PFC CSKA Sofia facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
PFC CSKA Sofia

Full name	Професионален Футболен Клуб ЦСКА София Professional Football Club CSKA Sofia
Nickname(s)	Армейците (The Аrmy) Червените (The Reds)
Short name	CSKA Sofia
Founded	5 May 1948; 77 years ago (1948-05-05)
Ground	Vasil Levski National Stadium New Bulgarian Army Stadium (under construction)
Ground Capacity	43,230
Owner	National Fund for Sports, Culture, Art, and Science
Head coach	Aleksandar Tomash
League	First League
2023–24	First League, 3rd of 16
Home colours Away colours Third colours

CSKA Sofia (Bulgarian: ЦСКА София) is a famous professional football club from Sofia, Bulgaria. It plays in Bulgaria's top football league, called the First League. The name CSKA means Central Sports Club of the Army. It was named after the Bulgarian Army. CSKA is known as the most successful football club in Bulgaria. This is according to the International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS).

The club was officially started on May 5, 1948. But its history goes back to an army officers' club from 1923. CSKA has won a record 31 Bulgarian league titles. They have also won 21 Bulgarian Cups. In international games, CSKA is the only Bulgarian club to reach the semi-finals of the European Cup. They did this twice! They also reached the semi-final of the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup once.

CSKA's home colors are red and white. Their home stadium is the Bulgarian Army Stadium. The club's biggest rivals are Levski Sofia. Games between these two teams are called "The Eternal Derby of Bulgaria".

How CSKA Sofia Started

Early Years (1923–1948)

In November 1923, two football clubs, Athletic Sofia and Slava Sofia, joined together. They formed a new club called AS-23. This name stood for Officers' Sports Club Athletic Slava 1923. The Ministry of War supported them and provided equipment.

AS-23 won their first Bulgarian championship in 1931. They also won The Tsar's Cup that year. They won another Tsar's Cup in 1941. The club's stadium, built in 1938, was called Athletic Park. It was located where the Bulgarian Army Stadium is today.

In November 1944, AS-23, Shipka, and Spartak (Poduene) merged. They formed a new club called Chavdar Sofia.

Becoming CDV and Septemvri pri CDV (1948–1962)

In February 1948, Chavdar became the club for the Central House of the Troops. Its name changed to CDV. To make the club stronger, CDV decided to merge with another team. In May 1948, CDV and Septemvri Sofia joined forces. They called themselves "Septemvri pri CDV". This merger happened on May 5, 1948. This date is now the official founding day of the club.

The club played its first official match on May 19, 1948. They tied 1–1 with Slavia Sofia. Septemvri pri CDV reached the final. They played against Levski Sofia. In the second and deciding match, a late goal by Nako Chakmakov secured their first ever title!

In 1950, the club's name changed to C.D.N.V. (Central House of the People's Troops). They won two league titles in a row. In 1951, they won both the league and the cup. This is called a "double". In 1953, the club was renamed again to Otbor na Sofiyskiya Garnizon. Many key players were moved away. They lost the title that year.

The next year, the club became CDNA (Central House of the People's Army). From 1954 to 1962, the team had amazing success. They won nine league titles in a row! This was a record in Bulgarian football for 60 years. In 1956, they played in the European Cup. They reached the quarter-finals.

European Success and Name Changes (1960s-1980s)

In 1962, CDNA merged again and became CSKA Cherveno Zname. The club had a tough season in 1963–64. They finished 11th, which was their worst performance ever. This led to their long-time coach, Krum Milev, leaving after 16 years.

CSKA won the title again in 1966. In the 1966–67 season, CSKA made history. They reached the semi-finals of the European Cup. They played against the strong Italian team Inter. After two ties, CSKA lost a third deciding match.

In 1968, CSKA merged with Septemvri Sofia again. They became CSKA Septemvriysko Zname. They won the league title in 1969. This was helped by Petar Zhekov, who became Bulgaria's top goalscorer for many years.

