PFC Lokomotiv Plovdiv
Encyclopedia
PFC Lokomotiv Plovdiv is a Bulgaria
n football
club from the city of Plovdiv
, which competes in Bulgaria
's top football league, the A PFG. The club was founded on July 25, 1926 when two of the oldest Plovdiv clubs - Atletic and Karadzha united into a new club named Sports Club Plovdiv. Lokomotiv Plovdiv's home ground is the Lokomotiv Stadium
in the city, which has a capacity of 15,000 spectators due to reconstruction works currently in progress.
In the 2003–04 season of the A PFG, Lokomotiv became champions of Bulgaria, finishing the season with three points more than the second, Levski Sofia. This title is the first one in the club's long history. So far, Lokomotiv Plovdiv has also won one Bulgarian Supercup
in 2004 and one Cup of the Soviet Army
in 1983. The club's biggest success in Europe is reaching the third round of the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup in 1965, after losing to the Italian Juventus F.C.
in a controversial play-off match.
Bulgarian Cup
:
Bulgarian Supercup
:
, where after two draws (each ending with 1:1) with Juventus F.C.
(with Omar Sívori
, Luis del Sol
and Sandro Salvadore
in their squad), a third play-off match was controversially chosen by UEFA
to be played in Torino, which was lost by Loko with 1:2.
Before reaching the quarter-final of the football competition, the Smurfs eliminated the Serbian FK Vojvodina
and the Romanian FC Petrolul Ploieşti. Key players during this period included forward Gocho Vasilev
, midfielder Hristo Bonev
, defender Ivan Boyadzhiev
and goalkeeper Stancho Bonchev
.
In 1973, the club ended the championship table in the second place, finishing the season with 43 points, 7 less than the first, CSKA Sofia
. The following years, two other celebrations followed, in 1969 and 1974, with Lokomotiv finishing the seasons in the 3rd place. In this period the team was quite stable and it was very rarely standing under the 6th position in the league table.
Among the club's players are Hristo Bonev
- considered by most Lokomotiv fans as being the greatest player ever for Lokomotiv, and one of the greatest Bulgarian players. In 1983, led by Hristo Bonev
, Lokomotiv won the first trophy in their history - the cup of the Soviet army, beating FC Chirpan 3-1 at Vasil Levski National Stadium
in Sofia on 1 June 1983.
The list of other famous players to have come from the club's youth system consists of Hristo Kolev
, Eduard Eranosyan
, Ayan Sadakov
, Georgi Ivanov
, and Vasil Kamburov
. The club has a large fanbase, who are considered to be some of the most fanatic fans in all of Bulgaria. Lokomotiv Plovdiv has the oldest fanclub organization in Bulgaria, established in 1988
..
, formerly football player of the team started the 2003–04 well, with Lokomotiv leading the league by six points halfway through the season and remaining unbeaten. In the penultimate, 29th round, The Smurfs defeated Slavia Sofia in Plovdiv
by 3:2 in front of more than 17,000 spectators and Lokomotiv won the Bulgarian championship. Lokomotiv finished the season with 75 points, 3 more than the second, Levski Sofia
. In the team lines was recent acquisition Martin Kamburov
who became the goals scorer in Bulgaria with 26 goals. Key players during the fantastic season included Vasil Kamburov
, Georgi Iliev
, Aleksandar Tunchev
, Kiril Kotev
, Vladimir Ivanov
, Metodi Stoynev and the Macedonians Boban Jančevski
, Vančo Trajanov
and Robert Petrov
.
A few months later, the team played for the first time in the UEFA Champions League qualifying rounds where they faced Club Brugge
from Belgium
in the second qualifying round. In the first match at the Jan Breydel Stadium Lokomotiv lost with 0:4, clearly having no chances of continuing forward to the next round. In the second match in Bulgaria, Lokomotiv lost again, with 0:2.
The same year, Lokomotiv won the Bulgarian Supercup
, after beating Litex Lovech
. In the final, Ivan Paskov
scored a brilliant header in the last seconds of the game for the 1:0 win.
