of the club had passed from Artur Soghomonyan to Anton Farber.
Domestic history Season League Armenian Cup Top goalscorer Manager Div. Pos. Pl. W D L GS GA P Name League1992Armenian Premier League1st221732753137Runner-UpPoghos Galstyan2619934th282134802945Semi-finalGegham Hovhannisyan2619942nd2823141132447Semi-finalArsen Avetisyan3919952nd11054131819Quarter-finalArsen Avetisyan121995–961st221930711460Winner1996–971st22192167959Runner-UpArsen Avetisyan2419974th181125421635Varazdat Avetisyan1019986th266317276821Semi-final1999Club did not participate.20002001Armenian Premier League1st221723772353Semi-finalArman Karamyan21 Samvel Darbinyan20021st221921851459WinnerArman Karamyan3620031st282350871174Semi-finalGalust Petrosyan1220041st282251892571WinnerEdgar Manucharyan Galust Petrosyan2120051st201163351539Quarter-finalTigran Davtyan920061st282341862373Runner-UpArsen Avetisyan1520071st281837582257Semi-finalHenrikh Mkhitaryan1220081st2281855401859Semi-finalAlbert Tadevosyan 1020091st282053641365WinnerHenrikh Mkhitaryan1120101st282053732265WinnerGevorg Ghazaryan Marcos Pizzelli1620113rd2812106332846Quarter-finalEdgar Manucharyan82011–12 Only Cup competition was heldQuarter-final2012–134th4219617675163WinnerViulen Ayvazyan112013–146th288812413932WinnerSarkis Baloyan102014–151st281945582661WinnerCésar Romero212015–163rd281396442148Quarter-finalVardan Pogosyan92016–174th301299352745Runner-UpAlik Arakelyan6 Sargis Hovsepyan Artak Oseyan2017–185th309912374136Quarter-finalAlik Arakelyan7 Armen Gyulbudaghyants Aleksei Yeryomenko Armen Gyulbudaghyants2018–192nd321868463260Quarter-finalErik Vardanyan8 Andrei Talalayev Aleksandr Tarkhanov2019–208th228212394226Second RoundDenis Mahmudov9 Aleksandr Tarkhanov Suren Chakhalyan Roman Berezovsky2020–217th246711201825First RoundJosé Caraballo3 Artak Oseyan Yegishe Melikyan2021–221st322363522575QuarterfinalHugo Firmino16 Yegishe Melikyan2022–232nd362556722380SemifinalLuka Juričić Yusuf Otubanjo17 Yegishe Melikyan2023–241st3624102842882SemifinalYusuf Otubanjo21 Yegishe Melikyan2024–254th3017211593753SemifinalYusuf Otubanjo14 Yegishe Melikyan2025–263rd271746371855QuarterfinalMarius Noubissi Momo Yansané7 Yegishe Melikyan Artak Oseyan
Due to the 1995 season being a transitional season, there was no official winner of championship. Championship was decided by a decision game.
European history
Competition GP W D L GF GA ± UEFA Champions League 42 9 10 23 36 69 –33 UEFA Europa League / UEFA Cup 28 9 7 12 27 48 –21 UEFA Conference League 26 14 1 11 37 30 +7 Total 96 32 18 46 100 147 −47
Season Competition Round Club Home Away Aggregate 1996–97 UEFA Cup QR HJK Helsinki 3–1 2–5 (aet) 5–6 1997–98 UEFA Champions League 1Q MTK Budapest 0–2 3–4 3–6 2002–03 UEFA Champions League 1Q Tampere United 2–0 4–0 6–0 2Q Dynamo Kyiv 2–2 0–4 2–6 2003–04 UEFA Champions League 1Q KR Reykjavík 1–0 1–1 2–1 2Q CSKA Sofia 0–2 0–1 0–3 2004–05 UEFA Champions League 1Q Pobeda Prilep 1–1 3–1 4–2 2Q Shakhtar Donetsk 1–3 0–1 1–4 2005–06 UEFA Champions League 1Q Haka Valkeakoski 2–2 0–1 2–3 2006–07 UEFA Champions League 1Q Sheriff Tiraspol 0–0 0–2 0–2 2007–08 UEFA Champions League 1Q Derry City 2–0 0–0 2–0 2Q Shakhtar Donetsk 0–2 1–2 1–4 2008–09 UEFA Champions League 1Q Anorthosis Famagusta 0–2 0–1 0–3 2009–10 UEFA Champions League 2Q Dinamo Zagreb 0–0 0–3 0–3 2010–11 UEFA Champions League 2Q Partizan Belgrade 0–1 1–3 1–4 2011–12 UEFA Champions League 2Q Viktoria Plzeň 0–4 1–5 1–9 