Football Club Zenit is a
RussiaRussia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n football club from the city of Saint-Petersburg. Founded in 1925 (or in 1914, according to some Russian sources), the club plays in the
Russian Premier LeagueThe Russian Premier League , currently called SOGAZ Russian Football Championship due to sponsorship reasons, is the top division of Russian football. There are 16 teams in the competition...
. Zenit were the 2007 and 2010 champions of the Russian Premier League and the winners of both the 2007–08 UEFA Cup and the
2008 UEFA Super CupThe 2008 UEFA Super Cup was the 33rd UEFA Super Cup, a football match played between the winners of the previous season's UEFA Champions League and UEFA Cup competitions. The 2008 competition was contested by Manchester United of England, who won the 2007–08 UEFA Champions League, and Zenit St....
.
Before Zenit
Zenit's history is tightly connected with the turbulent political history of Saint-Petersburg, Russia (also called "Petrograd" and "Leningrad" at times in its history).
In 1897, the first football match in Russia was held in Saint-Petersburg on
Vasilievsky IslandVasilyevsky Island is an island in Saint Petersburg, Russia, bordered by the rivers Bolshaya Neva and Malaya Neva in the south and northeast, and by the Gulf of Finland in the west. Vasilyevsky Island is separated from Dekabristov Island by the Smolenka River...
, an unofficial game between the local English team "Ostrov" and the local Russian team "Petrograd", which the English team won, 6–0. The players of those local teams were amateurs and loosely associated with each other. At the same time, several formal football clubs were founded in Saint-Petersburg, mainly around large industrial companies. However, players' membership was unofficial and very loose, sometimes allowing the same players to play for several different teams during the same season.
Formation of Zenit
The original team Zenit stemmed from several football teams, which changed names and owners many times during the Soviet era after the Revolution of 1917. Powerful political forces manipulated the careers of individual players as well as the fate of the whole team. The club was renamed several times, and its owners and leaders were under political pressure for many decades.
The origins of Zenit date back to the beginning of the 20th century, to several predecessor teams in Saint-Petersburg that were playing locally. The oldest documented predecessor of Zenit was team "Murzinka", founded in 1914, which played in the same
Obukhovsky stadium from 1914 until 1924, when the team became to be called "Bolshevik" (the new name for
Obukhovsky industry and its stadium). The team and stadium survived the drama of
World War IWorld War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, the
BolshevikThe Bolsheviks, originally also Bolshevists , derived from bol'shinstvo, "majority") were a faction of the Marxist Russian Social Democratic Labour Party which split apart from the Menshevik faction at the Second Party Congress in 1903....
revolution of 1917, and the
Russian Civil WarThe Russian Civil War was a multi-party war that occurred within the former Russian Empire after the Russian provisional government collapsed to the Soviets, under the domination of the Bolshevik party. Soviet forces first assumed power in Petrograd The Russian Civil War (1917–1923) was a...
of 1918–1922.
In 1925, another predecessor team of Zenit was formed, of workers from the
Leningradsky Metallichesky ZavodLeningradsky Metallichesky Zavod , also known as LMZ, is the largest Russian manufacturer of power machines and turbines for electric power stations.-History:...
(Leningrad Metal Plant); they were called the "Stalinets" in the 1930s. (
Stalinets translates literally to English as "Stalinists"; however, in Russian, the name is a play on words as
stal means "steel" in that language.) Historians documented that both predecessor teams of Zenit were playing independently until their official merger at the end of 1939. The Stalinets were not the same team named Zenit that took part in the 1938 USSR championship.
The current name of FC Zenit was registered in 1936, as Bolshevik became part of the
Zenit sports societyZenit was the All-Union Voluntary Sports Society for workers of arms industry, established in 1936. Due to reorganization of sports societies, between 1957 and 1966 physical culture collectives of Zenit were a part of VSS Trud from the Russian SFSR, and other republican sports societies. In 1966...
and was renamed, three years before the Stalinets merged with it. In 1939, during the rule of
Joseph StalinJoseph Vissarionovich Stalin was the Premier of the Soviet Union from 6 May 1941 to 5 March 1953. He was among the Bolshevik revolutionaries who brought about the October Revolution and had held the position of first General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union's Central Committee...
, Leningradsky Metallichesky Zavod became part of the military industry and its sports teams, players, and managers were transferred to the Zenit sports society. FC Zenit was ordered to take in members of the "Stalinets" metallurgical workers' team after the end of the 1939 season.