The 1970s were a great time for CSKA in Europe. They won three league titles in a row from 1971 to 1973. They also surprised everyone in the 1973–74 European Cup. They beat the famous Ajax team, who were European champions.

They then played against German champions Bayern Munich. CSKA lost the first game but won the second. They were eliminated but showed their strength. Between 1975 and 1979, they won two more domestic titles.

The 1980–81 season was also special. CSKA won the Bulgarian title. They also beat European champions Nottingham Forest twice. They were stopped by Liverpool in the European Cup quarter-finals.

The next season, CSKA reached the European Cup semi-finals again. They beat Liverpool this time! In the semi-final, they faced Bayern Munich again. CSKA led 3–0 early in the first game in Sofia. But Bayern came back, and CSKA won 4–3. In Munich, CSKA lost 4–0. This ended their deepest run in the European Cup.

In 1985, there was a big event. CSKA played against Levski in the Bulgarian Cup final. The game was very intense. After the match, both teams were temporarily disbanded. CSKA was renamed Sredets. Some players, like Hristo Stoichkov, were banned. But a year later, these decisions were reversed.

In 1987, the club was renamed CFKA Sredets. Under coach Dimitar Penev, they won titles in 1987 and 1989. They also reached the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup semi-finals in 1989. They played against Barcelona. Barcelona won both matches. But Barcelona's coach, Johan Cruyff, noticed Hristo Stoichkov. Stoichkov later joined Barcelona and became a global star.

Changes and Challenges (1990s-2000s)

After communism ended, Bulgarian football changed a lot. The name CSKA was brought back in 1989. They won the league title again in 1990. In 1992, CSKA won another title.

In 1994, CSKA beat Juventus 3–2 in the 1994–95 UEFA Cup. But the result was cancelled. This was because of a problem with a player's registration. Juventus was given a 3–0 win.

In 1995, CSKA brought in many talented young Bulgarian players. Coach Georgi Vasilev led them to win both the league and the cup in the 1996–97 season. This is another "double". They then played in the Champions League qualifiers. They lost to Steaua București.

In 1998, Dimitar Penev returned as coach. Young talents like Martin Petrov, Stilian Petrov, and Dimitar Berbatov started playing more. In 1999, businessman Vasil Bozhkov became the club owner.

In the early 2000s, CSKA had many coach changes. In 2002, former CSKA player Stoycho Mladenov became coach. Under him, the team won 13 games in a row. They won the league title in 2003, their first since 1997. But Mladenov was fired the next season.

In 2005, CSKA won their 30th league title with Serbian coach Miodrag Ješić. In the 2005–06 UEFA Champions League, CSKA played against European champions Liverpool. They lost the first game in Sofia. But they won the second game 1–0 at Anfield, Liverpool's home stadium!

In the UEFA Cup, CSKA beat Bayer Leverkusen twice. They reached the group stage. They finished second in the league that season.

In December 2006, Pramod Mittal became the new owner. Aleksandar Tomov became president. In the 2007–08 season, CSKA won the league title. They finished 16 points ahead of Levski and did not lose a single match!

On May 5, 2008, the club celebrated its 60th birthday. They built an alley of fame for their best players. A special match was played with football stars.

Financial Troubles and Comeback (2008-2016)

In June 2008, CSKA faced big problems. UEFA said the club could not play in the 2008–09 UEFA Champions League. This was because of unpaid debts. Many key players left the club. Coach Stoycho Mladenov also left. The future of CSKA looked very uncertain.

Dimitar Penev became coach again. He had to rely on young players from the youth team. Despite the problems, CSKA won the Bulgarian Supercup in August 2008. They beat Litex 1–0.

In 2009, CSKA reached the group stage of the 2009–10 UEFA Europa League. They played against strong teams like Roma and Fulham. They tied their first game against Fulham. But they didn't get more points and left the competition.

In 2010, Milen Radukanov became coach. Under him, CSKA won the Bulgarian Cup in 2011. They also won the Bulgarian SuperCup.

In 2012, CSKA was surprisingly eliminated from European football by a Slovenian team. In the domestic league, they had a slow start. But they beat rivals Levski 1–0 in the Eternal Derby.

