FC Rubin Kazan (, Futbolny klub Rubin Kazan , Tatar: Рубин Казан) is a Russian professional football club based in the city of Kazan. They play in the second-tier Russian First League. Founded in 1958, Rubin played its first-ever top flight season in 2003. It has remained there through the 2021–22 season, winning the Russian Premier League championship in 2008 and 2009. The club also won the 2011–12 Russian Cup. The team plays in the Ak Bars Arena. History FC Rubin Kazan was previously called Iskra from 1958 to 1964 and Rubin-TAN from 1992 to 1993. The name Rubin means "Ruby". Having never played in the Soviet Top League, the football club joined the Russian First Division in 1992 and fell to the Russian Second Division in 1994. The mayor of Kazan at the time, Kamil Iskhakov, purchased the team in 1996. Rubin won the Second Division in 1997 and was promoted back to the First Division the following season. The next four seasons, the team finished above 8th place. Finally winning the title in 2002, Rubin was promoted to the Russian Premier League for the first time in 2003. Rubin finished third in its debut season to qualify for the UEFA Cup. The team faced a setback in the 2004 campaign finishing in 10th place, but 2005 saw them finish fourth, again qualifying the team for the UEFA Cup. The Flower of Sentyabrev's Epoch (1958–1965) The year of 1958 came, and the team formed a part of Class B of the USSR Championship, because of successful performances and the Class B expanding. The debut was on 20 April in Kherson. The team lost to local "Spartak" 2–4. In 1958 "Iskra" took 14th place. In 1959 "Iskra" was headed by a 50-year-old specialist Nikolay Sentyabrev. Within the next 12 years the post of a head coach of the team was occupied. The 1960 season was even more successful. After the first round having only one defeat from "Zvezda" (Perm) the kazanners were among the leaders of the zone. But during the second half "Iskra" improved and finished 4th. In 1960, Tsentralnyi stadium was founded. On 21 August 1960 "Iskra" played a debut game in a new arena against Metallurg (Kamensk-Uralsky) – 2–1. In 1961 the kazanners again spent the strong first half of the championship and looked much worse in the second round. The gap from the leaders was one