PFC Levski Sofia facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Levski Sofia

Full name	Професионален Футболен Клуб „Левски“ София Professional Football Club Levski Sofia
Nickname(s)	Сините (The Blues) Отбора на народа (The Team of the People) Синята лавина (The Blue Avalanche)
Founded	24 May 1914; 111 years ago (1914-05-24)
Ground	Stadion Georgi Asparuhov
Ground Capacity	18,000
Shareholders	Nasko Sirakov (86.6%) Blue Bulgaria Trust (10%) Minority shareholders (3.4%)
Chairman	Nasko Sirakov
Head coach	Stanislav Genchev
League	First League
2023–24	First League, 4th of 16
Home colours Away colours Third colours

PFC Levski Sofia is a professional football club from Sofia, Bulgaria. They play in the First League, which is the top football league in Bulgaria. The club was started on May 24, 1914, by a group of high school students. It is named after Vasil Levski, a famous Bulgarian revolutionary and national hero.

Levski Sofia has won many awards, with a total of 74 trophies! This includes 26 national championships, 26 national cups, and 3 supercups. They have also won the "double" (both the league and cup) 13 times and even a "treble" (three major trophies in one season) once. Levski is the only Bulgarian football club that has never been moved down to a lower division since the league system began in 1937. In international games, Levski reached the quarter-finals of the UEFA Cup twice and the Cup Winners' Cup three times. In 2006, Levski made history by becoming the first Bulgarian club to play in the group stage of the UEFA Champions League.

The team's home uniform is all blue. Levski's home stadium is the Georgi Asparuhov Stadium in Sofia, which can hold 18,000 fans. Their biggest rival is CSKA Sofia, and their games are called the Eternal derby. Levski also plays in the Oldest capital derby against Slavia Sofia.

Club History: A Journey Through Time

Early Years: 1914–1969

First kit (1914–1920)

Sports Club Levski was founded in 1911 by students from the Second Male High School in Sofia. The club was officially registered on May 24, 1914. It was named after the Bulgarian hero Vasil Levski.

In 1914, Levski played its first official match, losing 2–0 to FK 13 Sofia. Football was not very popular in Bulgaria between 1914 and 1920. In 1921, the Sofia Sports League was created, starting organized football in the city. Levski won their first league match 3–1 against Atletik Sofia on September 18, 1921. They won the Sofia league title in 1923, beating their rivals Slavia Sofia 3–2. They won again in 1924 and 1925.

The first National Championship was held in 1924, with Levski representing Sofia. They won national titles in 1933, 1937, and 1942, becoming a very popular club. In 1929, Levski became the first semi-professional club in Bulgaria. This happened after players asked for pay and insurance. The same year, Levski played their first international games. They lost 1–0 to Gallipoli Istanbul but won 6–0 against Kuban Istanbul. From 1930 to 1932, Levski won the Ulpia Serdica Cup three times in a row and kept the trophy forever.

Georgi Asparuhov – "Gundi", a famous Levski player.

Levski kit during a large part of the 1940s–1960s

After World War II, Levski became one of Bulgaria's top two clubs. They won championships in 1946, 1947, 1949, 1950, and 1953. In 1949, the club's name was changed to Dinamo, following Soviet traditions. However, it was changed back to Levski in 1957. The 1960s brought more success both in Bulgaria and in Europe. Levski's youth academy became very successful, producing great players like Georgi Asparuhov, Georgi Sokolov, and Kiril Ivkov. These players helped the team win championships in 1965, 1968, and 1970. A famous win was 7–2 against their rivals CSKA Sofia in 1968. In the 1965–66 European Cup, Levski was knocked out by Benfica.

Levski-Spartak: 1969–1985

In January 1969, Levski was combined with Spartak Sofia by the government. The club's name was changed to Levski-Spartak.

New young players joined the team, including Kiril Milanov and Pavel Panov. They helped the team win new league titles in 1974, 1977, 1979, 1984, and 1985. In European competitions, the team reached the quarter-finals of the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1969–70 and 1976–77. They also reached the quarter-finals of the UEFA Cup in 1975–76. In that tournament, Levski beat Barcelona 5–4 in one game. This made them one of only two European teams to score five or more goals against Barcelona in a UEFA match. Levski also became the only Bulgarian club to beat a German champion, VfB Stuttgart, in the 1984–85 European Cup.