In 2013, the club had serious financial problems. They had to withdraw from the 2013–14 UEFA Europa League. Fans protested. On July 10, 2013, the club was bought by the Red Champions Group. This group included businessmen and former club legends. Stoycho Mladenov was hired as manager again.

The club signed new players. They beat Levski 3–0 in October 2013. Fans started calling them The Phoenixes, like a bird rising from ashes. By the end of the season, CSKA beat Levski three more times. They finished second in the league.

In 2014, CSKA became the first club in Eastern Europe to be publicly traded. This means people could buy shares in the club.

Before the new season, some key players left. CSKA was eliminated from the 2014–15 UEFA Europa League by a Moldovan team. They started the domestic league well. But then they lost three games in a row. Coach Stoycho Mladenov resigned. Lyuboslav Penev became coach again.

In April 2015, the club's ownership changed. CSKA finished fifth in the league. But because of their debts, the football union did not give them a license for the top league. CSKA was sent to the third tier of Bulgarian football.

On June 24, 2015, businessman Grisha Ganchev became the new owner. Former player Hristo Yanev became head coach. He wanted a team made only of Bulgarian players.

On May 25, 2016, CSKA Sofia won the 2015–16 Bulgarian Cup. They were the first third-division club to do this! In the final, CSKA beat Montana 1–0. This was their 20th Bulgarian Cup win.

Later in 2016, the club made a big change. To play in the top league, they used the professional license of another club, Litex Lovech. The old CSKA club went bankrupt. The new club, called "PFC CSKA-Sofia EAD", became the official successor.

Recent Years (2017-Present)

After some difficult results, Hristo Yanev resigned as coach. Edward Iordănescu became coach but also resigned later.

In September 2017, CSKA got a sponsorship deal with Mtel, a big telecommunications company. They also signed with WinBet, an online gambling company.

In October 2018, the company holding PFC CSKA-Sofia EAD bought the CSKA Sofia brand. This made them officially the successor of the original club. Most fans and former players accepted this.

The 2020s marked CSKA's return to European group stages. They reached the group stage of the 2020-21 Europa League. This was their first time in ten years!

Stoycho Mladenov became head coach for the fifth time in 2021. CSKA reached the group stage of the UEFA Europa Conference League.

In April 2022, Mladenov resigned. Alan Pardew became the first English manager of CSKA. However, Pardew resigned two months later. This happened after a racist incident involving some CSKA fans.

For the 2022-23 season, Serbian football legend Saša Ilić managed the club. The team came very close to winning the title. They lost it in the final match by just one point.

League Performance Over Time

Club Trophies and Wins

Domestic Trophies

Bulgarian A Group (League Titles):

• Champions (31 times) (a record!): 1948, 1951, 1952, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1958–59, 1959–60, 1960–61, 1961–62, 1965–66, 1968–69, 1970–71, 1971–72, 1972–73, 1974–75, 1975–76, 1979–80, 1980–81, 1981–82, 1982–83, 1986–87, 1988–89, 1989–90, 1991–92, 1996–97, 2002–03, 2004–05, 2007–08

Bulgarian V Group (Third Tier League):

• Champions (1 time): 2015–16

Bulgarian Cup:

• Winners (21 times): 1951, 1954, 1955, 1960–61, 1964–65, 1968–69, 1971–72, 1972–73, 1973–74, 1982–83, 1984–85, 1986–87, 1987–88, 1988–89, 1992–93, 1996–97, 1998–99, 2005–06, 2010–11, 2015–16, 2020–21

Bulgarian Supercup:

• Winners (4 times): 1989, 2006, 2008, 2011

Other Bulgarian Cups:

• Bulgarian Cup (secondary competition) Winners (1 time) (shared record): 1980-81
• Cup of the Soviet Army Winners (4 times) (record): 1984–85, 1985-86, 1988-89, 1989–90

European Trophies

European Cup / UEFA Champions League:

• Semi-finals (2 times): 1966–67, 1981–82
• Quarter-finals (4 times): 1956–57, 1973–74, 1980–81, 1989–90

UEFA Cup / UEFA Europa League:

• Round of 32 (3 times): 1984–85, 1991–92, 1998–99
• Group stage (4 times): 2005–06, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2020–21

European Cup Winners' Cup / UEFA Cup Winners' Cup:

• Semi-finals (1 time): 1988–89

UEFA Europa Conference League:

• Group stage (1 time): 2021–22

Biggest Wins in European Games:

• UEFA Champions League – 8–1 in 1956–57 vs Dinamo București
• UEFA Europa League – 8–0 in 2000–01 vs Constructorul; 5–0 in 1999–00 vs Portadown
• UEFA Cup Winners' Cup – 9–0 in 1970–71 vs Haka; 8–0 in 1993–94 vs Balzers; 5–0 in 1988–89 vs Inter Bratislava
• UEFA Europa Conference League – 4–0 in 2022–23 vs Makedonija GP
• UEFA Intertoto Cup – 4–1 in 1996 vs Hibernians

Other Trophies

CSKA Sofia has also won many other friendly tournaments and smaller cups:

• Tournament for Stalin's Birthday, Bulgaria: 1951
• Tournament in Antwerp, Belgium: 1958
• Allied Armies Spartakiade: 1958
• Republican Spartakiad, Bulgaria: 1959
• Mohammed V Trophy, Morocco: 1967
• Trofeo Ciudad de Palma, Spain: 1970, 1971
• Blitz Tournament Smolyan, Bulgaria: 1976
• Trofeo Costa de Valencia, Spain: 1976
• Trofeo Ciudad de Zaragoza, Spain: 1977
• Cup Olympic Fire, Bulgaria: 1980
• Torneio Costa Azul, Portugal: 1989, 1991
• Tournament Shumen, Bulgaria: 1993
• Cup Grand-hotel Varna, Bulgaria: 1995
• PlayStation Cup, Bulgaria: 2002, 2005, 2006, 2007 (a record!)
• Thöle-Pokal, Germany: 2003
• Arona Cup, Spain: 2004
• Аrcadia Cup, Turkey: 2007
• Sporx Cup, Netherlands and Germany: 2007
• IFC Pego Cup, Spain: 2008 (a record!)
• Albena Cup, Bulgaria: 2009
• Martyrs of 17 February Cup, Libya: 2012
• Tournament Tsarsko selo, Bulgaria: 2016
• Stubai Cup, Austria: 2017

Club Badge and Its Meaning

The main part of the CSKA Sofia badge is a red five-pointed star. This star stands for glory and power. The color red was used by ancient Roman soldiers. It is also linked to love, freedom, and strength.

Above the star are six oak leaves. These leaves represent strength, lasting power, and traditions. The club's name, CSKA, and its founding year, 1948, are below the star. They are placed between two Bulgarian flags. The round shape of the badge means infinity and forever.

After CSKA won its 30th national title in 2005, three golden stars were added to the logo. In 2017, for the club's 70th birthday, CSKA updated its badge again.

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  "Atletik – Slava (AS`23)" (1923–44)

• 

  "Chavdar (from 1948 – CDV)" (1944–48)

• 

  "Septemvri pri CDV" (1948–49)

• 

  "CDNV" (1950–1953)

• 

  "CDNA" (1954–1962)

• 

  "CSKA Cherveno Zname" (1962–1968)

• 

  "CSKA Cherveno Zname" alternative (1964–1968)

• 

  "CSKA Cherveno Zname" alternative (1965–1968)

• 

  "CSKA Septemvriysko Zname" (1968–1985)

• 

  "CSKA Septemvriysko Zname" alternative (1968–1985)

• 

  "CSKA Septemvriysko Zname" European championships (1968–1985)

• 

  "CFKA Sredets" (1985–1989)

• 

  "CSKA" (1987–1988) and (1990–1998)

• 

  "CSKA" (1998)

• 

  "CSKA" (1989) and (1998–2005)

