PFC Ludogorets Razgrad facts for kids
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| Full name | Professional Football Club Ludogorets 1945 | |||
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| Nickname(s) | Орлите (The Eagles) | |||
| Founded | November 1945 | |||
| Ground | Huvepharma Arena | |||
| Capacity | 10,423 | |||
| Owner | Kiril Domuschiev | |||
| Chairman | Temenuga Gazdova | |||
| Head coach | Rui Mota | |||
| League | First League | |||
| 2024–25 | First League, 1st of 16 (champions) | |||
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Professional Football Club Ludogorets 1945, often called Ludogorets Razgrad or just Ludogorets, is a professional football club from Razgrad, Bulgaria. They play in the First Professional Football League, which is the top football league in Bulgaria.
Ludogorets joined the top league in the 2011–12 season. Right away, they won both the league championship and the Bulgarian Cup. This is called winning a "double." They also made a big splash in European football in the 2013–14 UEFA Europa League, reaching the Round of 16. They have reached the knockout stages of the Europa League four times, which is more than any other Bulgarian club.
Ludogorets is also the second Bulgarian team, after Levski Sofia, to play in the group stage of the UEFA Champions League. They did this in the 2014–15 season. In that same season, they became the first Bulgarian team to earn points in the modern Champions League group stage by beating Basel 1–0.
Since 2011, Ludogorets has been super strong in Bulgarian football. They have won every single league title since then! They have also won the Bulgarian Cup four times and the Bulgarian Supercup eight times. Their eight Supercup wins are a record in Bulgarian football.
The team's main colors are green and white. Their home stadium is the Huvepharma Arena in Razgrad, which can hold 10,423 fans.
Contents
Club History
How Ludogorets Started
Ludogorets Razgrad was formed in November 1945. It was created by combining several small football clubs from the Ludogorie region. The team first played in Bulgaria's Third football division. They moved up to the Second division in 1961.
In 1997, the club joined with FC Antibiotic Razgrad and changed its name to FC Antibiotic-Ludogorets. The club stopped playing in 2005. But in the 2009–10 season, the history of the old Antibiotic-Ludogorets club was brought back. The team was renamed PFC Ludogorets 1945 Razgrad. They then made it into the Second division with Ivaylo Petev as their head coach.
The Domuschiev Era: A New Beginning
In September 2010, a Bulgarian businessman named Kiril Domuschiev bought the club. His goal was to get Ludogorets into the top division. This happened in May 2011, with Ivaylo Petev still coaching the team. It was the first time in the club's history they reached the top league.
Winning Titles: A Dominant Run
In May 2012, Ludogorets won their first Bulgarian Cup by beating Lokomotiv Plovdiv 2–1. In August 2012, they won the Bulgarian Supercup by defeating Lokomotiv 3–1. This made them the first team to win a "treble" (league, cup, and supercup) in their very first season in the top league. This was a rare achievement in football history.
Ludogorets started the 2012–13 season with eight wins in a row. They finished the first half of the season in first place. They won their second championship title in a very exciting way. On the last day of the season, they needed to win and hope another team, Levski, did not. Levski drew their match, letting Ludogorets win the league again.
In the 2013–14 season, Ludogorets became the strongest team in Bulgarian football. They won their third league title with two games left to play. On May 15, 2014, they won another treble by winning the Bulgarian Cup and the Super Cup.
Their fourth title came on May 15, 2015, after a 4–1 home win against Lokomotiv (Sofia). They also celebrated their 70th anniversary and opened a new stand named after their defender, Cosmin "Moti."
On May 11, 2016, Ludogorets became the Bulgarian Champion for the fifth time in a row.
The 2016–17 season was one of Ludogorets' best. They won their sixth league title in a row. They also entered the Champions League group stage for the second time. They finished third in their group, which allowed them to continue playing in the Europa League.
The 2017–18 season was another success. The team won their seventh league title and played well in both the Champions League and Europa League.
Ludogorets won their eighth league title in May 2019 after a 4–1 home win against Cherno More.