. In the European club competition, Lokomotiv defeated Serbian OFK Beograd
in the second qualifying round (1:0 home win and 1:2 away loss) and were drawn to play against the English Bolton Wanderers
in the first round. However, the team from Plovdiv
was eliminated after a 1-2 loss at the Reebok Stadium
in Bolton
and another 1-2 loss in a match, played at the Lazur Stadium in Burgas
.
On August 25, 2005, a few hours after the match with OFK Beograd
in Burgas
, Lokomotiv's owner Georgi Iliev
was shot and killed at a restaurant in Sunny Beach
, a resort town on Bulgaria's Black Sea
coast nearby Burgas
, by a suspected sniper. In the next few months the club had big financial problems. Because of these problems, many of the players of the champions team, as Aleksandar Tunchev
, Martin Kamburov
, Ivan Paskov
, Georgi Iliev
, Darko Spalević
, Kiril Kotev
and Boban Jančevski
left the club.
In the 2005-06 season Lokomotiv finished 5th in A PFG and qualified for the Intertoto Cup. Loko were eliminated with a 2-3 (1-2 away loss and a 1-1 home draw) on aggregate by Romanian Farul Constanţa
.
In the next three seasons the team finished in the middle of the table. In December, 2009, the businessman and ex-Vihren Sandanski
owner Konstantin Dinev acquired the club from Galina Topalova in a 2 million euro bid, with the clear intention to bring Loko back to European club competition.
For recent transfers, see List of Bulgarian football transfers winter 2011–12.
As of 3 May 2011.
Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Guinea-Bissau
Macedonia
Mali
Serbia
Note: For a complete list of Lokomotiv Plovdiv players, see :Category:PFC Lokomotiv Plovdiv players.
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
n football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
club from the city of Plovdiv
Plovdiv
Plovdiv is the second-largest city in Bulgaria after Sofia with a population of 338,153 inhabitants according to Census 2011. Plovdiv's history spans some 6,000 years, with traces of a Neolithic settlement dating to roughly 4000 BC; it is one of the oldest cities in Europe...
, which competes in Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
's top football league, the A PFG. The club was founded on July 25, 1926 when two of the oldest Plovdiv clubs - Atletic and Karadzha united into a new club named Sports Club Plovdiv. Lokomotiv Plovdiv's home ground is the Lokomotiv Stadium
Lokomotiv Stadium (Plovdiv)
Lokomotiv Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium, located in southeastern Plovdiv, Bulgaria. It is currently used for football matches and is the home ground of PFC Lokomotiv Plovdiv...
in the city, which has a capacity of 15,000 spectators due to reconstruction works currently in progress.
In the 2003–04 season of the A PFG, Lokomotiv became champions of Bulgaria, finishing the season with three points more than the second, Levski Sofia. This title is the first one in the club's long history. So far, Lokomotiv Plovdiv has also won one Bulgarian Supercup
2004 Bulgarian Supercup
The 2004 Bulgarian Supercup was the 2nd Bulgarian Supercup match, a football match which was contested between the 2003-04 A PFG champion, Lokomotiv Plovdiv, and the winner of the 2004 Bulgarian Cup Final, Litex Lovech. The match was held on 31 July 2004 at the Lazur Stadium in Burgas, Bulgaria...
in 2004 and one Cup of the Soviet Army
Bulgarian Cup
The Bulgarian Cup is a Bulgarian annual football competition. It is the country's main cup competition and all officially registered Bulgarian football teams take part in it. It is sponsored by the Bulgarian Corporate Commercial Bank....
in 1983. The club's biggest success in Europe is reaching the third round of the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup in 1965, after losing to the Italian Juventus F.C.
Juventus F.C.
Juventus Football Club S.p.A. , commonly referred to as Juventus and colloquially as Juve , are a professional Italian association football club based in Turin, Piedmont...
in a controversial play-off match.
Honours
Bulgarian A PFG:- Winners (1): 2004A PFG 2003-04-League standings:-Top goalscorers:25 goals Martin Kamburov 17 goals Stoyko Sakaliev 16 goals Blagoy Georgiev -References:...
- Runners-up (1): 1973A PFG 1972-73-Overview:It was contested by 18 teams, and CSKA Septemvriysko zname Sofia won the championship.-League standings:-References:*...