• 

  "CSKA" (2005–2017)

• 

  "CSKA" (2017–2019)

• 

  "CSKA" (2019–present)

Club Names Through History

CSKA has had many different names over the years. Here they are in order:

• Septemvri pri CDV (Bulgarian: Септември при ЦДВ), meaning September at the Central House of the Troops in 1948 and 1948/49.
• Narodna Voiska (Bulgarian: Народна Войска), meaning People's Troops in 1950.
• C.D.N.V. (Bulgarian: Централен Дом на Народната Войска, Ц.Д.Н.В.), meaning Central House of the People's Troops in 1951 and 1952.
• Otbor na Sofiyskiya Garnizon (Bulgarian: Отбор на Софийския Гарнизон), meaning Team of the Sofia's garrison in 1953.
• CDNA (Bulgarian: ЦДНА, Централен Дом на Народната Армия), meaning Central House of the People's Army from 1954 until the 1961/62 season.
• CSKA "Cherveno zname" (Bulgarian: ЦСКА „Червено знаме“), meaning CSKA "Red Flag" between 1962/63 and 1967/68.
• CSKA "Septemvriysko zname" (Bulgarian: ЦСКА „Септемврийско знаме“), meaning CSKA "September's flag" between 1968/69 and 1984/85.
• CFKA "Sredets" (Bulgarian: ЦФКА „Средец“), meaning Central Football Club of the Army "Sredets" from 1985/86 until 1988/89.
• CSKA (Bulgarian: ЦСКА), meaning CSKA – Central Sports Club of the Army since 1989/90.

Team Uniforms and Sponsors

CSKA's home color is red, chosen after the merger in 1948. White is their usual away color. Sometimes, black is used for away or third kits. Other colors like grey, yellow, orange, and green have been used rarely for third kits. In the 2009–10 season, CSKA used gold for their away kits for the first time.

CSKA Sofia in European Competitions

Updated as of August 3, 2023

Competition	S	P	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD
UEFA Champions League / European Cup	25	98	41	16	41	140	144	–4
UEFA Cup Winners' Cup / European Cup Winners' Cup	5	22	12	0	10	49	29	+20
UEFA Europa League / UEFA Cup	25	116	40	34	42	148	140	+8
UEFA Europa Conference League	3	20	5	5	10	18	27	−9
UEFA Intertoto Cup	1	4	2	1	1	8	4	+4
Total	59	260	100	56	104	363	344	+19

UEFA Ranking

This table shows how CSKA Sofia ranks among European football clubs. Source: [1]

Rank	Team	Points
112	Wolfsberger AC	13.500
113	Maccabi Haifa	13.000
113	CSKA Sofia	13.000
115	Sturm Graz	12.500
115	Fehérvár	12.500

Players on the Team

Current Squad

No. Position Player 1 GK Gustavo Busatto (vice-captain) 2 DF Lachezar Ivanov 3 DF Sainey Sanyang 4 DF Hristiyan Petrov 5 DF Lumbardh Dellova 6 DF Liam Cooper (captain) 7 MF Olaus Skarsem 8 MF Stanislav Shopov 9 FW Zymer Bytyqi 10 MF Jonathan Lindseth 11 FW Matthias Phaëton 12 GK Marin Orlinov 13 DF Brayan Córdoba 14 MF Tobias Heintz 15 DF Thibaut Vion 16 MF Georgi Chorbadzhiyski

No. Position Player 18 DF Mica Pinto 19 DF Ivan Turitsov 20 DF Martin Stoychev 22 FW Jason Lokilo 23 FW Ilian Antonov 24 MF Yulian Iliev 25 GK Ivan Dyulgerov 26 MF Marcelino Carreazo 28 FW Mark-Emilio Papazov 29 FW Ivan Tasev 30 MF Petko Panayotov 45 FW Aaron Leya Iseka 73 MF Ilian Iliev Jr. 77 FW Goduine Koyalipou 91 FW Yoan Bornosuzov 99 MF James Eto'o

For recent player changes, see Transfers winter 2023–24 and Transfers summer 2024.