Zenit in the Soviet League
FC Zenit won their first honours in 1944, claiming the war-time USSR Cup after defeating
CSKA in the well-attended final. The club was always adored in Leningrad, but wasn't able to make much of an impact in the Soviet League. In 1967, Zenit finished last but were saved from relegation because the Soviet leadership decided it wouldn't be prudent to relegate a Leningrad team during the 50th anniversary of the
October RevolutionThe Russian Revolution is the collective term for a series of revolutions in Russia in 1917, which destroyed the Tsarist autocracy and led to the creation of the Soviet Union. The Tsar was deposed and replaced by a provisional government in the first revolution of February 1917...
, which occurred in the city.
Composer Dmitry Shostakovich and film star
Kirill LavrovKirill Yuryevich Lavrov was a well-known Soviet and Russian film and theatre actor and director.-Childhood:Kirill Yuryevich Lavrov was born on September 15, 1925, in Leningrad, USSR . He was baptized by the Russian Orthodox Church of St. John the Divine in Lavrushinskoe Podvorie Monastery in...
were well-known as ardent supporters of Zenit, a passion that is reflected in their attendance of many games.
FC Zenit won the bronze medal in 1980. They reached Soviet Cup Final and won the Soviet League title in 1984. In 1985, Zenit beat the Soviet Cup holder in the Soviet Super Cup (also called the Season Cup).
Zenit in the Russian League
The
LOMOLOMO or Leningrad Optical Mechanical Amalgamation is a manufacturer of advanced optical instruments, medical equipment, consumer still and movie cameras, projectors, lenses, film editors, splicers, professional sound recorders for motion-picture production based in St. Petersburg, Russia...
optical plant took up the ownership of the team after the war. In 1990, FC Zenit were re-registered as an independent city-owned professional club.
After being relegated in the first year of the Russian League (1992), Zenit returned to the top flight in 1996 and has been decent since. They claimed the 1999 Russian Cup, finished third in the League in 2001, made the Cup final in 2002, became the runners-up in the
Premier LeagueThe Russian Premier League , currently called SOGAZ Russian Football Championship due to sponsorship reasons, is the top division of Russian football. There are 16 teams in the competition...
, and won the
Russian Premier League CupThe Russian Premier League Cup was a football competition organized by Russian Premier League.This was a knockout competition for 16 teams of the Premier League. All ties, including the final, were two-legged. The winners of the Cup did not get any special bonuses , and the matches were played on...
in 2003.
Although Zenit reached the quarterfinal of the
UEFA CupThe UEFA Cup 2005–06 season was won by Sevilla FC, beating Middlesbrough FC in the final. It was the first victory for Sevilla in a European competition, and the first appearance by Middlesbrough in a European final. The final took place at Philips Stadion, in Eindhoven, Netherlands. The match was...
in 2006, a mediocre start to the league season led to the summer replacement of coach
Vlastimil PetrželaVlastimil Petržela is a Czech football coach who worked with Zenit Saint Petersburg from 2003 to 2006, winning the silver medals of Russian Premier League in 2003 and reaching the quarterfinal stage of the 2005–06 UEFA Cup...
. Since July 2006, Zenit have been under
Dick AdvocaatDirk Nicolaas "Dick" Advocaat is a Dutch football manager and former player currently the manager of the Russia national football team.He has been moderately successful as a football player and as a coach, which included two stints with the Dutch national football team...
Advocaat works together with his Assistant Manager, former Netherlands National Youth Team coach
Cornelius PotCornelis Pot is a Dutch football manager and former footballer.- Playing career :He started his career with the academy of Sparta in Rotterdam, and subsequently moved to the Ajax academy.Clubs*1969 - 1972 Sparta...
.
Zenit won the 2007
Russian Premier LeagueThe Russian Premier League , currently called SOGAZ Russian Football Championship due to sponsorship reasons, is the top division of Russian football. There are 16 teams in the competition...
, their best league achievement since winning the USSR Championship in 1984. That allowed them to compete in the group stage of the Champions League 2008–09.
In 2008, Zenit won the
Russian Super CupThe Russian Super Cup is a one-match football annual competition. Its official sponsored name is TransTeleCom Russian Supercup . The two participating clubs are holders of the Russian Premier League champions title and the Russian Cup...
and reached the quarter-final of the UEFA Cup for the second
time in their history. In the first leg of the quarter-final away game against Bayer Leverkusen from Germany, the team achieved a 4–1 victory. They qualified for the semi-finals of the competition for the first time in their history, despite a 1–0 home loss to Bayer Leverkusen in the second leg, and were drawn to play further German opposition in the semi-final,
Bayern MunichFC Bayern Munich , is a German sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. It is best known for its professional football team, which is the most successful football club in Germany, having won 22 national titles and 15 cups....
