Football Club Desna Chernihiv () is a Ukrainian football club based in Chernihiv. The original name of the club was "Avanhard" (FC Avanhard Chernihiv) during its first year of existence as part of a republican Avanhard sports society. Between 1961 and 1970 the club was called Desna. In 1972, it was replaced with SC Chernihiv (team of the SKA Kyiv) that played in Chernihiv for the next couple of years. In 1977, the Desna name was revived in place of the amateur club "FC Khimik Chernihiv" that won regional competitions.
Due to the infrastructure of the club being destroyed by the Russian military during the Siege of Chernihiv in 2022, the club pulled out of professional tournaments and plays irregular amateur-level matches (e.g. the Chernihiv Oblast Championship). Desna, along with FC Mariupol, were awarded rights to play in the Ukrainian Premier League in the future case of restoring their infrastructure. In 2025, both clubs were excluded from the Premier League, with the question of determining their professional status being delegated to the Ukrainian Association of Football.
History
Original team of masters Avanhard Chernihiv The team of masters was established in Chernihiv in 1960 under the name "Avanhard" as part of the republican Avanhard sports society and entering competitions of the class "B" competitions (concurrently Football Championship of the Ukrainian SSR). That year the Chernihiv team "Avanhard" would take part in the state football championship (challenge) among the Class B teams. The team was created on already existing Chernihiv city team that also was known as Avanhard and played earlier in republican level competitions.
In the season 1958, "Avanhard Chernihiv", signed Viktor Bannikov for one year, considered one of the best goalkeepers in the Soviet Union earning the title of the best twice in 1964 and 1970 and distinguished Master of Sport of USSR (1991). From 1966 to 1979 the goalkeeper was Yuriy Hruznov from Chernihiv.
In the "Avanhard Chernihiv"'s squad were included better footballers of the region (Chernihiv Oblast). Among them are goalkeeper V.Lomako, field players V.Kravchynskyi, Yu.Shkolnikov, O.Finkelberh, and others, in such way the chairman of regional council of sports societies and organizations V.Tatur informed readers of "Desnyanska Pravda" on 10 February 1960.1960–1962. Desna Chernihiv website. 19 August 2016 "The team's coach is appointed a former Dynamo Kyiv player Aleksandr Shchanov. These days "Avanhard" will proceed with its training and in already the nearest future in Chernihiv will start reconstruction and upgrade of the city's stadium. In its construction will take part quite a few city residents, public, youth, and Komsomol activists". Over 26 seasons in the USSR championships, Desna played 1,099 matches, of which 380 won, 301 – tied and 418 – lost. They scored 1145 goals, conceded – 1251.
In February, "Avanhard Chernihiv" took part in the winter championship of the Chernihiv Oblast (see Chernihiv Oblast Football Federation), and the team played their first official match on 17 April 1960, in Kirovohrad against the "Zirka" (0:3). The next match, "Avanhard" held a draw with Kyivan "Arsenal" (0:0), and then lost at its home field to "Lokomotyv" out of Vinnytsia (today FC Nyva Vinnytsia) with a score of 0:6. In May 1960, Aleksandr Shchanov was dismissed. The duties of a head coach were performed by his assistant Anatoliy Zhigan, who was approved in this position in July 1960. In its first season in the USSR championship, the team took 16th place out of 17 teams in the 1st zone of the Ukrainian Class B class (second tier) and won relegation playoff against Avanhard Pryluky to stay in the league.
Name Change from "Avanhard Chernihiv" to "FC Desna Chernihiv" In 1961 the team received the name "Desna". According to the results of the 1961 season, Desna took the 5th place in its group and the 10th place in the final of the Ukrainian SSR (class "B"). Among all the Ukrainian teams of the championship of the USSR Chernihiv team was the 13th.
In 1962, the team was coached by Yevgeny Goryansky and in 1965 Desna achieved its highest achievement in the Soviet Union era. Defeating six opponents, including class "A" teams – "Shinnik" and "Neftçi", the team reached the 1/8 finals of the USSR Cup, where they lost to "Kairat" in Almaty with a score 3:4. The following season, the team fought for leadership in the first zone of the Ukrainian class "B" – the winners were given the right to fight for securing the second group of the "A" class (later reorganized into the First League). "Desna" skipped forward only Khmelnitsky "Dynamo", and in the overall standings took the 4th place in the championship of the Ukrainian SSR.
In 1968, Desna, taking fourth place in the final tournament of the best Ukrainian teams of the "B" class, won a ticket to the second group of the "A" class. At the end of the 1970 season, the team took 11th place among 22 teams, but at the end of the year the decision of the new head of the Chernihiv region was to disband the club. In 1972 the city of Chernihiv was represented by a football team called the "team of Chernihiv city" and later renamed as SC Chernihiv. The team represented the Armed Forces of Kiev Military District and better known as SKA Kyiv. The 1976 season was its last season at professional level.
