FC Baltika Kaliningrad

FC Baltika (Russian: Акционерное Общество «Футбольный клуб «Балтика») is a professional association football club based in Kaliningrad, Russia. The club will return to the Russian First League in the 2024–25 season.

Baltika
Full nameFootball Club
Baltika Kaliningrad
Nickname(s)Balda
Founded1954 (1954)
GroundKaliningrad Stadium
Capacity35,016
OwnerKaliningrad/Kaliningrad Oblast
General directorRavil Izmaylov
ManagerAleksandr Grishchenko
LeagueRussian First League
2023–24Russian Premier League, 15th of 16th (relegated)
WebsiteClub website

History

The club was founded on 22 December 1954 as Pishchevik Kaliningrad. In 1958 the club was renamed Baltika.

The team entered the Soviet League in 1957 and played in Class B (1957–1965), Class A, Group 2 (1966–1970), and Second League (1971–1991). The best result was achieved in 1984, when Baltika won the regional group tournament.

In 1992 Baltika entered the Russian Second Division and won the regional tournament and promotion to the First Division. After a fourth-place finish in 1993 and third position in 1994 Baltika won the division in 1995. In 1996 Baltika achieved the best result in club's history, finishing 7th in the Top Division, the Russian Premier League. Baltika were relegated in 1998, spending a total of three seasons in the top flight. In 1998 Baltika participated in the Intertoto Cup and reached the third round.

Since then, Baltika played in the First Division, except for the 2002 and 2005 seasons which they spent in the Second Division.

In 2018–19 Russian Football National League, they finished 16th (a relegation spot). However, PFL zone East winners FC Sakhalin Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk did not apply for the FNL license, keeping Baltika in the league.[1]

On 19 May 2023, Baltika secured a promotion to the Russian Premier League for the first time in 25 years.[2]

In the 2023–24 Russian Cup, Baltika advanced to the Superfinal.[3]

Baltika finished 15th in the league season and was relegated back to second tier after one year in the Premier League.[4]

On 2 June 2024, Baltika lost the 2024 Russian Cup final to Zenit St. Petersburg with the score of 1–2, Baltika initially led 1–0 and conceded two goals in the 81st minute and in the 5th added minute.[5]

League results

Current squad

As of 27 June 2024, according to the official Russian Premier League website.

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
3 DF  RUS Kirill Malyarov
4 DF  FRA Nathan Gassama
5 MF  RUS Aleksandr Osipov
6 MF  RUS Maksim Kuzmin
8 MF  BLR Kirill Kaplenko
11 MF  BLR Yury Kavalyow
13 DF  VEN Diego Luna
16 DF  COL Kevin Andrade
19 MF  RUS Sergei Pryakhin
No. Pos. Nation Player
25 FW  BRA Alex Fernandes
26 DF  SRB Nikola Radmanovac
59 MF  ARM Tigran Avanesyan
67 GK  RUS Maksim Borisko
80 MF  RUS Yaroslav Arbuzov
— MF  RUS Ilya Petrov
— MF  RUS Vladislav Saus
— MF  RUS Timofey Shchelkunov
— MF  RUS Nikolai Titkov (on loan from Lokomotiv Moscow)

Other players under contract

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
— GK  RUS Aleksandr Koryakin
No. Pos. Nation Player
— FW  RUS Gocha Gogrichiani

Out on loan

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
— MF  POR João Lameira (at Oțelul Galați until 30 June 2024)
No. Pos. Nation Player
— MF  RUS Vladislav Lazarev (at Sochi until 30 June 2025)

Reserve team
Further information: FC Baltika-BFU Kaliningrad

Reserve team

Baltika's reserve team played professionally in the Russian Third League in 1994 as FC Baltika-d Kaliningrad and in the Russian Second Division in 2006 and 2007 as FC Baltika-2 Kaliningrad.

Notable players

These players had international caps for their respective countries. Players whose name is listed in bold represented their countries while playing for Baltika.

Club staff
Position Staff
Manager Sergei Ignashevich
Assistant Manager Dmitri Michkov
First-Team Coach Leonid Tkachenko
First-Team Coach Artsyom Buloychyk
Fitness Coach Mikhail Solovey
Club Doctor Ruslan Zasiev
Team Manager Evgeniy Buda

References
  1. "Сахалин" выиграл первенство ПФЛ в зоне "Восток", но не сыграет в ФНЛ [Sakhalin won the PFL East zone, but will not play in the FNL] (in Russian). RIA Novosti. 28 May 2019.
  2. ""Балтика" завоевала право участия в Мир РПЛ" [Baltika secured the right to participate in Mir RPL] (in Russian). Russian Premier League. 19 May 2023.
  3. ""Балтика" вышла в Суперфинал FONBET Кубка России" (in Russian). Russian Football Union. 14 May 2024.
  4. ""Пари НН" и "Урал" – участники переходных матчей за места в Мир РПЛ" [Pari NN and Ural will play in the relegation play-offs] (in Russian). Russian Premier League. 25 May 2024.
  5. "Суперфинал FONBET Кубка России LIVE. Гол Алипа приносит "Зениту" победу" [Russian Cup Superfinal: Alip goal gives Zenit the victory] (in Russian). Russian Football Union. 2 June 2024.
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