Vitosha Sofia: 1985–1989

The team's name was changed to Vitosha by the authorities after some problems during the 1985 Bulgarian Cup final. The game against CSKA was very intense. After the game, some leading players from both clubs were temporarily suspended from playing. The championship title for 1985 was also put on hold. However, these suspensions were lifted soon after. Levski went on to win another cup and league titles in 1986 and 1988. They reached their fourth European quarter-final in 1986–87. They beat teams like Boldklubben 1903 and Velež Mostar before losing to Real Zaragoza.

Levski playing against Werder Bremen at the National Stadium in the Champions League.

Petkov

Topuzakov (c)

Tomašić

Milanov

Wagner

Borimirov

Angelov

Bardon

Telkiyski

Yovov

Domovchiyski

Starting lineup versus Schalke 04 (2006 UEFA Cup quarter-final, first leg)

The "Blue Tale": 1989–2009

After the 1989–90 season, the club got its original name back. The team had great players like Daniel Borimirov and Nasko Sirakov. They won three national championships in a row in 1993, 1994, and 1995. Levski contributed a record seven players to the Bulgaria national team that finished fourth at the 1994 FIFA World Cup.

In 2005–06, Levski reached the quarter-finals of the 2005–06 UEFA Cup. They beat teams like Auxerre and Artmedia Bratislava. They also finished above strong teams like CSKA Moscow in the group stage. They were finally knocked out by Schalke 04.

As champions of Bulgaria, Levski played in the 2006–07 UEFA Champions League. They beat Sioni Bolnisi and Chievo Verona to reach the group stage. This made them the first Bulgarian club to ever play in the group stage of the UEFA Champions League. There, they played against top teams like Barcelona, Chelsea, and Werder Bremen. They lost all six games but scored one goal against Chelsea.

Levski's success in the UEFA Cup and Champions League from 2005 to 2007 was called the Blue Tale.

Levski also got a spot in the 2008–09 UEFA Champions League after CSKA Sofia couldn't get a UEFA license. Levski lost to BATE Borisov from Belarus in the qualifying round.

Challenges and Changes: 2009–2020

In the 2009–10 season, Levski started their European journey with a big 9–0 win against UE Sant Julià. They then beat FK Baku but were knocked out by Debrecen. This meant they qualified for the 2009–10 UEFA Europa League group stage. They played against Villarreal, Lazio, and Red Bull Salzburg. Levski won only one game, beating Lazio in Italy with a goal from Hristo Yovov.

In the 2010–11 season, Levski had a strong start in the 2010–11 UEFA Europa League. They beat Dundalk 6–0 and 2–0. They then defeated Kalmar FF and AIK to reach the Europa League group stage again. In the group stage, they faced Gent, Lille, and Sporting CP. Levski won their first match against Gent 3–2. This made it eight games in a row without a loss in European competitions. They later lost to Sporting CP and Lille, but won against Sporting CP in their last group game.

In the 2011–12 season, Levski was knocked out of the Europa League by Spartak Trnava after a penalty shootout. This upset fans and players. The team struggled in the Bulgarian league, leading to changes in management. Former player Ilian Iliev became the manager in 2012. Under him, Levski was knocked out of the Europa League by FK Sarajevo. He led the team to many league wins and the cup semi-finals. However, he was later replaced by Nikolay Mitov. Mitov led Levski to the Bulgarian Cup final in 2013, but they lost on penalties.

In 2013, Slaviša Jokanović became the new manager but left after a few months. Ivaylo Petev was announced as his replacement, but fans protested, and he did not take the job. Antoni Zdravkov became the new manager. The club faced financial difficulties, and some key players were sold. Levski finished fifth in the league and did not play in European competitions in 2014 for the first time since 1990–91.

On May 23, 2014, Levski fans organized a friendly game against Lazio to celebrate the club's 100th anniversary. Many former players and celebrities took part and donated money. The next day, Levski officially marked 100 years since its founding.

The years that followed were tough for the club. Levski often finished lower in the league than before, even reaching their lowest ever rankings. They also lost two more Bulgarian Cup finals. In European games, they had unexpected losses to teams like FC Vaduz and AEK Larnaca.

The club also had many changes in leadership. In 2015, the long-time president stepped down, and the club started having financial problems. New owners came and went, and the club faced significant debt. In 2020, the club was left with no funding, leading to an amazing show of support from fans. They started donation campaigns and raised a lot of money to help the club.

