FC Metalist Kharkiv

History

The team was founded on 11 December 1925 as KhPZ, after a local locomotive construction facility (Kharkiv Steam-locomotive Factory, today the Malyshev Factory) provided funding and allowed use of its land to start a football club. A factory team called Parovoznik had existed since 1922. The Traktor Stadium (today Metalist Stadium) opened in September 1926, built on a directive of Anastas Mikoyan by workers of the Lokomotive Factory. After the opening, KhPZ met Dnipropetrovsk's city team, tying 2–2 with 8,000 spectators.

In August 1927 the stadium hosted the Ukrainian Spartakiade final stage. The club won the Kharkiv city championship in 1935, entering the USSR Cup the following season. After World War II, the factory team joined the Dzerzhinets sports society, resumed local competitions, and promoted to the Second Group in 1947 but was demoted three seasons later. In the first post-war decade it was overshadowed by city rival FC Lokomotyv Kharkiv.

In 1956, as Avanhard, it replaced Lokomotyv in the Soviet Second League B, promoting to the Soviet First League in 1958 and to the Soviet Top League in 1960. The club stayed in the Top League for four seasons, was demoted in 1963, and continued declining to the Second League. Metalist sustained ten seasons in the Top League, winning the Soviet Cup in 1988 by beating Torpedo Moscow 2–0 and reaching the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup last sixteen, beating Borac Banja Luka and losing to Roda JC.

Did You Know?

• The club won the Soviet Cup in 1988, beating Torpedo Moscow 2–0, and had been runner-up in 1983, losing 1–0 to Shakhtar Donetsk.
• At the time of its dissolution in 2016, Metalist owed €32 million in salary to players, including €5 million to Cleiton Xavier.
• After the original club ceased operations in 2016, two new clubs were created in Kharkiv with variations of the Metalist name: SK Metalist Kharkiv and FC Metalist 1925 Kharkiv.