Bulgarian Cup
Bulgarian Cup
The Bulgarian Cup is a Bulgarian annual football competition. It is the country's main cup competition and all officially registered Bulgarian football teams take part in it. It is sponsored by the Bulgarian Corporate Commercial Bank....
:
- Runners-up (3): 1960, 1971, 1982
Bulgarian Supercup
Bulgarian Supercup
The Bulgarian Supercup is an annually held football match between the football club that has won the Bulgarian A Professional Football Group and the club that has won the Bulgarian Cup...
:
- Winners (1): 2004
Successful years
In the season 1964-65, Lokomotiv Plovdiv reached the quarter-final of the Inter-Cities Fairs CupInter-Cities Fairs Cup
The Inter-Cities Fairs Cup was a European football competition played between 1955 and 1971. The competition was the idea of Swiss pools supremo Ernst Thommen, Ottorino Barassi from Italy, and the English Football Association general secretary Stanley Rous, all of whom later became senior officials...
, where after two draws (each ending with 1:1) with Juventus F.C.
Juventus F.C.
Juventus Football Club S.p.A. , commonly referred to as Juventus and colloquially as Juve , are a professional Italian association football club based in Turin, Piedmont...
(with Omar Sívori
Omar Sivori
Enrique Omar Sívori was an Italian Argentine football striker and manager. He is known for his time with the successful Juventus side during the late 1950s and early 1960s. At club level he also played for River Plate and Napoli.On the international level, he first appeared for the Argentine...
, Luis del Sol
Luis del Sol
Luis del Sol Cascajares is a retired Spanish footballer who played as a midfielder.He played in 112 La Liga games for Betis and Real Madrid combined, winning five major titles with the latter....
and Sandro Salvadore
Sandro Salvadore
Sandro Salvadore was an Italian footballer.Born Milan, Lombardy, Sandro Salvadore was picked up by A.C. Milan’s scouts when he was 15, and played in their junior team until he made his debut in Serie A in the 1958/59 season aged 20. While wearing AC Milan’s number 6 shirt he won 2 League titles...
in their squad), a third play-off match was controversially chosen by UEFA
UEFA
The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer....
to be played in Torino, which was lost by Loko with 1:2.
Before reaching the quarter-final of the football competition, the Smurfs eliminated the Serbian FK Vojvodina
FK Vojvodina
FK Vojvodina is a football club from Novi Sad, Serbia. The club currently competes in the Serbian SuperLiga. FK Vojvodina is the third oldest football club in Serbia's SuperLiga, after OFK Beograd which was founded in 1911 and FK Javor which was founded in 1912.-History:FK Vojvodina was founded...
and the Romanian FC Petrolul Ploieşti. Key players during this period included forward Gocho Vasilev
Georgi Parvanov Vasilev
Georgi Parvanov Vasilev-Gocho is a former Bulgarian football player in forward role.In career he played for PFC Lokomotiv Plovdiv and PFC Pirin Gotse Delchev....
, midfielder Hristo Bonev
Hristo Bonev
Hristo Atanasov Bonev-Zuma is a retired Bulgarian footballer, the second all-time leading scorer for the Bulgarian national team behind Dimitar Berbatov, who surpassed his record on November 18, 2009. Currently he manages PFC Lokomotiv Plovdiv in the Bulgarian A PFG.Between 1967 and 1979, Bonev...
, defender Ivan Boyadzhiev
Ivan Boyadzhiev
Ivan Boyadzhiev is a former Bulgarian football defender.-References:...
and goalkeeper Stancho Bonchev
Stancho Bonchev
Stancho Bonchev is a former Bulgarian football goalkeeper.Bonchev played for the Bulgaria national football team in the UEFA Euro 1968 qualifying rounds.-Honours:CSKA Sofia:*Champion of Bulgaria: 1968-69*Bulgarian Cup Winner: 1968-69...
.
In 1973, the club ended the championship table in the second place, finishing the season with 43 points, 7 less than the first, CSKA Sofia
PFC CSKA Sofia
PFC CSKA Sofia , commonly known as CSKA or CSKA Sofia is a professional football club based in Sofia, Bulgaria. The club was officially founded on May 5, 1948. CSKA's abbreviation stands for Central Sports Club of the Army...