Other Players Under Contract

No. Position Player 17 DF Emanuel Šakić 21 MF Amos Youga

No. Position Player GK Dimitar Evtimov

Reserve Team and Youth Academy

CSKA Sofia also has a reserve team and a youth academy. This is where young players learn and grow.

No. Position Player DF Rosen Marinov MF Nasko Tsekov

No. Position Player MF Aleksandar Buchkov FW Pavel Zhabov

Foreign Players

Football leagues have rules about how many foreign players a team can have. In the Bulgarian First League, teams can register up to 20 foreign players. However, only five players from outside the EU/EEA can play in a match. Players with European family history might be able to get citizenship from that country. If a player doesn't have European family, they can get Bulgarian citizenship after playing in Bulgaria for 5 years.

Players from EU/EEA Countries Emanuel Šakić Aaron Iseka Thibaut Vion Mica Pinto Tobias Heintz Jonathan Lindseth Olaus Skarsem

Players with Dual Citizenship (EU/EEA) Gustavo Busatto James Eto'o Amos Youga Goduine Koyalipou Jason Lokilo Matthias Phaëton Zymer Bytyqi

Players from Non-EU/EEA Countries Marcelino Carreazo Brayan Córdoba Sainey Sanyang Lumbardh Dellova Liam Cooper

The Bulgarian Army Stadium

The Bulgarian Army Stadium is CSKA's home ground. It was finished in 1967. It stands in the same place as the old Athletic Park stadium. The stadium is in Borisova gradina park in Sofia's city center. The park is named after Bulgarian tsar Boris III.

The stadium has four sections with 22,995 total spots. About 18,495 of these are seats. 2,100 seats are covered. The football field is 105 meters long and 68 meters wide.

The sports complex also has a basketball court and gymnastics areas. There is also the CSKA Sofia Museum of Glory. The room for press conferences has 80 seats.

CSKA Sofia Supporters

CSKA Sofia is one of the most popular clubs in Bulgaria. It has about 190,000 organized fans in 799 fan clubs. These fan clubs are all over the world! They are in places like the United States, North Macedonia, Spain, and the United Kingdom.

The official fan club started in 1990. It is the oldest fan club in Sofia. Sector G is where the most passionate CSKA fans, called ultras, gather. It is on the north side of the stadium. The main group there is "Ofanziva". Another strong group is "Animals".

Even the late head of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Neophyte, was a fan of CSKA.

Club Managers Over Time

Here are the last 10 managers of CSKA Sofia:

Name	Nat	From	To	Honours
Daniel Morales (caretaker)		October 26, 2020	November 11, 2020	—
Bruno Akrapović		November 11, 2020	March 28, 2021	—
Lyuboslav Penev		March 28, 2021	July 26, 2021	1 Bulgarian Cup
Stoycho Mladenov		July 26, 2021	April 14, 2022	—
Alan Pardew		April 15, 2022	June 1, 2022	—
Saša Ilić		June 2, 2022	July 28, 2023	—
Nestor El Maestro		July 29, 2023	April 14, 2024	—
Stamen Belchev (caretaker)		April 15, 2024	May 31, 2024	—
Tomislav Stipić		June 4, 2024	August 28, 2024	—
Aleksandar Tomash		August 28, 2024	Present

Club Kits and Colors

After the merger in 1948, red became the club's home color. White was chosen for the away kit.

In the past, black was also used, mostly for away or third kits. Sometimes, other colors like grey, yellow, orange, and green have appeared in the third kits. For the first time in the 2009–10 season, CSKA used gold for their away kits.

From June 2012, the Italian company Legea became the new kit supplier. The team first used the new equipment in a friendly match. The official new kits were shown before a friendly game on July 14, 2012.

Club Anthem

The official song of CSKA Sofia is "Sartsa cherveni" (meaning "Red hearts"). It is sung by the famous Bulgarian singer Yordanka Hristova. The song was written in 1999.

See also

In Spanish: PFC CSKA Sofía para niños