Their amazing run continued as they won their ninth league title in May 2020, beating Beroe 2–1.
Ludogorets made history by winning their tenth league title in May 2021. They beat Beroe Stara Zagora 3–1 at home. This incredible achievement meant the club added a star to their badge to show their 10 league titles.
Their dominance continued with an eleventh straight league title. No other team in Bulgarian league football has achieved this.
After a tough season and a change in coach, Ludogorets won a domestic double in the 2022–23 season. They won the Bulgarian Cup by beating CSKA 1948 3–1 in the final. They then won the Bulgarian League for a record twelfth time, just one point ahead of CSKA Sofia. They secured the title by winning 1–0 against Cherno More Varna on the last day of the season.
Georgi Dermendzhiev returned as head coach in October 2023. At the end of the 2023–24 season, the club won their thirteenth league title in a row. They beat PFC CSKA Sofia 3–1 in Razgrad to secure the championship.
The club continued its amazing success by winning its 14th consecutive championship title in the 2024–25 season. This was under coach Igor Jovićević. This title was won in April, with five games still left to play, which was a first in Bulgarian football history. On May 22, 2025, Ludogorets Razgrad also won their fourth Bulgarian Cup title, beating CSKA Sofia 1–0. This meant they achieved their fourth domestic treble!
European Adventures
After winning the Bulgarian title in 2011–12, Ludogorets played in the Champions League qualifiers. They were knocked out by Dinamo Zagreb.
As Bulgarian champions in 2012–13, Ludogorets played in the UEFA Champions League again. They won their qualifying matches against Slovan Bratislava and Partizan. They then lost to Basel in the play-offs, but this meant they got to play in the UEFA Europa League.
Ludogorets played in Group B of the 2013–14 Europa League. They did not lose any games in the group stage, finishing first with five wins and one draw. They beat strong teams like PSV and Dinamo Zagreb both at home and away. In the knockout stage, they beat Italian cup holders Lazio 4–3 on total score. However, they then lost to Valencia in the Round of 16.
In the 2014–15 UEFA Champions League, Ludogorets won their qualifiers again. They beat F91 Dudelange and Partizan. In the play-off, they beat Steaua București to reach the group stage for the first time ever! In a dramatic penalty shootout, their center-back Cosmin Moți became the goalkeeper and saved two penalties to send Ludogorets through.
Ludogorets played their first Champions League group stage match on September 16, 2014. They scored a late goal against Liverpool but still lost 2–1. In their first home Champions League group game, they scored an early goal against Real Madrid but lost 2–1. On October 22, 2014, Yordan Minev scored a winning goal in the last minute to beat Basel 1–0 at home. This was their first win in the Champions League group stage.
Ludogorets won their 4th league title in a row. However, they were knocked out early in the 2015–16 UEFA Champions League by Moldovan champions Milsami Orhei.
With Georgi Dermendzhiev back as coach, Ludogorets qualified for the 2016–17 Champions League group stage for the second time. They had two draws against Basel and one against Paris Saint-Germain. These results were enough to get them third place in their group and move to the Europa League knockout stage. They were then knocked out by Copenhagen.
Ludogorets did not qualify for the Champions League groups in the next two seasons. However, they did make it to the Europa League group stages both times. In the 2017–18 season, they finished second in their group. They then lost to Milan in the Round of 32.
In 2019–20, they were knocked out of the Champions League qualifiers early. But they made it to the group stage of the Europa League. They had a big 5–1 home win against CSKA Moscow and a 3–0 away win against Ferencváros. They finished second in their group and reached the knockout stage. They then lost to Inter Milan in the Round of 32.
Ludogorets continued to play in European competitions in the following seasons, often reaching the group stages of the Europa League or Europa Conference League. They have played against many teams from different countries across Europe.
Club Look: Crest, Shirt, and Mascot
Ludogorets' main uniform color is forest green, and their away uniform is white. They also sometimes use a black uniform for some games.
The club's current badge was introduced for the 2016–17 season. Ludogorets fans voted for the new badge on the club's website. After winning their tenth championship title, Ludogorets added a golden star above their badge.
