Thread by @PausaFutbol

The story of Tavria Simferopol and how the Russian control of Crimea divided a club into two.

[THREAD]

#PausaHistoria

Simferopol is the 2nd largest city in the Crimean peninsula. It was named by Russian Empress Catherine the Great in 1784. The name comes from Greek as Συμφερόπολις (Simferopolis) and translates to “the city of usefulness”, highlighting its strategic importance.

In 1958, the city witnessed the birth of a football club named Avanhard Simferopol. Around 5 yrs later, it was renamed to Tavriya Simferopol. Their time would be spent between the Soviet Union’s 1st and 2nd divisions in the years to come with them winning the 2nd division in 1980

With the Ukranian independence from USSR, 1992 saw the first national league being played. Tavriya stunned everyone by beating Dynamo Kyiv to the title. They did so under the management of Simferopol born Anatoliy Zayaev.

Although they were never able to replicate this amazing achievement, Tavriya were a regular first division side for years to come. Until 2014, they were among only 5 Ukranian clubs to have played every season in the top flight since its inception in 1992.

In 2014, Ukraine saw widespread protests against the central govt, which was quickly followed by a Russian military intervention that now proclaimed the Crimean peninsula as a part of Russia. Against this, EU quickly imposed sanctions in the region to delegitimize the act.

Naturally, Tavriya and its fans found themselves in the middle of a massive storm. Many of the pro-Ukraine ultras fled northward to escape Russian control while others stayed behind. EU sanctions ensured UEFA would not recognize a Crimean club playing in the Russian league.

So the Russian authorities gathered 8 clubs and started the new Crimean Premier League. Among these 8 clubs was FC TSK Simferopol - a new club founded for the remaining Tavriya fans in the city. So far they have won 1 league title back in 2015/16.

The fans who had fled to northern or western Ukraine decided to run a new club out of the southern city of Beryslav - about 240km from Simferopol. They named it SC Tavriya. Many of the original Tavriya players and staff joined this club and continue to be a part of it.

SC Tavriya began its new life in 2016/17 season of the 4th division of Ukranian football among various amateur clubs. They quickly got promoted and have been playing in the 3rd division since.

To this day Tavriya remain the only club outside the big 2 (Dynamo Kyiv & Shakhtar Donetsk) to have won the Ukranian top flight. But regional chaos has ripped the club and its fans into 2 distinct pieces and whether they can ever merge again remains a question worth pondering.

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Pic credits : @FutbolgradLive