A New Chapter: 2020–Present

Stanimir Stoilov (left) and the 2022 Bulgarian Cup trophy (right), won by Levski in May 2022

In the summer of 2020, club legend Nasko Sirakov took over most of the shares. The club made financial cuts, letting many foreign players go. Levski started focusing on signing Bulgarian players with lower salaries. This helped the club begin to pay off its debt. Sirakov aimed to clear most of the debt by 2023 through sponsorships, player transfers, TV rights, and fan support.

On September 1, 2021, Sirakov announced that Stanimir Stoilov, the club's most successful manager in the 21st century, was returning. At this time, Levski was in 10th place in the league. With Stoilov's arrival, the team quickly improved.

On May 15, 2022, Levski won the Bulgarian Cup by beating their biggest rivals CSKA 1–0 in the final. This ended the club's longest period without a trophy (13 years). It was their 26th cup win, a new record for the club. Winning the cup earned them a spot in the UEFA Europa Conference League qualifications. They surprised many by beating PAOK, a strong Greek team. However, Levski was knocked out in the next round after losing on penalties to Ħamrun Spartans from Malta.

Club Symbols: Names and Crests

Vasil Levski, the club's hero.

The first club crest was designed in 1922. It was a blue square with a stylized letter "Л" (Bulgarian "L" for Levski). The inside of the letter was yellow and red. Later, the letters "С" (Sport) and "К" (club) were added at the top, and "Sofia" at the bottom. This badge was used until 1949 when the club was renamed Dinamo.

From 1949 to 1956, the emblem was a different shape with red, white, blue, and yellow colors. It had a handwritten Cyrillic letter "Д" (for Dinamo), a red star, and "Sofia." From 1957 to 1968, the original logo was brought back, but with different letters.

After combining with Spartak Sofia in 1969, the crest became a blue and white shield with a red bar. It had the letters "Л" and "C" for Levski-Spartak. This crest was used until 1985 when the club was renamed Vitosha. Vitosha's crest was a blue and white letter "C" around a football.

In January 1990, the club got its original name and logo back. The letters in the top corner were changed to "Ф" (football) and "K" (club). Because of legal issues, the club had to change its logo again in 1998. A new blue shield logo was introduced with the letter "Л" and the year 1914. The top of the shield said "PFC Levski."

After winning the legal dispute for the old emblem in 2006, the club used both crests for a short time. Later that year, the classic square emblem became the main one again. Today, the Cyrillic letter Л (L) is used on the club's uniforms and social media.

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  First crest (1922)

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  Sports Club Levski Sofia (1923–1944)

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  Professional Athletic Union Levski Sofia (1944–1949)

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  Dinamo Sofia (1949–1957)

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  Athletic Union Levski Sofia (1957–1969)

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  State Athletic Union Levski-Spartak (1969–1985)

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  Vitosha Sofia (1985–1989)

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  Levski-Spartak (1989–1990)

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  Levski Sofia (1990–1992, 2006–2014)

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  Levski 1914 (1992–1998)

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  PFC Levski 1914 (1998–2006)

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  Centenary crest (2014)

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  Official kit crest

Club Anthem

The first anthem of Levski was written by the famous Bulgarian poet Dimcho Debelyanov. Since 1999, the club's anthem is "Само Левски шампион" (Only Levski, the champion).

Home Ground: The Stadium

Gerena, Levski Sofia's home stadium.

At first, the club did not have its own field. They trained on a place called The Hillock. In 1924, the city of Sofia gave the club land for a stadium. Ten years later, the Levski Field stadium was finished. It could hold 10,000 people and was considered the best sports facility in the city.

In 1949, the stadium was taken over by the government. The Vasil Levski National Stadium was later built on that site. The team played in different places before moving to the Dinamo ground. In 1961, the team moved to the Suhata Reka neighborhood. A new stadium was built there by 1963. It was later renamed in 1990 to honor former Levski player Georgi Asparuhov.

In 1999, the stadium was rebuilt and could hold 29,000 fans. The field is 105 by 68 meters. However, the team plays most of its important international matches at the national stadium, Vasil Levski.

In October 2012, Levski announced plans to renovate their stadium. The first part of the reconstruction was planned for 2014, for the club's 100th anniversary. By 2013, the stadium's capacity was reduced to 19,000 because of work on the main stand. The main stand was officially opened on April 23, 2016. Since 2019, the Museum of Glory of Levski Sofia is also located at the stadium.