, considered the top team remaining. A battling performance in the first leg of the semi-final earned Zenit a 1–1 draw away against Bayern Munich.
In the second leg at home, Zenit won 4–0, defeating Bayern 5–1 on aggregate and going through to the UEFA Cup final for the first time in the club's history, where they met the
ScottishThe Scottish Premier League , also known as the SPL , is a professional league competition for association football clubs in Scotland...
team
RangersRangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
at the
City of Manchester StadiumThe City of Manchester Stadium in Manchester, England – also known as the Etihad Stadium for sponsorship purposes– is the home ground of...
, Manchester on 14 May. Zenit won 2–0, with goals from
Igor DenisovIgor Vladimirovich Denisov is an association footballer who played midfielder. He currently plays for Zenit Saint Petersburg and represents Russia at international level but he refused to be called up for the provisional 25-man squad of players for the Euro 2008.Denisov was part of the 2008 UEFA...
in the 72nd minute and
Konstantin ZyryanovKonstantin Georgiyevich Zyryanov is an association footballer who currently plays for Zenit Saint Petersburg and the Russian national team....
in stoppage time, to lift the club's first ever
UEFA CupThe UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
. Andrei Arshavin was named
man of the matchIn sport, a Man of the Match or Player of the Game or Man of the Series award is given to the outstanding player, almost always the one who makes the most impact, in a particular match or series. The term was originally used more often in cricket before being adopted by other sports. This can be a...
. Zenit's
Pavel PogrebnyakPavel Viktorovich Pogrebnyak is an association footballer currently plays as a striker with German side VfB Stuttgart and the Russian national team...
became the top scorer of that year's tournament.
On 29 August 2008, at the
Stade Louis IIThe Stade Louis II is a stadium located in the Fontvieille district of Monaco. It serves primarily as a venue for football, being the home of AS Monaco and the Monaco national football team, as well as the location of the annual UEFA Super Cup match...
in Monaco, Zenit defeated
Manchester UnitedManchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
2–1 in the
2008 UEFA Super CupThe 2008 UEFA Super Cup was the 33rd UEFA Super Cup, a football match played between the winners of the previous season's UEFA Champions League and UEFA Cup competitions. The 2008 competition was contested by Manchester United of England, who won the 2007–08 UEFA Champions League, and Zenit St....
, becoming the first Russian side to win the trophy. Pavel Pogrebnyak scored the first goal and Danny scored the second. Danny was named for man of the match in his debut for Zenit.
In the
UEFA Champions League 2008–09 group stageThe 2008–09 UEFA Champions League group stage matches took place between 16 September and 10 December 2008.-Seeding structure:Seeding was determined by the UEFA coefficients: Pot 1 held teams ranked 1–10 , Pot 2 held teams ranked 11–23, Pot 3 held teams ranked 25–45, while Pot 4 held teams ranked...
Zenit was grouped with
Real MadridReal Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
,
JuventusJuventus Football Club S.p.A. , commonly referred to as Juventus and colloquially as Juve , are a professional Italian association football club based in Turin, Piedmont...
, and
BATEFC BATE Borisov is a Belarusian football team playing in the city of Borisov. They compete in the Belarusian Premier League and are the reigning champions. BATE are the only Belarusian team to have qualified for the group stage of the UEFA Champions League and for the group stage of the UEFA...
in Group H, which by some was marked as the
group of deathA group of death in a multi-stage tournament is a group which is unusually competitive, because the number of strong competitors in the group is greater than the number of qualifying places available for the next phase of the tournament...
. Unfortunately the team finished in third place in Group H, behind Juventus and Real Madrid and was unable to progress to the knockout phase of the competition. However this position was good enough to earn the club a place in the 2008–09 UEFA Cup last 32 where the team faced
StuttgartVerein für Bewegungsspiele Stuttgart 1893 e. V., commonly known as VfB Stuttgart, is a German sports club based in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg. The club is best known for its football team, which has participated in all but two Bundesliga seasons...
of Germany for a place in the last 16 of the competition. This allowed the club a shot to defend the trophy that they won the previous season in Manchester. However after defeating Stuttgart on away goals, they went on to lose 2–1 over two legs against
UdineseUdinese Calcio is an Italian football club based in Udine, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, and currently plays in the Serie A. Founded in 1896, Udinese is the second oldest club in the Serie A, after Genoa....
