21 Facts About Zenit Saint Petersburg

Football Club Zenit, known as Zenit Saint Petersburg or simply Zenit, is a Russian professional football club based in Saint Petersburg.

Original Zenit Saint Petersburg team stemmed from several football teams, which changed names and owners many times during the Soviet era after the Revolution of 1917, as powerful political forces manipulated the careers of individual players as well as the fate of the whole team.

The oldest documented predecessor of Zenit Saint Petersburg was the team "Murzinka, " founded in 1914, which played in the Obukhovsky stadium from 1914 until 1924, when the team came to be known as "Bolshevik".

In 1925, another predecessor team of Zenit Saint Petersburg was formed, of workers from the Leningradsky Metallichesky Zavod ; they were called the "Stalinets" in the 1930s.

The current name of FC Zenit Saint Petersburg was registered in 1936, three years before the Stalinets merged with it.

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FC Zenit Saint Petersburg was ordered to take in members of the "Stalinets" metallurgical workers' team after the end of the 1939 season.

Zenit Saint Petersburg won their first honours in 1944, claiming the war-time USSR Cup after defeating CSKA Moscow in the well-attended final.

In 1967, Zenit Saint Petersburg finished last but were saved from relegation because the Soviet leadership decided it would not be prudent to relegate a Leningrad team during the 50th anniversary of the October Revolution, which occurred in the city.

Zenit Saint Petersburg won the bronze medal in 1980, reaching the Soviet Cup Final and winning the Soviet League title in 1984.

In 1985, Zenit Saint Petersburg beat the Soviet Cup holder in the Soviet Super Cup.

In 1990, FC Zenit Saint Petersburg were re-registered as an independent city-owned professional club.

In 2008, Zenit Saint Petersburg won the Russian Super Cup and reached the quarter-final of the UEFA Cup for the second time in their history.

The Board of Zenit Saint Petersburg mandated him to return the Russian Premier League title to Zenit Saint Petersburg, win the Russian Cup and progress from the group stage of the Champions League in his first year.

Zenit Saint Petersburg won the Russian Cup on 16 May 2010 after beating Sibir Novosibirsk in the final.

On 25 August 2010, Zenit Saint Petersburg lost its first game under Spalletti to French side Auxerre and failed to advance to the Champions League group stage, instead participating in the Europa League.

On 6 March 2011, Zenit Saint Petersburg won against CSKA Moscow in the Russian Super Cup, the third Russian trophy won under Spalletti.

In May 2015, Zenit Saint Petersburg won the Russian Championship, the first championship title under Villas-Boas and the team's fifth-ever on the eve of its 90th anniversary celebration.

On 1 June 2017 Zenit Saint Petersburg appointed Roberto Mancini as the new manager of the team.

Zenit Saint Petersburg secured another title on 5 July 2020 after a victory over FC Krasnodar, with 4 games left to play in the tournament.

On 30 April 2022, Zenit Saint Petersburg secured their fourth title in a row and eighth overall.

FC Smena-Zenit Saint Petersburg was dissolved after the 2009 season because it did not fulfill Zenit Saint Petersburg's initial expectations.