Many football fans hear the word Arsenal and instantly think of north Londoners Arsenal Football Club. However there is more than one Arsenal: the minnows of Russia, Arsenal Tula, one of the oldest clubs in the country. The Russian Premier League side recaptured their top-flight status this season but there is more the club than meets the eye.
The city of Tula is more famous for its bare knuckle fighting than its football team. Shortly after the end of World War II, in 1945, soldiers found themselves out of work and social disorder was on the rise. Local government officials financed a small football team to be established inside the city in a bid to combat crime and violence in 1946. The club was named FC Zenit Tula and became the first amateur side in the city which is located 120 miles from Moscow and populated by just 500,000 people.
The team played in the South Moscow league until Tula eventually joined the Soviet league in the 1980s. In just 25 years between 1959 and 1984 the club was forced to change it’s name no less than five separate occasions due to boardroom issues and communist involvement. In England, Arsenal had won nine major honours, during which time Tula had become bankrupt and been re-established again.
Unlike Arsene Wenger’s side, Tula have spent a number of years yo-yoing through the divisions and battling a financial uncertainty. Fans have been taken on a rollercoaster in recent years. In 2008 in a bid to re-brand, Tula have been unable to maintain stability in Russian Football, failing to remain in any division for two consevutive seasons since 2011.
In comparison to the English giants, Arsenal have not played outside the top-flight of England since 1919 when Sir Henry Norris famously bribed the English F.A. to have Arsenal elected to First Division. In the five years of Tula’s constant spiraling, the London side have maintained Champions League football annually whilst the Russian outfit have found difficulties in expenditure with players wages the main issue at the club.
Financial woes are not the only matter for concern as last season’s successful Russian Football National League campaign almost seen a miserable end as a racism row in Russia broke out once again. Tula ended the season as the countries top scorers scoring 64 goals in just 38 games.
The feat of achieving promotion almost came undone when a the club were embroiled in another row with their supporters. Two different occasions in the football league saw opposition players racially abused by groups of Tula fans. Authorities were forced to take a stand against the club and private meetings were organised between both parties to discuss the club’s future with the potential of relegation – not promotion – being mentioned as a suitable punishment as Russian football’s governing body prepared to take a firm stance against racism ahead of the 2018 World Cup.
This was not the only time Tula were brought up on charges for abhorrent acts of racism. In April 2015, Tula received a 480,000-ruble (£6,000) fine on charges including failing to secure the stadium properly against Torpedo Moscow. Both clubs were on the verge of relegation from the Russian Premier League and with the scores level at 2-2, both sets of fans attempted to unease the opposition’s players by racially abusing a number of stars. Supporter unrest soon developed and a number of individuals were arrested for their involvement in the incident.
Both Arsenal clubs have a connection to each other, too. Former Arsenal youth player Emmanuel Frimpong was signed by Tula this summer as they were granted permission to continue in the Russian Premier League. Rumours are ripe that the midfielder was chosen by league officials and financed by the league to move to Tula as a propaganda tool to highlight the club’s willingness to provide a platform for black players and further show its governing body was stamping its authority over the club on matters of racism.
Also like London’s Arsenal, Tula are well known for playing an expansive brand of football with the focus being on their attacking intent. In 2014, when the club was relegated from the top flight they scored a paltry 20 goals in 30 games as the club finished bottom of the league. Nonetheless, the club were managed by Dmitri Alenichev who scored Porto’s third goal in the 2004 Champions League final managed by Jose Mourinho.
Alenchiev’s impressive style of management saw Russian giants Spartak Moscow come calling for the former midfielder and he departed the club. Sergei Pavlov was placed in charge with the main objective being promotion to the promised land once again. With the club backed by the Government of Tula, Arsenal suddenly became favourites for promotion with a large financial backing behind them.
Pavlov’s side were promoted and seven games into the domestic season are once again struggling to score at crucial times. Just two goals scored and 10 conceded this season has still seen them obtain five points from a possible 21. They continue to live up to their history of failing at key times and remaining too small to compete at the top.
Arsenal Tula have been the minnows of Russian top-flight football in recent seasons. A club who has struggled to maintain consistency in its own existence added to their constant promotion and relegation campaigns. Supporters have been loyal to the cause for many years, but uncertainty always remains surrounding the club who have verged on bankruptcy too many times than some care to remember.
Unlike English football’s giants, Tula are still yet to claim a major honour in their illustrious history but with players like Emmanuel Frimpong at the helm, we may yet see a change in fortune for the tiny team from Tula.