.
Spalletti Era
Luciano SpallettiLuciano Spalletti is a retired Italian footballer and current coach of FC Zenit Saint Petersburg.-Playing career:Born in Certaldo, Province of Florence, Spalletti played for Serie C teams such as Entella, Spezia, Viareggio and Empoli....
signed a contract with Zenit in December 2009, with Italian coaches Daniele Baldini, Marco Domenichini, and Alberto Bartali also joining the Russian club. The Board of Zenit wanted him to return the
Russian Premier LeagueThe Russian Premier League , currently called SOGAZ Russian Football Championship due to sponsorship reasons, is the top division of Russian football. There are 16 teams in the competition...
title, win the Russian Cup, and go through the group stage of the
Champions LeagueThe UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
in his first year.
Zenit won the Russian Cup on 16 May 2010, beating
FC Sibir NovosibirskFC Sibir Novosibirsk is a Russian association football club based in Novosibirsk. The club plays at the Spartak Stadium. As a result of their first-ever season in the Russian Premier League in 2010, FC Sibir has been relegated to play the next season in Russian First Division.-History:The club was...
in the final (having beaten Volga Tver in the quarterfinal and Amkar Perm in the semifinal). After 16 games in the 2010 Premier League, with 12 wins and four draws, under Spalletti Zenit have obtained 40 points. This set a new Russian Premier League record for most points won at that stage of the campaign. In the summer transfer window of 2010, Spalletti made his first signings: forward
Aleksandr BukharovAleksandr Yevgenyevich Bukharov is a Russian footballer currently playing for FC Zenit St. Petersburg.-Career:...
and midfielder
Sergei SemakSergei Bogdanovich Semak is a Russian international football midfielder of Ukrainian origins.-Early life:Semak was born in the selo Sychanskoye in the Voroshilovgradskaya Oblast into a peasant family of modest economical background. He was an excellent student and had an ideal behavior...
came from Rubin Kazan; defenders
Aleksandar LukovicAleksandar Luković is a Serbian footballer who plays as a left back or centre back for Zenit St. Petersburg and the Serbian national team. He is known for his aggressive style of play.-Biography:...
from Udinese and
Bruno AlvesBruno Eduardo Regufe Alves is a Portuguese footballer who plays for FC Zenit Saint Petersburg in Russia and the Portuguese national team, as a central defender....
from FC Porto. On 25 August 2010, Zenit lost its first game under Spalletti to
AJ AuxerreAssociation de la Jeunesse Auxerroise is a French association football club based in the commune of Auxerre in Burgundy. The club was founded in 1905 and currently play in Ligue 1, the top division of French football. Auxerre plays its home matches at the Stade l'Abbé-Deschamps on the banks of the...
and failed to advance to the Champions League group stage, but Zenit will be playing in UEFA Europa League. On 3 October 2010, Zenit beat Spartak Nalchik to set another Russian Premier League record for most consecutive games going undefeated, with 21 games since the start of the league season. On 27 October 2010, Zenit suffered its first defeat of the season at the hands of rival club Spartak Moscow, seven games short of finishing the championship undefeated. On 14 November, Zenit won
FC RostovFC Rostov is a Russian football club based in Rostov-on-Don, Rostov Oblast. The club are currently members of the Russian Premier League and play at the Olimp – 2 stadium.-History:...
and for 2 games before to the end won the championship title. This champions title became the first in Spalletti's career. Also Zenit went through the group stage of the UEFA Europa League in first place to the 1/16 stage. In the UEFA Europa League, in the 1/16 stage Zenit beat
BSC Young BoysBerner Sport Club Young Boys 1898 is a Swiss sporting club based in the capital city of Bern. The name is often abbreviated to YB . Abroad, YB is often referred to as Young Boys Bern. The club's colors are yellow and black....
. On 6 March 2011 Zenit won against
PFC CSKA Moscow in the
Russian Super CupThe Russian Super Cup is a one-match football annual competition. Its official sponsored name is TransTeleCom Russian Supercup . The two participating clubs are holders of the Russian Premier League champions title and the Russian Cup...
