FC Vitebsk

FC Vitebsk (Belarusian: ФК Віцебск, FK Viciebsk) is a Belarusian football club based in Vitebsk. The club plays in the Belarusian Premier League, the top division in Belarusian football. Their home stadium is Vitebsky Central Sport Complex.

History

The club was founded in 1960 as Krasnoye Znamya Vitebsk (Red Flag Vitebsk). They began playing in Soviet Class B (second-tier league) the same year. After three seasons, they relegated to the third tier. Vitebsk team would spend almost all of their subsequent Soviet-era seasons playing at the third level (Soviet Second League), with the exception of 1970 and 1990, when the team dropped to 4th level. The club went through several name changes. In 1963, they were renamed Dvina Vitebsk after local river. In 1985, the club was renamed Vityaz Vitebsk and in 1989 it was renamed KIM Vitebsk (both names relate to local industry companies).

In 1992 KIM joined Belarusian Premier League. During the 90s KIM (later renamed Dvina Vitebsk again in 1994 and Lokomotiv-96 Vitebsk in 1996) was one of the league top teams. They were league runners-up in 1992–93 and 1994–95, finished third in 1993–94 and 1997 and also won the Belarusian Cup in 1998. Since the 2000s, the club's results declined. They have relegated to the First League several times and promoted back and were never able to fight the title in later years. In 2003, they shortened their name to Lokomotiv Vitebsk and in 2006 to the current version, FC Vitebsk.

Name changes

• 1960: founded as Krasnoye Znamya Vitebsk
• 1963: renamed Dvina Vitebsk
• 1985: renamed Vityaz Vitebsk
• 1989: renamed KIM Vitebsk
• 1994: renamed Dvina Vitebsk
• 1996: renamed Lokomotiv-96 Vitebsk
• 2003: renamed Lokomotiv Vitebsk
• 2006: renamed Vitebsk

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