PFC Kuban
Wikipedia - FC Kuban Krasnodar (2018)
PFC Kuban Krasnodar (Known as FC Urozhay from 2018 to 2020, Russian: Профессиональный футбольный клуб «Кубань») is a Russian football team based in Krasnodar. It was founded on 4 June 2018. For the 2024–25 season, it will be relegated to the third-tier Russian Second League (Division A).
The club is colloquially seen by some to be the successor to FC Kuban Krasnodar, which dissolved in 2018 before being restarted at a regional level, although it is legally not permitted to claim its heritage.
History
Private limited company Football Club Urozhay was officially registered on 4 June 2018. Originally it was to be named Ekaterinodar, but eventually, for unknown reasons, the club was named Urozhay. According to the results of the local web portal's Yuga.ru poll about the team's name that was held from 5 to 14 June, the poll option Urozhay took the last place. On 22 June 2018 FC Urozhay received a license for participating in the third-tier Russian Professional Football League in the 2018–19 Russian Professional Football League.
In July 2020 the club was renamed to PFC Kuban. On 24 July 2020, Russian Football Union approved the change of name, with the condition that the club is not the legal successor to former FC Kuban and cannot claim their sporting history.
On 15 June 2021, the club secured the first place in their PFL zone and promotion to Russian Football National League.
On 16 May 2024, Kuban was relegated from the First League.
Kuban har vunnet den russiske cupen en gang, i 2014, og den russiske førstedivisjonen to ganger, i 2010 og 2018. Klubbens hjemmebane er Krasnodar Stadion, som har en kapasitet på over 33 000 tilskuere.
Kubans mest kjente spillere inkluderer Roman Pavlyuchenko, Andrey Arshavin og Dzyanis Lakhtyonak. Klubben har også en sterk tradisjon for å utvikle unge spillere, og mange av deres tidligere spillere har gått videre til å spille for toppklubber i Russland og Europa.
I 2018 ble Kuban degradert til den russiske førstedivisjon på grunn av økonomiske problemer. Klubben har imidlertid klart å holde seg i andre divisjon og ser nå ut til å returnere til den russiske Premier League snart.