FC Helios Kharkiv is a Ukrainian football club located in Kharkiv, Ukraine. From 2003 to 2018 the club competed at professional level. In 2018 it was expected to be succeeded by FC Kobra Kharkiv, but unsuccessfully. FC Helios dissolved its professional team, but kept its football academy which competes at regional level.

Helios Kharkiv
Full nameFC Helios Kharkiv
Founded2002
GroundHelios Arena, Kharkiv
Capacity2,057
ChairmanOleksandr Hellstein
LeagueChampionship of Kharkiv[1]
201910th

History

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Helios Kharkiv

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FC Helios was founded in December 2002 by Oleksandr Hellstein. The club was named after Helios. The team quickly progressed through amateur competitions including the Kharkiv Aviation Institute tournament and Amateur Championship of Ukraine and in 2003 the club advanced to play in the Druha Liha C. After finishing the 2004–05 Druha Liha C season with a record of 25 wins, 2 ties, and only one loss, Helios advanced to the Persha Liha.

On 13 June 2018, FC Helios Kharkiv received license in participation of the 2018–19 Ukrainian First League.[2][3]

Kobra Kharkiv

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2018 logo, as FC Kobra Kharkiv.

On 5 July 2018, in news media it was announced that the place of FC Helios Kharkiv will play in the 2018–19 Ukrainian First League FC Kobra Kharkiv, while the new club's legal address will remain of Helios.[4] The following replacement was initially intended to be as the "Veres Rivne – Lviv swap".[4] On 9 July 2018, the PFL press service announced that Helios Kharkiv is finishing the process of changing its name to Kobra Kharkiv, under which it is going to compete in the First League and playing at the Helios Arena.[5] Nonetheless on 18 July 2018, when the president of PFL Serhiy Makarov was asked about Kobra Kharkiv due to lack of information about the prospective project, he answered that the PFL is constantly in communication with the leadership of Helios and potential new owners.[6] Makarov noted that agreement was not yet reached, but new leadership confirmed its intentions to develop the club.[6]

On 28 July 2018, all of sudden the PFL press service announced that Kobra will play MFC Mykolaiv at Sonyachny Stadium instead of Helios Arena as the PFL informed before.[7]

On 9 August 2018, in news media appeared information that the club would be withdrawing from competitions as the new prospective owners do not hurry to accept the ownership of the club, while there are rumors that all its administrative and playing staff has already left the club.[8] Following that news statement, the Kobra club president Serhiy Vashchenko held a briefing at the House of Football where he refuted the information about the club's withdrawal stating that the club has not been, is not, and won't be withdrawing.[9]

On 21 August 2018, more clarification about the whole Kobra Kharkiv affair in the First League was provided by the president of original Kobra Kharkiv Serhiy Vashchenko after de facto withdrawal who stated,[10] "What depended on me, I did.[10] The club was ready to go and host games.[10] But I am not the owner of football club Kobra that earlier was Helios.[10] I do not run the club.[10] If someone was telling tales about the stadium in Kharkiv was inaccessible to us because we owe everybody, that is a lie.[10] Let those people say it to my eyes.[10] We were ready to host that Hirnyk-Sport at Sonyachnyi Stadium.[10] The rent was already prepaid.[10] But Helshtein gave a letter to the PFL that Kobra cannot host the game.[10] Then he sent another letter that Kobra cannot leave for the game with Zirka.[10] You understand better that if two times we do not appear for a game, we automatically being withdrawn."[10] Vashchenko also noted that transition of the club was not yet finished due to disagreement on few issues (We with Helshtein have an agreement in financial field. Yet those issues we did not resolve. I think, we won't resolve them. He has own position, and I have mine).[10]

After playing only three games in the First League, the newly renamed Helios (Kobra) finally withdrew completely by default,[11][12] while the original Kobra Kharkiv continues to play in the Kharkiv Oblast championship[13][14] and entered the 2018–19 Ukrainian Football Amateur League.[15] Later in 2018 the amateur squad Kobra Kharkiv also withdrew from competitions.