, it became the third Russian trophy under Spalletti, after that all domestic Russian cups Zenit won under the Italian coach. On 17 March 2011 Zenit lost in UEFA Europa League
FC TwenteFC Twente is a Dutch professional football club from the city of Enschede, playing in the Eredivisie. The club was formed in 1965 by the merger of 1926 Eredivisie Champions, Sportclub Enschede and Enschedese Boys...
2–3 aggregate in 1/8 stage.
In
2011–12 UEFA Champions LeagueThe 2011–12 UEFA Champions League is the 57th season of the European Cup, Europe's premier football tournament, and the 20th season in its current Champions League format. The final venue will be the Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany...
Zenit started in group stage drawed into group G against Porto, Shakhtar Donetsk and APOEL
UEFA competitions
- UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
- Winners: 2008
The 2008 UEFA Cup Final was the 37th final of the UEFA Cup, UEFA's second tier club football tournament. The match was played at the City of Manchester Stadium, home ground of Manchester City F.C., in Manchester, England, at 20:45 CEST on 14 May 2008.The match was contested by Zenit St. Petersburg...
- UEFA Super Cup
- Winners: 2008
The 2008 UEFA Super Cup was the 33rd UEFA Super Cup, a football match played between the winners of the previous season's UEFA Champions League and UEFA Cup competitions. The 2008 competition was contested by Manchester United of England, who won the 2007–08 UEFA Champions League, and Zenit St....
Domestic competitions
Russia
- Russian Premier League
The Russian Premier League , currently called SOGAZ Russian Football Championship due to sponsorship reasons, is the top division of Russian football. There are 16 teams in the competition...
- Winners: 2007
Russian Premier League 2007 was the 16th official season of Rosgosstrakh Russian Football Championship, and 6th under the current Russian Premier League name. The season started with the match between Luch-Energia and Moskva in Vladivostok on Saturday, 10 March 2007, at 18:00 local time...
, 2010
- Russian Cup
- Russian Premier League Cup
The Russian Premier League Cup was a football competition organized by Russian Premier League.This was a knockout competition for 16 teams of the Premier League. All ties, including the final, were two-legged. The winners of the Cup did not get any special bonuses , and the matches were played on...
- Winners: 2003
The Russian Premier League Cup was a football competition organized by Russian Premier League.This was a knockout competition for 16 teams of the Premier League. All ties, including the final, were two-legged. The winners of the Cup did not get any special bonuses , and the matches were played on...
- Russian Super Cup
The Russian Super Cup is a one-match football annual competition. Its official sponsored name is TransTeleCom Russian Supercup . The two participating clubs are holders of the Russian Premier League champions title and the Russian Cup...
- Winners: 2008
The 2008 Russian Super Cup was the 6th Russian Super Cup match, a football match which was contested between the Russian Premier League 2007 champion, Zenit St. Petersburg, and the winner of Russian Cup 2006-07, Lokomotiv Moscow. The match was held on 9 March 2008 at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow,...
, 2011The 2011 Russian Football Super Cup was the 9th Russian Super Cup match, a football match which was contested between the 2010 Russian Premier League champion and 2009–10 Russian Cup champion, Zenit St. Petersburg, and the runner-up of 2010 Russian Premier League, CSKA Moscow...
Soviet Union
- Soviet Top League
The Soviet Top League since 1970 was officially known as the Supreme League serving as the top division of Soviet Union football since 1936.It was one of the best football leagues in Europe ranking second among the UEFA members in 1988-1989 seasons...
- Soviet Cup
The Soviet Cup, or USSR Cup , was the premier football cup competition in the Soviet Union.-Finals:-Performance by club:-Performance by republic:-References:*, rsssf.com. Accessed on 16 May 2006....
- Soviet Super Cup
Russia RussiaRussia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
(League)
!Head Coach
|-
|align=center|1992
|align=center|
1stThe Russian Premier League , currently called SOGAZ Russian Football Championship due to sponsorship reasons, is the top division of Russian football. There are 16 teams in the competition...
|align=center bgcolor=#f65f45|
16
|align=center|30
|align=center|10
|align=center|8
|align=center|12
|align=center|39
|align=center|45
|align=center|
28
|align=center|—
|align=center colspan=2|—
|align=left|
Russia KulikVladimir Yuryevich Kulik is a retired Russian professional footballer. He made his professional debut in the Soviet Second League in 1989 for FC Kirovets Leningrad.In 2000, Arsenal and Manchester United tried to buy Vladimir Kulik's pass...