The club has had different sportswear sponsors over the years. Since June 2024, their kit supplier is Jako.
| Period | Kit supplier | Shirt sponsor (chest) |
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| 2006–2010 | Tomy Sport | No sponsor |
| 2010–2011 | Adidas | Huvepharma |
| 2011–2014 | Navibulgar | |
| 2014–2016 | Macron | eCasino.bg |
| 2016–2017 | bet365 | |
| 2017–2018 | Umbro | |
| 2018–2019 | Efbet | |
| 2019–2024 | Nike | |
| 2024– | Jako |
Players
First-team Squad
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For recent player changes, see Transfers winter 2024–25 and Transfers summer 2025.
Players on Loan
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Second-team Squad
These are players from the reserve team who have been called up to the main Ludogorets squad for official matches.
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Foreign Players
A team can have up to twenty foreign players registered for the First League. However, only five players from outside the EU/EEA can play in a match. Players with European family history can get citizenship from that country. If a player does not have European family, they can get Bulgarian citizenship after playing in Bulgaria for five years.
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Players from EU/EEA Countries
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Players with Dual Citizenship (EU/EEA and another country)
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Players from Non-EU/EEA Countries
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Retired Numbers
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Club Staff
| Name | Position | |
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| Coaching Staff | ||
 Rui Mota |
Head coach | |
| André Santos Freixieiro |
Assistant coach | |
| Bruno Freitas |
Goalkeeping coach | |
 Zdravko Zdravkov |
Goalkeeping coach | |
| Luís Filipe Barbosa |
Conditioning coach | |
 Javier Lurueña Lobo |
Conditioning coach | |
 Mihailo Shejkeroski |
Conditioning coach | |
| Management Team | ||
| Temenuga Gazdova |
Chairman | |
| Aleksandar Aleksandrov |
President | |
| Angel Petrichev |
Executive director | |
| Georgi Karamandzhukov |
Sports director | |
 Cosmin Moți |
Technical director | |
| Radoslav Komitov |
Academy director | |
| Todor Zhivondov |
Academy operations director | |
| Anna Pencheva |
Marketing director | |
Club Achievements
Ludogorets Razgrad has won many titles!
| Type | Competition | Titles | Seasons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Domestic | Bulgarian First League | 14 | 2011–12, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2019–20, 2020–21, 2021–22, 2022–23, 2023–24, 2024–25 |
| Bulgarian Cup | 4 | 2011–12, 2013–14, 2022–23, 2024–25 | |
| Bulgarian Supercup | 8 | 2012, 2014, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 | |
| Bulgarian Second League | 1 | 2010–11 (East) |
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European Football Summary
Ludogorets has played in all three major European football tournaments: the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, and UEFA Europa Conference League. They are the first and only Bulgarian team to do so.
They have reached the group stage of European tournaments 10 times:
- Champions League: 2 times (2014–15, 2016–17)
- Europa League: 7 times (2013–14, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2019–20, 2020–21, 2021–22, 2022–23)
- Europa Conference League: 1 time (2023–24)
Club Records and Fun Facts
Team Records
- Biggest home win in First League: Ludogorets 7–0 Beroe (April 18, 2018) and Ludogorets 8–1 Botev Vratsa (April 8, 2023).
- Biggest away win in First League: Minyor Pernik 0–7 Ludogorets (April 18, 2012).
- Most games without a loss in First League: 35 matches (from 2018–19 to 2019–20 seasons).
- Biggest European home win: Ludogorets 7–0 Crusaders (July 11, 2018, in the Champions League).
- Biggest European away win: The New Saints 0–4 Ludogorets (August 15, 2019, in the Europa League).
- Biggest European home defeat: Ludogorets 2–7 Qarabağ (August 13, 2024, in the Champions League).
- Biggest European away defeat: Arsenal 6–0 Ludogorets (October 19, 2016, in the Champions League) and Espanyol 6–0 Ludogorets (November 7, 2019, in the Europa League).
Player Records
- Most appearances for the club: Svetoslav Dyakov (350 games).