In relations to withdrawal of Kobra (former Helios) from competitions of the First League, the Professional Football League of Ukraine filed documents against Serhiy Vashchenko to the Football Federation of Ukraine Control and Disciplinary Committee (FFU CDC). The FFU CDC adopted decision to close the case for the lack of requirements to review the case and passed the documents to the FFU Committee of Ethics and Fair play for further review.[16]

Helios-Akademiya Kharkiv

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In addition to all, the junior squad of Helios, Helios-Akademiya, that competes in regional competitions since 2011,[17] changed its name to Helios Kharkiv in August 2018.[13][14]

Colors and badge

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FC Helios Kharkiv's colors are red, black and white and gold.

Stadiums

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Helios-Arena, Kharkiv (formerly Arsenal-Bavaria Stadium)
 
Sonyachny Stadium

From its foundation the club has been playing at the KhTZ Stadium and in 2006-2008 at the Dynamo Stadium.

In 2008 the club was temporarily relocated to the Hazovyk Stadium in Krasnokutsk when the Dynamo Stadium was contracted by FC Kharkiv and put for renovation. For the Ukrainian First League 2009-10 season Helios relocated back to Kharkiv and рlayed at the Arsenal-Bavaria Stadium. The former owner of the facility, Arsenal Kharkiv moved to the Arsenal-Spartak Stadium.[18] In July 2009 the Arsenal-Bavaria was renamed as Helios-Arena.[19]

From 2012 to 2017 the home ground of Helios was Sonyachny Stadium.

In 2017 Helios moved back to the Helios-Arena and Sonyachny Stadium became a reserve home ground of the club.[20] Located in a neighborhood Nova Bavaria, the Helios Arena is one of the oldest city's stadiums originally known as the Rope Factory Stadium.

Last squad

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As of 10 May 2022[21]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK   UKR Denys Sydorenko
5 DF   UKR Serhiy Loboyko (captain)
8 MF   UKR Vitaliy Subochev
9 FW   UKR Oleksandr Lebedenko
10 MF   UKR Anton Kicha
11 FW   UKR Denys Oliynyk
15 MF   UKR Ivan Bykov
16 FW   UKR Vadym Abelentsev
17 FW   UKR Serhiy Kravchenko
18 MF   UKR Dmytro Hrankin
No. Pos. Nation Player
19 MF   UKR Ihor Koshman
20 MF   UKR Ihor Lutsenko
21 GK   UKR Serhiy Pohorilyi
23 MF   UKR Vladyslav Zaychuk
24 MF   UKR Anton Kotlyar
27 MF   UKR Volodymyr Shopin
29 DF   UKR Illya Hlushytskyi (on loan from Shakhtar)
51 GK   UKR Mykyta Ovcharov
71 GK   UKR Maksym Yerokhin
99 MF   UKR Artem Kozlov

Honors

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League and cup history

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Season Div. Pos. Pl. W D L GS GA P Domestic Cup Europe Notes
Founded as FC Helios Kharkiv
2003 4th 1 8 6 1 1 15 3 19
2003–04 3rd "C" 6 30 15 7 8 41 31 52 132 finals
2004–05 3rd "C" 1 28 25 2 1 64 18 77 132 finals Promoted
2005–06 2nd 12 34 12 8 14 26 35 44 132 finals
2006–07 2nd 7 36 17 7 12 45 36 58 132 finals
2007–08 2nd 14 38 13 8 17 31 40 47 116 finals
2008–09 2nd 15 32 8 6 18 28 44 30 116 finals
2009–10 2nd 10 34 12 10 12 42 47 46 132 finals
2010–11 2nd 15 34 10 10 14 31 44 40 132 finals
2011–12 2nd 9 34 13 9 12 53 45 48 132 finals
2012–13 2nd 10 34 12 13 9 33 21 49 116 finals
2013–14 2nd 9 30 10 11 9 29 35 41 132 finals
2014–15 2nd 7 30 12 8 10 30 25 44 116 finals
2015–16 2nd 5 30 13 12 5 33 24 51 18 finals
2016–17 2nd 4 34 16 10 8 31 22 58 132 finals
2017–18 2nd 9 34 14 4 16 35 43 46 116 finals
2018–19 2nd Attempted to be reorganised as FC Kobra Kharkiv but was expelled