At the same period of time in 1976 "Khimik" Chernihiv, led by the former player of the Desna, Yukhym Shkolnykov, won the Ukrainian SSR championship among the physical culture teams, thus gaining an opportunity to participate at professional level, the Soviet Second League. In 1977 "Desna", the composition of which was formed from the former players of "Khimik" Chernihiv, entered the Soviet Second League. In the season 1981–1982 Oleh Kuznetsov, started his career in FC Desna Chernihiv, as the family moved to Chernihiv and later he played for Dynamo Kyiv, Rangers, Maccabi Haifa and CSKA-Borysfen Kyiv, winning UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, Soviet Top League, Soviet Cup. Scottish Premier Division, Scottish League Cup, Scottish Cup with Rangers. He also got the final with Soviet Union in UEFA Euro 1988 in the West Germany with 11th and 17th places for Ballon d'Or in 1988 and 1989. In summer 1982, the club signed Oleksandr Ryabokon as defender and the team, placed 2nd in the Ukrainian zone of the Second League, won silver medals of the football championship of the Ukrainian SSR. In the season 1983–1984 the team was coached by the experience of Yevgeny Goryansky having coached Soviet Union and clubs like FC Dinamo Minsk, FC Dynamo Moscow, FC Dynamo Kyiv and FC Zenit Leningrad. In 1990 the club got into the semifinal of Cup of the Ukrainian SSR against Naftovyk Okhtyrka. In 1991 he got into the quarterfinal of Cup of the Ukrainian SSR against Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih.
Transition from Soviet competitions to Ukrainian After the collapse of the Soviet Union and the proclamation of Ukraine's independence, Desna started playing in the Ukrainian First League, but in the season 1993/94 it was relegated to the third tier. The coach was Yuriy Hruznov from 1990 to 1993 and the club won the Ukrainian Second League group tournament in the season 1996–97, the team returned to the First League for two seasons. Since 1999, for seven seasons, Chernihiv footballers performed in the Second League. In the Summer 2003, the club acquired the Serbia defender Milan Zagorac and the coach was Vadym Lazorenko from 2002 to 2004. Desna got second in the Ukrainian Second League with Oleksandr Kozhemyachenko top scores with 21 goals and the season 2005–06 finally won the and Ukrainian Second League and the club return the team to the Ukrainian First League in the season 2006–07. First League in the championship of 2005/06 mentors Olexandr Tomakh and Yukhym Shkolnykov were managed.
In summer time 2006, FC Desna signed the professional Forward Andriy Yarmolenko, who played for who played for FC Dynamo Kyiv, Borussia Dortmund and now plays for West Ham United F.C. He also played for under-21 squad for also participated in the 2008 UEFA European Under-19 Championship qualification. He later participated in qualification and finals of the 2011 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship. With the Ukraine National Team, in the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification game against Andorra, Yarmolenko made his first senior appearance for Ukraine and scored in a 5–0 win. On 2 September 2011, in an international friendly against Uruguay in Kharkiv, Yarmolenko set a national team record by scoring 14 seconds into the match, the fastest time in which a Ukraine national team player has scored a goal. UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying, play-off victory over Slovenia to qualify the nation for Euro 2016.
In August 2007 Desna changed its president and the new president became a local activist and businessman Oleksiy Savchenko who headed a public organization "For Chernihiv!".Ексхавбек Десни співпрацює з окупантами на Херсонщині: цьому передував скандал із підкупом суддів у Чернігові. ukrfootball.ua. 1 November 2024 In the 2007/08 season Desna took the 4th place in the Ukrainian First League, which at that time was the best result of the team in the Ukrainian championship. In October 2008 the club's president Oleksiy Savchenko made a huge announcement stating that he paid around $5,000 to $15,000 to referees for the club to get the needed result. The Football Federation of Ukraine (today Ukrainian Association of Football) was not able to ignore such announcement and Hryhoriy Surkis took it under a personal control and called on the General Prosecutor's Office to initiate an investigation. As a result the FFU Control and Disciplinary Commission prohibited Savchenko and former Desna head coach Kucherenko perform any duties connected with football until the end of the investigation. In addition, five Ukrainian referees were suspended of their duties during that time as well. In November 2008 the club's president Oleksiy Savchenko announced that he sold 50% of the club's stock for ₴10 million and the club's co-owner became Ukrainian parliamentarian of Party of Regions Pavlo Klymets who was the owner of "Olimp" company specializing in production of vodka.In Moscow was again arrested Ukrainian millionaire Klymets (В Москве повторно арестовали украинского миллионера Климца). Liga.Bisness. 30 April 2019 Later in 2008 in interview Savchenko denied the fact that he ever stated of "greasing" referees for the club. And he also denied the fact of selling the club stating that he transferred the club to the city authorities for free.
During the winter break of the 2008/09, the Desna leadership changed again and the new president Korotkov invited "experimental" head coach Mykhailo Dunets who in the fall half headed Komunalnyk Luhansk that became insolvent.Михайло Дунець очолив „Десну”. vsim.ua. 18 February 2009 Korotkov already worked with Dunets back in 1990s in Veres. Following the 2008/09 season, Desna faced serious financial crisis and the club's players refused to play due to unpaid wages. In the middle of July 2009 Dunets was forced to take a leave and he tried to fight requesting to be officially relinquished of duties.Михайло Дунець: "Мені повідомили, що я більше не тренер". sportanalytic.com. 20 July 2009 His protest was ignored and few days later Oleksandr Ryabokon became the new head coach. After the end of the 2009/10 season Desna was deprived of professional status due to the fact that it did not pass the certification, but the new authority managed to revive the team and declare it in the Second League.