. The following years, two other celebrations followed, in 1969 and 1974, with Lokomotiv finishing the seasons in the 3rd place. In this period the team was quite stable and it was very rarely standing under the 6th position in the league table.
Among the club's players are Hristo Bonev
Hristo Bonev
Hristo Atanasov Bonev-Zuma is a retired Bulgarian footballer, the second all-time leading scorer for the Bulgarian national team behind Dimitar Berbatov, who surpassed his record on November 18, 2009. Currently he manages PFC Lokomotiv Plovdiv in the Bulgarian A PFG.Between 1967 and 1979, Bonev...
- considered by most Lokomotiv fans as being the greatest player ever for Lokomotiv, and one of the greatest Bulgarian players. In 1983, led by Hristo Bonev
Hristo Bonev
Hristo Atanasov Bonev-Zuma is a retired Bulgarian footballer, the second all-time leading scorer for the Bulgarian national team behind Dimitar Berbatov, who surpassed his record on November 18, 2009. Currently he manages PFC Lokomotiv Plovdiv in the Bulgarian A PFG.Between 1967 and 1979, Bonev...
, Lokomotiv won the first trophy in their history - the cup of the Soviet army, beating FC Chirpan 3-1 at Vasil Levski National Stadium
Vasil Levski National Stadium
Vasil Levski National Stadium , named after Bulgarian national hero Vasil Levski, is one of Bulgaria's largest sports venues and the country's second largest stadium...
in Sofia on 1 June 1983.
The list of other famous players to have come from the club's youth system consists of Hristo Kolev
Hristo Kolev
Hristo Kolev is a former Bulgarian footballer, who played as either an attacking midfielder.A skillful free-kick taker, he scored numerous goals from different positions, in a career which spanned almost 15 years.-Football career:...
, Eduard Eranosyan
Eduard Eranosyan
Eduard Eranosyan is a Bulgarian former footballer and current football manager of Armenian origin. Beginning in 1978, he played for Lokomotiv Plovdiv as one of the club's most acclaimed attackers, featuring in 161 matches and scoring 63 goals in the A PFG, winning the Cup of the Soviet Army in...
, Ayan Sadakov
Ayan Sadakov
Ayan Faikov Sadakov is a former Bulgarian footballer and a key member of the Bulgarian national team in the 1986 FIFA World Cup.-Club career:...
, Georgi Ivanov
Georgi Ivanov (footballer)
Georgi Ivanov, nicknamed Gonzo , born 2 July 1976 in Plovdiv), is a former Bulgarian football striker who is the current manager of FC Levski Sofia...
, and Vasil Kamburov
Vasil Kamburov
Vasil Kamburov is a Bulgarian footballer, who currently playing for Rodopa Smolyan as a goalkeeper.-External links:* at BulgarianPlayers.com* at PFL.bg...
. The club has a large fanbase, who are considered to be some of the most fanatic fans in all of Bulgaria. Lokomotiv Plovdiv has the oldest fanclub organization in Bulgaria, established in 1988
1988 in football (soccer)
The following are the association football events of the year 1988 throughout the world.- Events :* March 27, 1988 – Cameroon wins the Africa Nations Cup by defeating Nigeria: 1–0...
..
Title and Supercup
The most successful season in the club's history was the 2003-04 campaign. Lokomotiv won the title, the first and so far the only in the club's history. The coach, Bulgarian Eduard EranosyanEduard Eranosyan
Eduard Eranosyan is a Bulgarian former footballer and current football manager of Armenian origin. Beginning in 1978, he played for Lokomotiv Plovdiv as one of the club's most acclaimed attackers, featuring in 161 matches and scoring 63 goals in the A PFG, winning the Cup of the Soviet Army in...
, formerly football player of the team started the 2003–04 well, with Lokomotiv leading the league by six points halfway through the season and remaining unbeaten. In the penultimate, 29th round, The Smurfs defeated Slavia Sofia in Plovdiv
Plovdiv
Plovdiv is the second-largest city in Bulgaria after Sofia with a population of 338,153 inhabitants according to Census 2011. Plovdiv's history spans some 6,000 years, with traces of a Neolithic settlement dating to roughly 4000 BC; it is one of the oldest cities in Europe...
by 3:2 in front of more than 17,000 spectators and Lokomotiv won the Bulgarian championship. Lokomotiv finished the season with 75 points, 3 more than the second, Levski Sofia
PFC Levski Sofia
"Levski Sofia" redirects here. For the sports club, see Levski Sofia .PFC Levski Sofia, otherwise simply known as Levski or Levski Sofia, is a professional football club based in Sofia, Bulgaria...