Coaches

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Notes and references

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  1. ^ "Championship of Kharkiv Among Amateurs 2019 (Чемпіонат м. Харкова серед аматорів 2019)". Archived from the original on 25 February 2020. Retrieved 1 August 2019.
  2. ^ "Helios" received attestation for the 2018-19 season ("Геліос" отримав атестат на сезон-2018/19). FC Helios Kharkiv. 13 June 2018
  3. ^ Attestation: list of clubs that were allowed to compete in the All-Ukrainian competitions under auspices of PFL in the 2018-19 season (Атестація: список клубів, допущених до участі у всеукраїнських змаганнях під егідою ПФЛ у сезоні-2018/2019 ). Football Federation of Ukraine. 13 June 2018
  4. ^ a b Kobra will replace Helios in the First League (Кобра заменит Гелиос в Первой лиге ). Football TV. 5 July 2018
  5. ^ The PFL competitions. The Ukrainian championship draw + competitions calendar (First League and Second League Group A) (Змагання ПФЛ. Жеребкування Чемпіонату України + календарі змагань (Перша ліга і Друга ліга Група А)). PFL. 9 July 2018
  6. ^ a b Makarov: we are awaiting an interesting season in the First and Second leagues (Макаров: чекаємо цікавий сезон у Першій та Другій лігах). PFL. 18 July 2018
  7. ^ Gameday! First League. Announcement. Challenge in Petrove at XSPORT (MATCHDAY! Перша ліга. Анонс. Поєдинок із Петрового - на XSPORT ). PFL. 28 July 2018
  8. ^ Kobra could withdraw from the First League championship (Кобра може знятися з чемпіонату Першої ліги). UA-Football. 9 August 2018
  9. ^ Vashchenko: Kobra will live and play its closest home game at Helios Arena (Ващенко: Кобра житиме і проведе найближчий домашній матч на Геліос Арені). UA-Football. 9 August 2018
  10. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Vashchenko: Helshtein as he was so he stays the owner of Kobra (Ващенко: Гельштейн як був, так і залишається власником Кобри). UA-Football. 21 August 2018
  11. ^ The First League. Second no-show of "Kobra", win of Kovalets and appetite of "Volyn" (Перша ліга. Друга неявка «Кобри», перемога Ковальця та апетит «Волині»). Football Federation of Ukraine. 18 August 2018
  12. ^ FC "Kobra" is excluded from composition of the PFL competitions' participants (ФК "Кобра" виключено зі складу учасників змагань ПФЛ). PFL. 29 August 2018
  13. ^ a b 2018 Kharkiv Oblast championship. Kharkiv Oblast Football Federation. August 2018
  14. ^ a b "Dry" draw of the youth ("Суха" нічия молоді). FC Helios Kharkiv. 3 July 2018
  15. ^ The Ukrainian Championship among amateurs: there adopted the groups' composition and calendar for the new season (Чемпіонат України серед аматорів: затверджено склади груп та календар на новий сезон). Football Federation of Ukraine. 1 August 2018
  16. ^ The FFU did not find Vashchenko's fault in withdrawal of Kobra from championship (ФФУ не нашла вины Ващенко в снятии Кобры с чемпионата). UA-Football. 5 March 2019
  17. ^ The academy's history (ИСТОРИЯ АКАДЕМИИ). FC Helios Kharkiv.
  18. ^ ""Гелиос" теперь с домашней ареной ("Helios" has got a home ground)". ua.football (in Russian). 26 June 2009. Retrieved 26 June 2009.
  19. ^ Renameing the stadium[permanent dead link] (in Ukrainian)
  20. ^ http://pfl.ua/teams/553-gelios Archived 16 July 2018 at the Wayback Machine FC Helios on the official site of Ukrainian professional football league
  21. ^ "Гелиос | ФК "Гелиос" Харьков". Archived from the original on 9 February 2017. Retrieved 19 February 2017.
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