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Levski legend Georgi Asparuhov |
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Levski played for the first time in its blue jerseys in 1921.
During the Twenties the team was playing in the championship of Sofia, which it won in 1923, 1924, 1925 and 1929.
The Bulgarian championship exists since 1924, played by direct elimination between the regional champions.
Levski reached the final twice - in 1925 and 1929.
It should also be noted that Levski became the first Bulgarian team to offer social security benefits to its players.
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Levski won its first double (Championship and Cup) in 1942.
The communist dictatorship, established in Bulgaria in 1944, saw numerous players excluded from the sport, some were deported to labour camps, and others were even murdered (like R. Maznikov, K. Tzvetkov and K. Jekov from Levski).
In spite of the oppression, Levski won the Championship and Cup doubles in 1946, 1947 and 1949. At the end of 1949 the team was forced by a decision of the Politburo to change its name to Dinamo Sofia...
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The new Soviet-style name was never accepted by the fans who continued to call their favourite team Levski. A new double came in 1950, then a Championship title in 1953.
Then it was CSKA, the red team created by the communist rulers in 1948, who dominated the championship in the following years with 9 titles in a row...
Levski was only allowed to show its strength in the Bulgarian Cup, winning it in 1956, 1957 and 1959.
As for the name "Dinamo" it disappeared in 1957, as no one was really using it.
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The beginning of the decade saw Gundi's last title with Levski in 1970, and his tragic death in a fiery car accident on June 30th 1971. The accident's other victim was Gundi's partner in Levski, Nikola Kotkov. Gundi was just 28 years old, and Kotkov - 31... Unofficial sources claim that a 300 000 croud gathered in the streets of Sofia on the day of the funeral.
Without its two best players, Levski was unable to win the title until 1974. In 1976, Levski reached the quarterfinal of the UEFA Cup with memorable wins against Ajax Amsterdam and FC Barcelona. In 1977 the club won one more double (Cup and Championship) and reached the quarterfinal of the Cup Winners Cup. |
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Levski's forward Kiril Milanov was the tournament's top scorer with 13 goals.
1978 was an unlucky year with many players out injured, and Milanov banned from football for life by the Politburo, because of his politically incorrect attitude. In 1979 Levski easily took back the title and the Cup.
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The Eighties began well for Levski who eliminated the legendary team of Dinamo Kiev in the 1980 European Champions Cup. Unfortunately, Levski did not confirm and the team won just one trophy in the three following years (Bulgarian Cup in 1982).
But Levski was betting on the future - its young team eliminated the German champions Stuttgart from European competition for two consecutive years in 1983 and 1984, it was dominant in the domestic league, winning an unique treble in 1984 (Championship - Bulgarian Cup - Soviet Army Cup) and then winning the Championship again in 1985...
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But Levski's joy was short-lived as the communist rulers of the country didn't hide their hatred for the Blues...
After the infamous 1985 Cup final against CSKA, the Politburo decided that Levski was to be closed down and many of the team's players were banned from the sport for their (non violent) protest against the decisions of the referee. Others were excluded from Bulgaria's national squad, consequently it had some pitiful showings in the 1986 World Cup in Mexico. Soon the Politburo realised that the decision was intenable, so the team was reopened and, Levski's name being banned, it was given the name FC Vitosha. In order not to appear to favor too heavily the CSKA, its name was changed too, to CFKA.
Levski fans never accepted the change - in the following years while CSKA supporters were chanting gaily "CFKA, CFKA", Levskars alternated anti communist slogans and the traditional "Levski olé!", under the bludgeons of the "Peoples" security service.
Levski won again the Cup in 1986 and the Championship in 1988. In 1986 the team reached the quarterfinals of the Cup Winners Cup.
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After the fall of communism, Levski restored once again its true name and logo.
The team won 4 Bulgarian Cups during this decade (1991, 1992, 1994 and 1998). The 1998 final was against CSKA which was celebrating its 50th anniversary, so Levski players offered their rivals a nice birthday 'present' - a lesson of football and a 5:0.
Levski won the Championship in 1993,1994 and 1995, the last title being particularly impressive with crushing wins against the direct title rivals - a 7:1 vs CSKA, a 6:0 vs Botev Plovdiv and a 8:0 vs Loko Sofia.
 
Five Levski players (Zlatko Yankov, Daniel Borimirov, Tzanko Tzvetanov, Emil Kremenliev and Nasko Sirakov) were in the starting eleven in the Bulgarian team which reached the World Cup semifinal in 1994.
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In the beginning of the new century Levski finally acquired financial stability which allowed the team to win the Championship title in 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2006, the Cup in 2000, 2002, 2003 and 2005, and also helped some strong showings in the European Cups.
During the 2005-2006 season, a young and aggressive Levski team, although without any real star players, reached the quarterfinal stage in the UEFA Cup, after victories over Auxerre, Olympique Marseille and Udinese.
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1914 - 1919
