FC Metalurh Zaporizhzhia

MFC Metalurh Zaporizhzhia (Ukrainian: Футбольний клуб «Металург» Запоріжжя [metɐˈlurɦ zɐpoˈr(j)iʒːɐ]) is a Ukrainian professional football club based in Zaporizhzhia. Reestablished in 2017, it is a "phoenix club" of the original Soviet factory team Metalurh that existed in 1935–2016. The original club holds several historical records of the Soviet football, particularly while participating in the Soviet second tier (in 1971–1991 known as Pervaya Liga). The club has the highest number of seasons spent in the Soviet second tier as well as the highest number of tournament points it earned. The club also is a three-times champion of Ukrainian republican competitions.

Following dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 and until 2015 the club was a member of the Ukrainian top tier and on couple of occasions competed at European club competitions representing Ukraine.

In 2015, the original club went bankrupt and in 2016 the Ukrainian Premier League finally removed it from its competitions. In 2016, it was announced that another amateur club from Zaporizhzhia (FC Rosso-Nero Zaporizhzhia) has officially changed its name to FC Metalurh Zaporizhzhia and intends to start participation at the Ukrainian Amateur Football League the same year.

In 2018, the Rosso-Nero's Metalurh was denied license for professional league competitions, while the city-sponsored club was admitted to the Second League.

With Metalurh–Rosso Nero already competing, in May 2017 the mayor of Zaporizhzhia decided to form a separate city club which was formed based on the existing Metalurh sports school of Olympic Reserve. On 31 May 2017 the Zaporizhzhia city council approved the mayor's initiative and created the city's club Metalurh Zaporizhzhia. On proposition of the Rosso-Nero's Metalurh to merge, the newly created club refused.

This page also has a version in other languages :  Металлург Запорожье (russian)