– 13
|align=left|
Russia Melnikov
|-
|align=center|1993
|align=center|2nd,
"Centre"
|align=center|
2
|align=center|38
|align=center|25
|align=center|8
|align=center|5
|align=center|87
|align=center|33
|align=center|
58
|align=center|Round of 32
|align=center colspan=2|—
|align=left|
Russia KulikVladimir Yuryevich Kulik is a retired Russian professional footballer. He made his professional debut in the Soviet Second League in 1989 for FC Kirovets Leningrad.In 2000, Arsenal and Manchester United tried to buy Vladimir Kulik's pass...
– 36
|align=left|
Russia Melnikov
|-
|align=center|1994
|align=center rowspan=2|2nd
|align=center|
13
|align=center|42
|align=center|14
|align=center|12
|align=center|16
|align=center|44
|align=center|49
|align=center|
40
|align=center|Round of 64
|align=center colspan=2|—
|align=left|
Russia KulikVladimir Yuryevich Kulik is a retired Russian professional footballer. He made his professional debut in the Soviet Second League in 1989 for FC Kirovets Leningrad.In 2000, Arsenal and Manchester United tried to buy Vladimir Kulik's pass...
– 9
|align=left|
Russia Melnikov
|-
|align=center|1995
|align=center bgcolor="lightgreen"|
3
|align=center|42
|align=center|24
|align=center|5
|align=center|13
|align=center|68
|align=center|42
|align=center|
77
|align=center|Round of 32
|align=center colspan=2|—
|align=left|
Russia KulikVladimir Yuryevich Kulik is a retired Russian professional footballer. He made his professional debut in the Soviet Second League in 1989 for FC Kirovets Leningrad.In 2000, Arsenal and Manchester United tried to buy Vladimir Kulik's pass...
– 19
|align=left|
Russia SadyrinPavel Sadyrin was a Soviet and Russian footballer and manager.Sadyrin played as a midfielder for Zvezda Perm and Zenit Leningrad....
|-
|align=center|1996
|align=center rowspan="15"|
1stThe Russian Premier League , currently called SOGAZ Russian Football Championship due to sponsorship reasons, is the top division of Russian football. There are 16 teams in the competition...
|align=center|
10
|align=center|34
|align=center|13
|align=center|4
|align=center|17
|align=center|32
|align=center|37
|align=center|
43
|align=center|Round of 32
|align=center colspan=2|—
|align=left|
Russia KulikVladimir Yuryevich Kulik is a retired Russian professional footballer. He made his professional debut in the Soviet Second League in 1989 for FC Kirovets Leningrad.In 2000, Arsenal and Manchester United tried to buy Vladimir Kulik's pass...
– 11
|align=left|
Russia SadyrinPavel Sadyrin was a Soviet and Russian footballer and manager.Sadyrin played as a midfielder for Zvezda Perm and Zenit Leningrad....
|-
|align=center|1997
|align=center|
8
|align=center|34
|align=center|13
|align=center|10
|align=center|11
|align=center|28
|align=center|29
|align=center|
49
|align=center|Semifinal
|align=center colspan=2|—
|align=left|
Ukraine Gorshkov – 5
|align=left|
Russia ByshovetsAnatoliy Fyodorovich Byshovets is a Russian football manager and former international striker. He played his entire professional career with club side Dynamo Kyiv. He won Olympic gold as a coach with the Soviet team at the 1988 Summer Olympics. He was also a manager of USSR, Russia, and South...
|-
|align=center|1998
|align=center|
5
|align=center|30
|align=center|12
|align=center|11
|align=center|7
|align=center|42
|align=center|25
|align=center|
47
|align=center|Round of 16
|align=center colspan=2|—
|align=left|
Russia PanovAlexander Vladimirovich Panov is a Alexander Vladimirovich Panov is a...
– 8
Ukraine Maksimyuk – 8
|align=left|
Russia ByshovetsAnatoliy Fyodorovich Byshovets is a Russian football manager and former international striker. He played his entire professional career with club side Dynamo Kyiv. He won Olympic gold as a coach with the Soviet team at the 1988 Summer Olympics. He was also a manager of USSR, Russia, and South...