. In the team lines was recent acquisition Martin Kamburov
Martin Kamburov
Martin Kamburov , is a Bulgarian footballer and current international, currently playing as a striker for Dalian Shide.-Plovdiv teams:...
who became the goals scorer in Bulgaria with 26 goals. Key players during the fantastic season included Vasil Kamburov
Vasil Kamburov
Vasil Kamburov is a Bulgarian footballer, who currently playing for Rodopa Smolyan as a goalkeeper.-External links:* at BulgarianPlayers.com* at PFL.bg...
, Georgi Iliev
Georgi Iliev (footballer)
Georgi Iliev is a Bulgarian footballer who captains Cherno More Varna. He primarily plays as a centre midfielder. He was capped 11 times for Bulgaria.-Cherno More:...
, Aleksandar Tunchev
Aleksandar Tunchev
Aleksandar Blagov Tunchev is a Bulgarian footballer who plays for Leicester City as a defender.-Bulgaria:Tunchev started his career in his hometown of Pazardzhik with local team Hebar. After that he played for Belasitsa Petrich, later joining Lokomotiv Plovdiv in June, 2002...
, Kiril Kotev
Kiril Kotev
Kiril Kotev is a Bulgarian football player who currently plays for Dalian Aerbin.-Career:In his youth years, Kotev started to play football at FC Vihar Gorublyane. At the age of 16 he moved to Velbazhd Kyustendil. In 2002 Kotev signed with Lokomotiv Plovdiv, with whom became a Champion of...
, Vladimir Ivanov
Vladimir Ivanov (footballer)
Vladimir Ivanov is a former Bulgarian football defender. He is also known as "Fugata" In his career Ivanov played for Slavia Sofia, Levski Sofia, Lokomotiv Sofia, Lokomotiv Plovdiv and German Borussia Mönchengladbach....
, Metodi Stoynev and the Macedonians Boban Jančevski
Boban Jancevski
Boban Jančevski - Janker is a Macedonian football striker who currently plays for FK Renova in the Macedonian First League. Boban grew up in the village of Rogačevo, in the Tetovo multiplicity where he worked his way up in the local academies. The experienced striker is known for his powerful...
, Vančo Trajanov
Vanco Trajanov
Vančo Trajanov or Vanco Trajanov is a Macedonian football player who currently plays for Minyor Pernik. Trajanov is a defensive midfielder who previously played for the Macedonia national football team.-Career:...
and Robert Petrov
Robert Petrov
Robert Petrov is a football player from Macedonia who plays for AZAL PFC Baku and the Macedonia national football team. He is a left defender/midfielder.-Career:...
.
A few months later, the team played for the first time in the UEFA Champions League qualifying rounds where they faced Club Brugge
Club Brugge
Club Brugge Koninklijke Voetbalvereniging is a football club from Bruges in Belgium. It was founded in 1891 and is one of the top clubs in Belgium. Its home ground is the Jan Breydel Stadium, which has a capacity of 29,472....
from Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
in the second qualifying round. In the first match at the Jan Breydel Stadium Lokomotiv lost with 0:4, clearly having no chances of continuing forward to the next round. In the second match in Bulgaria, Lokomotiv lost again, with 0:2.
The same year, Lokomotiv won the Bulgarian Supercup
2004 Bulgarian Supercup
The 2004 Bulgarian Supercup was the 2nd Bulgarian Supercup match, a football match which was contested between the 2003-04 A PFG champion, Lokomotiv Plovdiv, and the winner of the 2004 Bulgarian Cup Final, Litex Lovech. The match was held on 31 July 2004 at the Lazur Stadium in Burgas, Bulgaria...
, after beating Litex Lovech
PFC Litex Lovech
PFC Litex Lovech or simply Litex is a Bulgarian football club from the town of Lovech, which currently competes in the Bulgarian A Professional Football Group, the top division of Bulgarian football...