- Most goals for the club: Claudiu Keșerü (139 goals).
- Most European competition appearances: Cosmin Moți (81 games).
- Most European competition goals: Claudiu Keșerü (16 goals).
- Most trophies won by a player with Ludogorets: Georgi Terziev (19 trophies).
Other Cool Records
- Ludogorets is one of only two teams (the other is Levadia Tallinn from Estonia) to win a domestic treble (league, cup, and supercup) right after being promoted from the second division to the top league.
- They are the first team in Bulgaria to get two promotions in a row and then win a treble.
- They hold the record for the most consecutive domestic league titles in Bulgaria, with 14 in a row (from 2012 to the present).
- In the 2013–14 UEFA Europa League group stage, Ludogorets became the first Bulgarian team to win a group in European competitions. They had 5 wins and 1 draw.
- They were the first Bulgarian team to start a European group stage with 3 wins in a row, without letting in any goals.
- After the 2013–14 UEFA Europa League group stage, Ludogorets set a record for the most wins in European competitions in a single season (9 wins). They also had the most away wins in a single European season (5 wins).
- In the 2014–15 UEFA Champions League group stage, Ludogorets became the first Bulgarian team to earn points in that competition by beating Basel 1–0 at home. This was also the first home win for a Bulgarian team in the Champions League.
- Ludogorets is the first Bulgarian team to qualify twice for the Champions League group stage. They also set a new record for most goals scored (6) in the group stage and avoided finishing last in their group.
- On September 19, 2019, Ludogorets beat CSKA Moscow 5–1 in the 2019–20 UEFA Europa League group stage. This was the biggest group stage win by a Bulgarian team.
- On October 3, 2019, Ludogorets beat Ferencváros 3–0 away from home in the 2019–20 UEFA Europa League group stage. This was the biggest away group stage win by a Bulgarian team.
Top Players and Goal Scorers
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Most Appearances for the Club (All Competitions)
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Most Goals for the Club (All Competitions)
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- Includes games in the First League, Bulgarian Cup, Bulgarian Supercup, UEFA Champions League, and UEFA Europa League.
- Players in bold are still playing for Ludogorets.
Recent Seasons
League Performance
| Season | Position | GP | GW | GD | GL | G+ | G– | GD | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011–12 | 1° | 30 | 22 | 4 | 4 | 73 | 16 | +57 | 70 |
| 2012–13 | 1° | 30 | 22 | 6 | 2 | 58 | 13 | +45 | 72 |
| 2013–14 | 1° | 38 | 25 | 9 | 4 | 74 | 20 | +54 | 84 |
| 2014–15 | 1° | 32 | 18 | 9 | 5 | 63 | 24 | +39 | 60 |
| 2015–16 | 1° | 32 | 21 | 7 | 4 | 55 | 21 | +34 | 70 |
| 2016–17 | 1° | 36 | 25 | 8 | 3 | 87 | 28 | +59 | 83 |
| 2017–18 | 1° | 36 | 27 | 7 | 2 | 91 | 22 | +69 | 88 |
| 2018–19 | 1° | 36 | 23 | 10 | 3 | 67 | 19 | +48 | 79 |
| 2019–20 | 1° | 31 | 21 | 9 | 1 | 59 | 18 | +41 | 72 |
| 2020–21 | 1° | 31 | 22 | 4 | 5 | 69 | 29 | +40 | 70 |
| 2021–22 | 1° | 31 | 26 | 1 | 4 | 77 | 25 | +52 | 79 |
| 2022–23 | 1° | 35 | 26 | 7 | 2 | 81 | 27 | +54 | 85 |
| 2023–24 | 1° | 35 | 26 | 4 | 5 | 87 | 24 | +53 | 82 |
| 2024–25 | 1° | 36 | 25 | 8 | 3 | 70 | 22 | +48 | 83 |
| Total | 14 Titles | 469 | 329 | 93 | 47 | 1011 | 308 | +703 | 1076 |
Cup History
| Season | Bulgarian Cup | Bulgarian Super Cup | UEFA Champions League | UEFA Europa League | UEFA Europa Conference League | Notes | |
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| 2010–11 | Round of 32 | did not participate | did not participate | did not participate | Not held | Promoted | |
