Football Club Aktobe (Kazakh:Aqtóbe Fýtbol Klýby), commonly referred to asFC Aktobe or simplyAktobe, is a professionalfootball club based inAktobe. They last played in theKazakhstan Premier League, the highest level ofKazakh football. Formed asAktyubinets in 1967, they becameAktobemunai in 1996,Aktobe in 1997,Aktobe-Lento in 2000 and finallyAktobe again in 2005. Their home ground is the 13,500 seatCentral Stadium.
Aktobe was founded in 1967 as Aktyubinets. They played their first three seasons in theClass B Division, fourth tier of theSoviet League system. For the next 7 seasons, they were not active in official tournaments. In 1976, the club joined theSoviet Second League, to play in its Zone 7, and in 1981, they won the championship . In 1990, the team recorded a 10–0 victory overBulat, which remains the club's biggest victory on record. In the 1991 season, the last year of Soviet League existence, the club won Zone 8 Championship.[1]
Following thedissolution of the Soviet Union, the club joined the newly formedKazakhstan Premier League. In 1994, Aktyubinets reachedKazakhstan Cup final, which they lost toVostok with a score of 0–1. In 1996, the club changed name to Aktobemunai. However, after one season they renamed again to Aktobe. As the result of reduction of league teams in 1997, Aktobe was relegated to theKazakhstan First Division. In the 2000 season, the club won Kazakhstan First Division and were promoted to the Kazakhstan Premier League.[1]
On 20 July 2015,Ioan Andone was appointed as the club's manager.[3] After finishing Third in the league, on 10 November 2015, Andone left the club after his contract wasn't extended.[4]On 22 December 2015,Yuri Utkulbayev was announced as Aktobe new manager.[5]Ihor Rakhayev replaced Utkulbayev prior to the start of the2017 season.[6]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
^По обоюдному согласию.fc-aktobe.kz (in Russian). FC Aktobe. 10 November 2015. Archived fromthe original on 22 November 2015. Retrieved10 November 2015.