The club was founded in 1977 as Strela Chelyabinsk. From 1977 to 1989 the club played in the regional leagues, and won the league title in 1980. The club also played the regional final 5 times, winning it in 1986 and 1987. In 1990 the club was renamed to Zenit Chelyabinsk. It was promoted to the second-highest level, Russian First Division, in 1992. The following year, the club was relegated.

In 2009 the club was renamed to its current name, FC Chelyabinsk. The club made a great run in the 2009–10 Russian Cup, reaching the round of 16. Chelyabinsk entered the competition in the second round, where they beat FC Tyumen. In the third round, they defeated Gornyak Uchaly, and in the fourth round, they eliminated Gazovik Orenburg 4–1. In the fifth round, they defeated second division club FC KAMAZ. Now in the round of 32, the club produced a massive upset when they beat Russian Premier League club PFC Krylia. Their run came to an end in the round of 16, where Mordovia Saransk defeated them 2–0.^[1]

As of 22 February 2024, according to the Second League website.

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

Out on loan edit

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

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