. In the final, Ivan Paskov
Ivan Paskov
Ivan Paskov is a Bulgarian footballer who last played for Lokomotiv Sofia as a defender. In 2010, he retired from football and became a scout. His international career lasted a total of only a minute or so. He came on right at the end of Bulgaria's match with Croatia on 9 October 2004...
scored a brilliant header in the last seconds of the game for the 1:0 win.
Recent history (2004-present)
The next 2004-05 season in the domestic league was also very successful for the team, which finished 3rd in A PFG, and qualified for the UEFA CupUEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
. In the European club competition, Lokomotiv defeated Serbian OFK Beograd
OFK Beograd
Omladinski fudbalski klub Beograd, commonly referred to as OFK Beograd , is a football club from Belgrade, Serbia, more precisely from the Karaburma urban neighborhood. It currently is the oldest team playing in the Serbian SuperLiga. The name means "Youth Football Club Belgrade" in Serbian...
in the second qualifying round (1:0 home win and 1:2 away loss) and were drawn to play against the English Bolton Wanderers
Bolton Wanderers F.C.
Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....
in the first round. However, the team from Plovdiv
Plovdiv
Plovdiv is the second-largest city in Bulgaria after Sofia with a population of 338,153 inhabitants according to Census 2011. Plovdiv's history spans some 6,000 years, with traces of a Neolithic settlement dating to roughly 4000 BC; it is one of the oldest cities in Europe...
was eliminated after a 1-2 loss at the Reebok Stadium
Reebok Stadium
The Reebok Stadium is the home stadium of English Premier League football club Bolton Wanderers, and is located on the Middlebrook Retail Park in Horwich, in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. It is commonly known as 'The Reebok'...
in Bolton
Bolton
Bolton is a town in Greater Manchester, in the North West of England. Close to the West Pennine Moors, it is north west of the city of Manchester. Bolton is surrounded by several smaller towns and villages which together form the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, of which Bolton is the...
and another 1-2 loss in a match, played at the Lazur Stadium in Burgas
Burgas
-History:During the rule of the Ancient Romans, near Burgas, Debeltum was established as a military colony for veterans by Vespasian. In the Middle Ages, a small fortress called Pyrgos was erected where Burgas is today and was most probably used as a watchtower...
.
On August 25, 2005, a few hours after the match with OFK Beograd
OFK Beograd
Omladinski fudbalski klub Beograd, commonly referred to as OFK Beograd , is a football club from Belgrade, Serbia, more precisely from the Karaburma urban neighborhood. It currently is the oldest team playing in the Serbian SuperLiga. The name means "Youth Football Club Belgrade" in Serbian...
in Burgas
Burgas
-History:During the rule of the Ancient Romans, near Burgas, Debeltum was established as a military colony for veterans by Vespasian. In the Middle Ages, a small fortress called Pyrgos was erected where Burgas is today and was most probably used as a watchtower...
, Lokomotiv's owner Georgi Iliev
Georgi Iliev
Georgi Andreev Iliev was a Bulgarian businessman, best known for his ownership of a top Bulgarian football team, Lokomotiv Plovdiv....
was shot and killed at a restaurant in Sunny Beach
Sunny Beach
Sunny Beach is a major seaside resort on the Black Sea coast of Bulgaria, located approximately 35 km north of Burgas in Nessebar municipality, Burgas Province. It is the biggest and most popular holiday resort in Bulgaria, and is home to over 800 hotels with more than 300 000 beds. There are...
, a resort town on Bulgaria's Black Sea
Black Sea
The Black Sea is bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and the Aegean seas and various straits. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects that sea to the Aegean...
coast nearby Burgas
Burgas
-History:During the rule of the Ancient Romans, near Burgas, Debeltum was established as a military colony for veterans by Vespasian. In the Middle Ages, a small fortress called Pyrgos was erected where Burgas is today and was most probably used as a watchtower...