| 2011–12 | Winner | Winner | did not participate | did not participate | Not held | Achieved treble | |
| 2012–13 | Round of 32 | Finalist | Second qualifying round | did not participate | Not held | 2nd consecutive title | |
| 2013–14 | Winner | Winner | Play-off round | Round of 16 | Not held | Achieved treble | |
| 2014–15 | Semi-final | Finalist | Group stage | did not participate | Not held | 4th consecutive title | |
| 2015–16 | Round of 16 | Not held | Second qualifying round | did not participate | Not held | 5th consecutive title | |
| 2016–17 | Finalist | Finalist | Group stage | Round of 32 | Not held | 6th consecutive title | |
| 2017–18 | Quarter-final | Winner | Third qualifying round | Round of 32 | Not held | 7th consecutive title | |
| 2018–19 | Quarter-final | Winner | Second qualifying round | Group stage | Not held | 8th consecutive title | |
| 2019–20 | Quarter-final | Finalist | First qualifying round | Round of 32 | Not held | 9th consecutive title | |
| 2020–21 | Semi-final | Winner | Second qualifying round | Group stage | Not held | 10th consecutive title | |
| 2021–22 | Semi-final | Winner | Winner | Play-off round | Group stage | did not participate | 11th consecutive title |
| 2022–23 | Winner | Winner | Third qualifying round | Group stage | Knockout play-offs | Achieved treble | |
| 2023–24 | Finalist | Winner | Second qualifying round | Play-off round | Knockout play-offs | 13th consecutive title | |
| 2024–25 | Winner | Third qualifying round | League phase | did not participate | 14th consecutive title |
Rivalries
Rivalry with CSKA Sofia
Ludogorets has a strong rivalry with CSKA Sofia. They have played many exciting matches against each other. Updated November 24, 2024
| Competition | Played | Ludogorets Wins | Draws | CSKA Wins | Goal Difference |
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| First League | 41 | 22 | 16 | 3 | 58:25 |
| Bulgarian Cup | 7 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 3:8 |
| Bulgarian Supercup | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4:0 |
| Total | 49 | 25 | 17 | 7 | 66:33 |
Rivalry with Levski Sofia
Ludogorets also has a big rivalry with Levski Sofia. Updated May 17, 2025
| Competition | Played | Ludogorets Wins | Draws | Levski Wins | Goal Difference |
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| First League | 44 | 28 | 10 | 6 | 68:30 |
| Bulgarian Cup | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4:6 |
| Bulgarian Supercup | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2:2 |
| Total | 51 | 29 | 13 | 9 | 74:38 |
Notable Players
Here are some famous players who have played for Ludogorets. Players whose names are in bold have also played for their country's national team.
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Notable Coaches
These coaches have won one or more titles with Ludogorets.
| Name | Years | First League | Bulgarian Cup | Bulgarian Supercup |
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| Ivaylo Petev |
2010–2013 2023 |
2011–12 2012–13 2022–23 |
2011–12 2022–23 |
2012 |
| Stoycho Stoev |
2013–2014 2019 |
2013–14 2018–19 |
2013–14 | 2019 |
| Georgi Dermendzhiev |
2014–2015 2015–2017 2023–2024 |
2014–15 2015–16 2016–17 2023–24 |
2014 2023 |
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| Dimitar Dimitrov |
2017–2018 | 2017–18 | ||
 Paulo Autuori |
2018 | 2018 | ||
 Pavel Vrba |
2020 | 2019–20 | ||
 Valdas Dambrauskas |
2021 | 2020–21 | 2021 | |
 Ante Šimundža |
2022–2023 | 2021–22 | 2022 | |
 Igor Jovićević |
2024–2025 | 2024–25 | 2024–25 | 2024 |
Images for kids
See also
In Spanish: PFC Ludogorets Razgrad para niños