2012–13 UEFA Europa League 1Q Zeta Golubovci 0–3 2–1 2–4 2013–14 UEFA Europa League 1Q Teteks Tetovo 1–0 1–1 2–1 2Q Žalgiris Vilnius 1–1 0–2 1–3 2014–15 UEFA Europa League 1Q Astana 1–4 0–2 1–6 2015–16 UEFA Champions League 1Q Folgore 2–1 2–1 4–2 2Q Molde 1–0 0–5 1–5 2016–17 UEFA Europa League 1Q Europa FC 2–1 0–2 2–3 2017–18 UEFA Europa League 1Q Slovan Bratislava 1–4 0–5 1–9 2018–19 UEFA Europa League 1Q Vardar 1–0 2–0 3–0 2Q Tobol 1–0 1–2 2–2 (a) 3Q Maccabi Tel Aviv 0–0 1–2 1–2 2019–20 UEFA Europa League 1Q Shkupi 3–3 2–1 5–4 2Q Jablonec 2–1 0–02–1 3Q Wolverhampton Wanderers 0–4 0–4 0–8 2022–23 UEFA Champions League 1Q CFR Cluj 0–0 2–2 (aet) 2–2 (4–3 p) 2Q F91 Dudelange 0–1 4−1 4−2 3Q Red Star Belgrade 0–2 0–5 0–7 UEFA Europa League PO Sheriff Tiraspol 0–0 0–0 0–0 (2–3 p) UEFA Europa Conference League Group H Basel 1–2 1–3 3rd Slovan Bratislava 2−0 1–2 Žalgiris 2−0 1–22023–24UEFA Europa Conference League 1Q Narva Trans 2−0 3−0 5−0 2Q Kalmar FF 2−1 2−1 4−2 3Q Bodø/Glimt 0–3 0–3 0–62024–25 UEFA Champions League 1Q Dinamo Minsk 0–1 0–0 0–1UEFA Conference League 2Q Struga 3–1 1–2 4–3 3Q Ordabasy 1−0 1−0 2−0 PO Celje 1−0 1–4 2–4 2025–26 UEFA Conference League 1Q Tre Fiori 5−0 0–1 5−1 2Q Győr 2−1 1–3 3–4 2026–27 UEFA Conference League 1Q Marsaxlokk 1−0 3−0 4–0 2Q Debreceni 0–0 0–1 0−1
Kit and badge Throughout the seasons, Pyunik has predominantly worn blue and white jerseys, with a few exceptions including Pyunik's first jerseys which were orange.
Puma is the club's current kit supplier since 2019.
On 3 August 2020, Pyunik announced that Joma would be supplying the team's kit for the 2020–21 season.
Kit suppliers and shirt sponsors PeriodKit ManufacturerShirt Sponsors1992–951995–98Erima2001–02Erima/Diadora2002–03Holani2003–04Puma2004–05Holani2005–09HummelComplex2010–13Armenian Development Bank2014–17Nike2017–18Gold's Gym2018–19Umbro2019–20PumaTotoGaming2020–2022JomaVbet2022–2026Fastex2026–JogëlFastbank
Badge The club has had five different designs for its badge during its history, with the first three designs being significantly different from each other. Following the club's reappearance in 2001, Pyunik introduced its iconic logo design which included a bold letter P placed on top of a football. The club kept this design for 13 years before introducing a double-headed golden phoenix crest in 2014. This change resulted unpopular among the fans and Pyunik introduced a new badge in 2019, this time returning to its original round shape with a predominantly blue logo and a red phoenix in the center.
Stadium
Pyunik used several locations throughout its history. Between 1992 and 1998, Pyunik played at Hrazdan Stadium, Armenia's largest stadium with a capacity for 54,208 spectators.
In 2001, following the renovations works done at the Republican Stadium two years before, Pyunik relocated and played all its home matches there until 2013, with a brief interruption in 2008, when the club was forced to play at Pyunik Stadium; its training ground, due to renovation works at the Republican Stadium.
Between 2013 and 2017, the Yerevan Football Academy served as a home venue for all domestic competitions, while still using the Republican Stadium for international fixtures. At the beginning of 2017–18 Armenian Premier League season, Pyunik used the Republican Stadium as a home venue during the first half of the season, and eventually returning to their own Pyunik Stadium during the second half.