Sports Club Levski was founded by a group of football-mad students in Sofia. The club’s name was chosen in honor of the Bulgarian revolutionary Vasil Levski, and was officially registered on May 24, 1914.
For many different generations of Bulgarians, Vasil Levski is Bulgaria’s greatest historical figure and thus its appropriate for Bulgaria’s foremost club to be named after such an esteemed national figure.
An ideologist, revolutionary and national leader Levski brought strategy to a revolutionary movement which aimed to liberate Bulgaria from Ottoman rule. Born Vasil Ivanov Kunchev on July 18th, 1837 he was a handsome figure and earned the nickname ‘lion like’. But his life lasted only until 36 years of age when he was hanged by the Turks in Sofia.
Levski Sofia v Cherno More Varna
Vivacom Arena – Georgi Asparuhov
First Professional Football League
Wednesday 31st May 2017 KO 8 pm (Local time)
If Vasil Levski is Bulgaria’s greatest ever historical figure then its greatest footballer was Georgi Asparuhov. The most prolific Balkan forward of his generation, Asparuhov was known for his finishing, super technique and heading ability. Such was his skill he was tracked by AC Milan and many other European giants only for his life (like Vasil Levski) to be cut short in tragic circumstances.
Asparuhov was named the greatest Bulgarian footballer ever during the later years of the 20th century ahead of Hristo Stoichkov.
How fitting then that the home stadium is now named in his honor and a huge image of the player adorns one side of the stadium. These days the ground is the ‘Vivacom Arena – Georgi Asparuhov’ and is located in the north-east of Sofia some 35 minutes walk from the central ‘Sredets’ metro stop.
Like many clubs in eastern Europe, the stadium is not only a football venue but also a sporting complex for a club that recently celebrated its 100th birthday. The complex around the stadium allows scope for gymnastics, boxing, weightlifting and volleyball all sports in which Levski participates.
Recent decades have seen a number of reconstructions with a new scoreboard in the shape of the iconic ‘L’. Older terraces and stand areas have been removed to make way for improved corporate areas including sky boxes and business facilities.
The evening sun had begun setting as both teams appeared onto the expansive pitch.
It was, however, a sparse crowd of less than 1,000 that watched on, the traditional home end empty of the most fanatical supporters. Not four days previously CSKA Sofia, the eternal city rivals of Levski, had won another Eternal Derby 3-1
This result and the midweek kick-off impacted the number of supporters that were in attendance.
By 8pm the floodlights were on and darkness was creeping up on the teams. The pitch was perfect with the grass perfectly cut for the football.
In the southern part of the stadium, about 10 fans of the Varna side stood watching on gaining perfect sight of what was left of the evening sun.
Named after the Black Sea on which the city of Varna sits (in the same way Chernomorets Odessa are named in Crimea) the Bulgarian club is also known by its nickname ‘The Sailors’.
PFC Cherno More is one of the largest clubs in Bulgaria outside of the capital sides and this season they have managed to challenge both CSKA, Levski and Ludogorets at the highest end of the Bulgarian league.
Given the end of season nature of this clash, it was unsurprising that it was a rather passionless affair with both teams looking as if they would rather be on a beach. Having said that, the game witnessed some horrendous abusive racial chanting by home fans towards one of its own players.
Young Nigerian striker Tunde Adiniji were racially abused each time he touched the ball.
At half time the visitors were ahead.
Martin Kostadinov had given the away side a 40th-minute lead and one which was not unexpected given the pressure that the visiting team had on the home goal.
It took until the 74th minute for Levski to find an equaliser from Kabov although that lasted all of three minutes when Kasabov again gave PFC Cherno More the lead.
Fittingly, the equaliser and final goal of the night was the best of the lot.
A crashing 30 yard shot from vice-captain – the Serb Prochazka – brought the home team level giving Levski fans some cheer after the painful derby loss the previous weekend.
The Georgi Asparuhov Stadium is an open bowl of a stadium without a roof and it looks likely that a number of improvements will be made over the next 10 years. With the fantastic facilities on offer at the Vasil Levski Stadium in central Sofia (where many of the local derby matches are played) the home of Levski Sofia remains a hot one for visitors but second choice compared to the national stadium.
The Bulgarian First Professional Football League is not one of Europe’s best. But Levski has attained respectable results in the Champions League as have Ludogorets Razgrad.
With fourteen teams currently competing each week, the league was previously known as A Group until the Bulgarian Top Tier was fully restructured during the summer of 2016.
Club licensing was strengthened as was the format with new play off systems introduced.
While historically CSKA, Levski and Slavia remain Bulgaria’s most successful football clubs, it might be some time until Ludogorets are toppled from the pinnacle of the current league set up. The club from Razgrad are flush with cash from successive participations in the Champions League and Europa League.
They have by far the strongest squad of players.
Levski: Krastev, Alexandrov, Minev, Aleksandrov, Pirgov, Prochazka, Borimirov, Navdenov, Kabov, Ivanov, Adeniji Coach: Mitov
Cherno More: Mihaylov, Sukun, Tombak, Baldzhivski, Tsetkov, Hlunik, Kostadinov, Minchev, Kuzma, Voskov, Yanchev Coach: Ivanov
Att: 650