Supporters: The Blue Fans

Sector B, where many Levski Sofia fans gather, in 2006.

Historically, Levski Sofia fans gather in the south stand of the stadium. This tradition started because Levski fans would meet near the south end of the Vasil Levski National Stadium before games. Because of how stadiums are named in Bulgaria, Sector B became known as the home of Levski fans. Today, the fans in Sector B are part of the ultras movement, which is popular in the Balkans. They lead the songs, displays, and pyrotechnics at Levski games.

Levski supporters are organized into fan clubs. The National Supporters Club helps and connects fans from all over Bulgaria. There are also many groups from Sofia and other cities, and even around the world. Ultras Levski fans have a long-standing friendship with Lazio fans from Italy. Studies show that Levski is the most popular Bulgarian club.

Players: The Team on the Field

First Team Players

No. Position Player 3 DF Maicon 4 DF Christian Makoun 5 DF Kellian van der Kaap 6 DF Wenderson Tsunami (captain) 7 FW Fábio Lima 8 MF Carlos Ohene 9 FW Aleksandar Kolev 10 MF Asen Mitkov 11 FW Jawad El Jemili 12 FW Mustapha Sangaré 14 MF Iliyan Stefanov 15 MF Aleksandar Bozhilov 16 FW Preslav Bachev

No. Position Player 17 FW Everton Bala (on loan from Mirassol) 19 MF Kristiyan Yovov 21 DF Aldair Neves 22 DF Patrik-Gabriel Galchev 23 MF Patrik Myslovič 30 MF Clement Ikenna 41 DF Viktor Lyubenov 44 GK Matej Marković 50 DF Kristian Dimitrov 77 DF Deyvid Mihalev 88 FW Marin Petkov (vice-captain) 97 MF Hassimi Fadiga 99 GK Ivan Andonov

Players on Loan

No. Position Player MF Asen Chandarov (at Septemvri Sofia until 30 June 2025) MF Borislav Rupanov (at Septemvri Sofia until 30 June 2025)

No. Position Player MF Antoan Stoyanov (at Botev Vratsa until 30 June 2025)

Foreign Players

Football clubs can have foreign players. In the Bulgarian First League, up to twenty foreign players can be registered. However, only five players from outside the EU/EEA can play in a match. Some foreign players can get citizenship from their ancestors' countries or after playing in Bulgaria for five years.

• EU/EEA Nationals
  • Aldair Neves
  • Patrik Myslovič
• EU/EEA Nationals (Dual citizenship)
  • Wenderson Tsunami
  • Aleksandar Kolev
  • Patrik-Gabriel Galchev
  • Matej Marković
  • Hassimi Fadiga
  • Mustapha Sangaré
  • Kellian van der Kaap
  • Jawad El Jemili
  • Christian Makoun
• Non-EU/EEA Nationals
  • Everton Bala
  • Fábio Lima
  • Maicon
  • Carlos Ohene
  • Clement Ikenna

Honours: Trophies and Achievements

•      Record
• ^S Shared record

European Record

As of August 31, 2023.

Recent Seasons: League Positions

Club Records: Amazing Achievements

As of 2024

• Biggest league win: 10–0 vs Chernomorets Burgas Sofia (March 3, 2007)
• Biggest league defeat: 1–6 vs Botev Plovdiv (July 7, 1962)
• Biggest cup win: 12–1 vs Knyaz Kiril Sofia (1940)
• Biggest cup defeat: 0–5 vs Spartak Plovdiv (1961–62)
• Biggest European competition win: 12–2 vs Reipas Lahti (September 16, 1976)
• Biggest European competition defeat: 0–5 vs AZ Alkmaar (November 4, 1980)
  • Also 0–5 vs Barcelona (September 12, 2006)
  • And 0–5 vs Sporting CP (September 30, 2010)
• Most consecutive league games unbeaten at home: 203 — from 1966 to 1985
• Most consecutive league games unbeaten: 27 — from September 10, 1948 to May 13, 1950
• Most consecutive league games won: 14 — from April 3, 2004 to September 19, 2004
• Most league goals in a season: 96 — in 2006–07
• Record league home attendance: 60,000 vs Pirin Blagoevgrad (September 16, 1973)
• Record European competition home attendance: 55,000 vs Barcelona (March 17, 1976)
• Record incoming transfer: Georgi Chilikov from Naftex Burgas for €1,500,000
• Record outgoing transfer: Georgi Ivanov to Rennes for €4,100,000

Player Records: Top Performers

As of May 22, 2024.

