Spartak Vladikavkaz

FC Spartak Vladikavkaz (Russian: Футбольный клуб «Спартак Владикавказ») was a Russian football club based in Vladikavkaz (formerly Ordzhonikidze), North Ossetia–Alania. Founded in 1921, the club played in the Soviet Top League during the communist era, and won its first and only league title in the 1995 Russian Top League.

History

At the collapse of the Soviet Union, Spartak Vladikavkaz were the only non-Muscovite Russian club competing in the old Soviet Top League. This had been their second and last season in the STL. Before that the only other season they competed in the top Soviet division was in 1970.

Their most successful season was 1995 when they managed to win the Russian Premier League champions title after several years of domination by Spartak Moscow. They were the first non-Muscovite Russian club to win the title since Zenit St Petersburg won the STL in 1984. The team had previously won a silver medal for second place in 1992 and 1996. However, in the qualification stages of the UEFA Champions League Alania lost 10–3 on aggregate to the Scottish club Rangers.

However, after departure of manager Valery Gazzaev and several players from the club, Alania were not able to repeat its success, finishing in the bottom half of the table.

Previously, the club was known as Spartak Ordzhonikidze (1937–1990), Spartak Vladikavkaz (1990–1994, 2006 and from 2016), Spartak-Alania Vladikavkaz (1995–1996 and 2003), Alania Vladikavkaz (1997–2002, 2004–2005 and from 2007 to 2016).

In season 2005 Alania was relegated from Russian Premier League after 15 seasons of top-flight football.

On 14 February 2006 Alania and another First Division club, Lokomotiv Chita, were denied professional licences by Professional Football League and excluded from professional football for juridical irregularities. On 22 February PFL decided to replace Alania and Lokomotiv with Lada Togliatti and Mashuk-KMV Pyatigorsk, the runners-up in the Second Division. The Ru

This page also has a version in other languages :  Спартак-Владикавказ (russian)