FC HeliosKharkiv is a Ukrainianfootball club located in Kharkiv, Ukraine. In 2003–2018 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.
History
Helios Kharkiv
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 2004–2005 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.
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 LeagueFC Kobra Kharkiv, while the new club's legal address will remain of Helios. The following replacement was initially intended to be as the "Veres Rivne – Lviv swap". 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. 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. Makarov noted that agreement was not yet reached, but new leadership confirmed its intentions to develop the club. 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. 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. 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. 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, "What depended on me, I did. The club was ready to go and host games. But I am not the owner of football club Kobra that earlier was Helios. I do not run the club. If someone was telling tales about the stadium in Kharkiv was inaccessible to us because we owe everybody, that is a lie. Let those people say it to my eyes. We were ready to host that Hirnyk-Sport at Sonyachnyi Stadium. The rent was already prepaid. But Helshtein gave a letter to the PFL that Kobra cannot host the game. Then he sent another letter that Kobra cannot leave for the game with Zirka. You understand better that if two times we do not appear for a game, we automatically being withdrawn." Vashchenko also noted that transition of the club was not yet finished due to disagreement on few issues. After playing only three games in the First League, the newly renamed Helios finally withdrew completely by default, while the original Kobra Kharkiv continues to play in the Kharkiv Oblast championship and entered the 2018–19 Ukrainian Football Amateur League. Later in 2018 the amateur squad Kobra Kharkiv also withdrew from competitions. In relations to withdrawal of Kobra 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. 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.
Helios-Akademiya Kharkiv
In addition to all, the junior squad of Helios, Helios-Akademiya, that competes in regional competitions since 2011, changed its name to Helios Kharkiv in August 2018.
Colors and badge
FC Helios Kharkiv's colors are red, black and white and gold.
Stadiums
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. In July 2009 the Arsenal-Bavaria was renamed as Helios-Arena. In 2012-2017 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. Located in a neighborhood Nova Bavaria, the Helios Arena is one of the oldest city's stadiums originally known as the Rope Factory Stadium.