, by a suspected sniper. In the next few months the club had big financial problems. Because of these problems, many of the players of the champions team, as Aleksandar Tunchev
Aleksandar Tunchev
Aleksandar Blagov Tunchev is a Bulgarian footballer who plays for Leicester City as a defender.-Bulgaria:Tunchev started his career in his hometown of Pazardzhik with local team Hebar. After that he played for Belasitsa Petrich, later joining Lokomotiv Plovdiv in June, 2002...
, Martin Kamburov
Martin Kamburov
Martin Kamburov , is a Bulgarian footballer and current international, currently playing as a striker for Dalian Shide.-Plovdiv teams:...
, Ivan Paskov
Ivan Paskov
Ivan Paskov is a Bulgarian footballer who last played for Lokomotiv Sofia as a defender. In 2010, he retired from football and became a scout. His international career lasted a total of only a minute or so. He came on right at the end of Bulgaria's match with Croatia on 9 October 2004...
, Georgi Iliev
Georgi Iliev (footballer)
Georgi Iliev is a Bulgarian footballer who captains Cherno More Varna. He primarily plays as a centre midfielder. He was capped 11 times for Bulgaria.-Cherno More:...
, Darko Spalević
Darko Spalevic
Darko Spalević is a Serbian football player on the position of a Forward who currently plays for FK Radnički Kragujevac....
, Kiril Kotev
Kiril Kotev
Kiril Kotev is a Bulgarian football player who currently plays for Dalian Aerbin.-Career:In his youth years, Kotev started to play football at FC Vihar Gorublyane. At the age of 16 he moved to Velbazhd Kyustendil. In 2002 Kotev signed with Lokomotiv Plovdiv, with whom became a Champion of...
and Boban Jančevski
Boban Jancevski
Boban Jančevski - Janker is a Macedonian football striker who currently plays for FK Renova in the Macedonian First League. Boban grew up in the village of Rogačevo, in the Tetovo multiplicity where he worked his way up in the local academies. The experienced striker is known for his powerful...
left the club.
In the 2005-06 season Lokomotiv finished 5th in A PFG and qualified for the Intertoto Cup. Loko were eliminated with a 2-3 (1-2 away loss and a 1-1 home draw) on aggregate by Romanian Farul Constanţa
FC Farul Constanta
FC Farul Constanţa is a professional football club from Constanţa, Romania. Established in 1949, Farul is currently competing in Liga II ,after being relegated at the end of Liga I 2008-09. The club has yet to win a Romanian title...
.
In the next three seasons the team finished in the middle of the table. In December, 2009, the businessman and ex-Vihren Sandanski
FC Vihren Sandanski
FC Vihren is a Bulgarian football club from the town of Sandanski, currently playing in the West B PFG, the second division of Bulgarian football. The club's home ground is the Sandanski Stadium in Sandanski with a capacity of 6,000. Vihren Sandanski's team colours are green and...
owner Konstantin Dinev acquired the club from Galina Topalova in a 2 million euro bid, with the clear intention to bring Loko back to European club competition.
Current squad
As of September 4, 2011For recent transfers, see List of Bulgarian football transfers winter 2011–12.
Retired numbers
- 8 Hristo BonevHristo BonevHristo Atanasov Bonev-Zuma is a retired Bulgarian footballer, the second all-time leading scorer for the Bulgarian national team behind Dimitar Berbatov, who surpassed his record on November 18, 2009. Currently he manages PFC Lokomotiv Plovdiv in the Bulgarian A PFG.Between 1967 and 1979, Bonev...