Russia Davydov
|-
|align=center|1999
|align=center|
8
|align=center|30
|align=center|9
|align=center|12
|align=center|9
|align=center|36
|align=center|34
|align=center|
39
|align=center bgcolor="gold"|
Winner
|align=center colspan=2|—
|align=left|
Ukraine Popovich – 7
|align=left|
Russia Davydov
|-
|align=center|2000
|align=center|
7
|align=center|30
|align=center|13
|align=center|8
|align=center|9
|align=center|38
|align=center|26
|align=center|
47
|align=center|Round of 32
|align=center|UC
IC
|align=center|1st round
Runner-Up
|align=left|
Ukraine Popovich – 10
|align=left|
Russia Davydov
Russia MorozovYuri Morozov is the name of:* Yuri Morozov , Soviet ice hockey player* Yuri Morozov , Russian rock multi-instrumentalist, sound engineer and composer* Yuri Morozov , Russian football coach...
|-
|align=center|2001
|align=center bgcolor=#deb678|
3
|align=center|30
|align=center|16
|align=center|8
|align=center|6
|align=center|52
|align=center|35
|align=center|
56
|align=center|Round of 32
|align=center colspan=2|—
|align=left|
Ukraine Popovich – 7
|align=left|
Russia MorozovYuri Morozov is the name of:* Yuri Morozov , Soviet ice hockey player* Yuri Morozov , Russian rock multi-instrumentalist, sound engineer and composer* Yuri Morozov , Russian football coach...
|-
|align=center|2002
|align=center|
10
|align=center|30
|align=center|8
|align=center|9
|align=center|13
|align=center|36
|align=center|42
|align=center|
33
|align=center bgcolor="silver"|Runner-Up
|align=center colspan=2|—
|align=left|
Russia KerzhakovAleksandr Anatolyevich Kerzhakov is a Russian international association football striker currently playing for Russian Premier League club Zenit St. Petersburg.-Zenit:...
– 14
|align=left|
Russia MorozovYuri Morozov is the name of:* Yuri Morozov , Soviet ice hockey player* Yuri Morozov , Russian rock multi-instrumentalist, sound engineer and composer* Yuri Morozov , Russian football coach...
Russia Biryukov
Russia RappoportBoris Savelyevich Rappoport is a Russian professional football coach and a former player. Currently, he works as a vice-president for FC Zhemchuzhina-Sochi.-External links:*...
|-
|align=center|2003
|align=center bgcolor="silver"|
2
|align=center|30
|align=center|16
|align=center|8
|align=center|6
|align=center|48
|align=center|32
|align=center|
56
|align=center|Round of 16
|align=center|UC
|align=center|1st round
|align=left|
Russia KerzhakovAleksandr Anatolyevich Kerzhakov is a Russian international association football striker currently playing for Russian Premier League club Zenit St. Petersburg.-Zenit:...
– 13
|align=left|
PetrželaVlastimil Petržela is a Czech football coach who worked with Zenit Saint Petersburg from 2003 to 2006, winning the silver medals of Russian Premier League in 2003 and reaching the quarterfinal stage of the 2005–06 UEFA Cup...
|-
|align=center|2004
|align=center|
4
|align=center|30
|align=center|17
|align=center|5
|align=center|8
|align=center|55
|align=center|37
|align=center|
56
|align=center|Round of 16
|align=center colspan=2|—
|align=left|
Russia KerzhakovAleksandr Anatolyevich Kerzhakov is a Russian international association football striker currently playing for Russian Premier League club Zenit St. Petersburg.-Zenit:...
– 18
|align=left|
PetrželaVlastimil Petržela is a Czech football coach who worked with Zenit Saint Petersburg from 2003 to 2006, winning the silver medals of Russian Premier League in 2003 and reaching the quarterfinal stage of the 2005–06 UEFA Cup...
|-
|align=center|2005
|align=center|
6
|align=center|30
|align=center|13
|align=center|10
|align=center|7
|align=center|45
|align=center|26
|align=center|
49
|align=center|Semifinals
|align=center|UC
|align=center|Group Stage
|align=left|
Russia Arshavin – 9
|align=left|
PetrželaVlastimil Petržela is a Czech football coach who worked with Zenit Saint Petersburg from 2003 to 2006, winning the silver medals of Russian Premier League in 2003 and reaching the quarterfinal stage of the 2005–06 UEFA Cup...
|-
|align=center|2006
|align=center|
4
|align=center|30
|align=center|13
|align=center|11
|align=center|6
|align=center|42
|align=center|30
|align=center|
50
|align=center|Semifinals
|align=center|UC
|align=center|Quarterfinals
|align=left|
Russia Arshavin – 7
|align=left|
PetrželaVlastimil Petržela is a Czech football coach who worked with Zenit Saint Petersburg from 2003 to 2006, winning the silver medals of Russian Premier League in 2003 and reaching the quarterfinal stage of the 2005–06 UEFA Cup...