Most Appearances

No.	Name	Career	Appearances
1	Stefan Aladzhov	1967–1981	469
2	Emil Spasov	1974–1990	429
3	Pavel Panov	1969–1981	382
4	Kiril Ivkov	1967–1978	374
5	Elin Topuzakov	1996–2008 2009–2010	347
6	Hristo Iliev	1954–1968	330
	Aleksandar Kostov	1956–1971
8	Dimitar Telkiyski	1999–2008 2009–2010	313
9	Plamen Nikolov	1977–1992	310
10	Hristo Yovov	1995–1997 2004–2007 2009–2013	306

Most Goals Scored

No.	Name	Career	Goals	Appearances	Goals per game
1	Nasko Sirakov	1981–1994	209	264	0.79
2	Pavel Panov	1969–1981	177	382	0.46
3	Georgi Asparuhov	1959–1971	153	239	0.64
4	Georgi Ivanov	1997–2009	135	238	0.57
5	Hristo Iliev	1954–1959 1961–1968	132	330	0.4
6	Emil Spasov	1974–1985 1987–1988 1989–1990	114	429	0.27
7	Mihail Valchev	1981–1986	109	177	0.62
8	Dimitar Yordanov	1956–1965	100	201	0.5
9	Hristo Yovov	1995–1997 2004–2007 2009–2013	87	306	0.28
10	Asen Peshev	1924–1937	86	99	0.87
	Daniel Borimirov	1990–1995 2004–2008		297	0.29

Bulgarian Footballer of the Year

Kiril Ivkov, a famous Levski player and Olympic finalist.

Many Levski players have been named the best Bulgarian footballer of the year:

• 1931 – Asen Peshev
• 1942 – Lyuben Stamboliev
• 1948 – Vasil Spasov
• 1965 – Georgi Asparuhov
• 1970 – Stefan Aladzhov
• 1974 – Kiril Ivkov
• 1975 – Kiril Ivkov
• 1977 – Pavel Panov
• 1984 – Plamen Nikolov
• 1986 – Borislav Mihaylov
• 1987 – Nikolay Iliev
• 1999 – Aleksandar Aleksandrov
• 2000 – Georgi Ivanov
• 2001 – Georgi Ivanov

First Division Top Goalscorers

Nasko Sirakov, Levski's all-time top goalscorer.

These Levski players scored the most goals in the top league during their seasons:

• 1940 – Yanko Stoyanov (14 goals)
• 1950 – Lubomir Hranov (11 goals)
• 1957 – Hristo Iliev (14 goals)
• 1960 – Dimitar Yordanov (12 goals)
• 1965 – Georgi Asparuhov (27 goals)
• 1974 – Kiril Milanov (19 goals)
• 1976 – Pavel Panov (18 goals)
• 1977 – Pavel Panov (20 goals)
• 1979 – Rusi Gochev (19 goals)
• 1982 – Mihail Valchev (24 goals)
• 1984 – Emil Spasov (19 goals)
• 1987 – Nasko Sirakov (36 goals)
• 1988 – Nasko Sirakov (28 goals)
• 1992 – Nasko Sirakov (26 goals)
• 1993 – Plamen Getov (26 goals)
• 1994 – Nasko Sirakov (30 goals)
• 2001 – Georgi Ivanov (21 goals)
• 2003 – Georgi Chilikov (22 goals)
• 2011 – Garra Dembele (26 goals)
• 2013 – Basile de Carvalho (19 goals)
• 2015 – Añete (14 goals)
• 2019 – Stanislav Kostov (24 goals)

Youth Academy: Developing Stars

Asen Peshev, a famous player from Levski's youth academy.

Levski's youth academy has helped many successful Bulgarian footballers grow. Some famous players who came from the academy include Georgi Asparuhov, Nasko Sirakov, and Bozhidar Iskrenov. At the 1994 FIFA World Cup, where Bulgaria reached the semi-finals, four players from Levski's youth academy were on the team. This made Levski the club with the most players on the Bulgarian squad. In 2020, Levski was ranked 35th in Europe for training the most players who play in top leagues across Europe.

Images for kids

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  Levski Sofia ultras during a derby match against CSKA Sofia