BorovičkaVladimír Borovička is a Czech football coach who is currently a member of Zenit St. Petersburg coaching staff.-Playing career:He played for Bohemians Prague and Dukla Prague in the Czech league.- Coaching career :...
Netherlands AdvocaatDirk Nicolaas "Dick" Advocaat is a Dutch football manager and former player currently the manager of the Russia national football team.He has been moderately successful as a football player and as a coach, which included two stints with the Dutch national football team...
|-
|align=center|2007
|align=center bgcolor="gold"|
1
|align=center|30
|align=center|18
|align=center|7
|align=center|5
|align=center|53
|align=center|32
|align=center|
61
|align=center|Quarterfinals
|align=center colspan=2|—
|align=left|
Russia PogrebnyakPavel Viktorovich Pogrebnyak is an association footballer currently plays as a striker with German side VfB Stuttgart and the Russian national team...
– 11
|align=left|
Netherlands AdvocaatDirk Nicolaas "Dick" Advocaat is a Dutch football manager and former player currently the manager of the Russia national football team.He has been moderately successful as a football player and as a coach, which included two stints with the Dutch national football team...
|-
|align=center|2008
|align=center|
5
|align=center|30
|align=center|12
|align=center|12
|align=center|6
|align=center|59
|align=center|37
|align=center|
48
|align=center|Quarterfinals
|align=center|UC
|align=center bgcolor="gold"|
Winner
|align=left|
Turkey TekkeFatih Tekke is a Turkish international footballer who currently plays as a striker for Orduspor in the Süper Lig.-Club career:...
– 8
|align=left|
Netherlands AdvocaatDirk Nicolaas "Dick" Advocaat is a Dutch football manager and former player currently the manager of the Russia national football team.He has been moderately successful as a football player and as a coach, which included two stints with the Dutch national football team...
|-
|align=center|2009
|align=center bgcolor=#deb678|
3
|align=center|30
|align=center|15
|align=center|9
|align=center|6
|align=center|48
|align=center|27
|align=center|
54
|align=center|Round of 32
|align=center|UCL
UC
|align=center|Group Stage
Round of 16
|align=left|
Turkey TekkeFatih Tekke is a Turkish international footballer who currently plays as a striker for Orduspor in the Süper Lig.-Club career:...
– 8
|align=left|
Netherlands AdvocaatDirk Nicolaas "Dick" Advocaat is a Dutch football manager and former player currently the manager of the Russia national football team.He has been moderately successful as a football player and as a coach, which included two stints with the Dutch national football team...
Russia Davydov
|-
|align=center|2010
|align=center bgcolor="gold"|
1
|align=center|30
|align=center|20
|align=center|8
|align=center|2
|align=center|61
|align=center|21
|align=center|
68
|align=center bgcolor="gold"|
Winner
|align=center|EL
|align=center|1st round
|align=left|
Russia KerzhakovAleksandr Anatolyevich Kerzhakov is a Russian international association football striker currently playing for Russian Premier League club Zenit St. Petersburg.-Zenit:...
– 13
|align=left|
Italy SpallettiLuciano Spalletti is a retired Italian footballer and current coach of FC Zenit Saint Petersburg.-Playing career:Born in Certaldo, Province of Florence, Spalletti played for Serie C teams such as Entella, Spezia, Viareggio and Empoli....
|}
(Russian Third League from 1994 to 1997). Another team that was founded as
from 2001 to 2008. By 2008, there was no relation between that team and FC Zenit. Another farm club called
in 2009, taking the spot of the former FC Zenit-2. FC Smena-Zenit was dissolved after the 2009 season because it did not fulfull Zenit's initial expectations.
Had international caps for their respective countries. Players whose name is listed in
represented their countries while playing for Zenit.
Used to be the team top scorer for 5 years in succession. Used to be the team top scorer and died, being the club's academy coach.
in Saint Petersburg. Petrovsky Stadium has a capacity of 21,570 people.
was demolished, to be replaced with a new stadium built for Zenit, Gazprom Arena.
The new football stadium in Saint Petersburg is currently under construction; as of 2007, it was expected to be completed before the 2009 season. Once completed, it will host Zenit's home matches. The stadium will have a capacity of 62,000 people.
took a controlling stake in the club. The deal was announced by
, the Saint Petersburg governor. Gazprom bought the majority of the club and invested over $100 million, buying new players and building the new stadium.