, striker, 1963–1967, 1968–1979, 1982–84
Managerial history
This is a list of the last ten Lokomotiv managers:| Name | Nat | From | To | Honours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ivan Marinov | |
1 September 2006 | 23 September 2007 | – |
| Yasen Petrov Yasen Petrov Yasen Petrov is a Bulgarian former football player and the current football manager. His nickname is Gianini.- Career :... |
|
24 September 2007 | 16 March 2008 | – |
| Dragan Kanatlarovski Dragan Kanatlarovski Dragan Kanatlarovski is a Macedonian football manager and former player. He represented the Yugoslav national team.- Player career :Born in Belgrade, SR Serbia, FPR Yugoslavia, he played for FK Pelister before moving to FK Vardar where he will play four seasons. In 1989 he moved to Red Star Belgrade... |
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20 March 2008 | 29 September 2008 | – |
| Ayan Sadakov Ayan Sadakov Ayan Faikov Sadakov is a former Bulgarian footballer and a key member of the Bulgarian national team in the 1986 FIFA World Cup.-Club career:... |
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29 September 2008 | 10 August 2009 | – |
| Ivan Marinov | |
12 August 2009 | 31 October 2009 | – |
| Stefan Genov | |
3 November 2009 | 26 December 2009 | – |
| Naci Şensoy |  |
26 December 2009 | 3 May 2010 | – |
| Hristo Bonev Hristo Bonev Hristo Atanasov Bonev-Zuma is a retired Bulgarian footballer, the second all-time leading scorer for the Bulgarian national team behind Dimitar Berbatov, who surpassed his record on November 18, 2009. Currently he manages PFC Lokomotiv Plovdiv in the Bulgarian A PFG.Between 1967 and 1979, Bonev... |
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3 May 2010 | 28 September 2010 | – |
| Nedelcho Matushev | |
28 September 2010 | 23 April 2011 | – |
| Saša Nikolić | 23 April 2011 | present | – |
As of 3 May 2011.
Notable players
The following players included were either playing for their respective national teams or left good impression among the fans. Bulgaria
- Hristo BonevHristo BonevHristo Atanasov Bonev-Zuma is a retired Bulgarian footballer, the second all-time leading scorer for the Bulgarian national team behind Dimitar Berbatov, who surpassed his record on November 18, 2009. Currently he manages PFC Lokomotiv Plovdiv in the Bulgarian A PFG.Between 1967 and 1979, Bonev...
- Ivan BoyadzhievIvan BoyadzhievIvan Boyadzhiev is a former Bulgarian football defender.-References:...
- Gocho VasilevGeorgi Parvanov VasilevGeorgi Parvanov Vasilev-Gocho is a former Bulgarian football player in forward role.In career he played for PFC Lokomotiv Plovdiv and PFC Pirin Gotse Delchev....
- Stancho BonchevStancho BonchevStancho Bonchev is a former Bulgarian football goalkeeper.Bonchev played for the Bulgaria national football team in the UEFA Euro 1968 qualifying rounds.-Honours:CSKA Sofia:*Champion of Bulgaria: 1968-69*Bulgarian Cup Winner: 1968-69...
- Zdravko LazarovZdravko LazarovZdravko Lazarov is a Bulgarian football player, currently playing for Lokomotiv Plovdiv, captain of the team. He is also assistant manager of Hristo Bonev....
- Ivan Kozarev
- Eduard EranosyanEduard EranosyanEduard Eranosyan is a Bulgarian former footballer and current football manager of Armenian origin. Beginning in 1978, he played for Lokomotiv Plovdiv as one of the club's most acclaimed attackers, featuring in 161 matches and scoring 63 goals in the A PFG, winning the Cup of the Soviet Army in...
- Hristo KolevHristo KolevHristo Kolev is a former Bulgarian footballer, who played as either an attacking midfielder.A skillful free-kick taker, he scored numerous goals from different positions, in a career which spanned almost 15 years.-Football career:...
- Ayan SadakovAyan SadakovAyan Faikov Sadakov is a former Bulgarian footballer and a key member of the Bulgarian national team in the 1986 FIFA World Cup.-Club career:...
- Krasimir DimitrovKrasimir DimitrovKrasimir Dimitrov is a Bulgarian footballer, currently playing for Brestnik 1948 as a midfielder.Dimitrov previously played for PFC Lokomotiv Plovdiv in the A PFG.-References:...
- Vasil KamburovVasil KamburovVasil Kamburov is a Bulgarian footballer, who currently playing for Rodopa Smolyan as a goalkeeper.-External links:* at BulgarianPlayers.com* at PFL.bg...
Bulgaria
- Martin KamburovMartin KamburovMartin Kamburov , is a Bulgarian footballer and current international, currently playing as a striker for Dalian Shide.-Plovdiv teams:...
- Ivan PaskovIvan PaskovIvan Paskov is a Bulgarian footballer who last played for Lokomotiv Sofia as a defender. In 2010, he retired from football and became a scout. His international career lasted a total of only a minute or so. He came on right at the end of Bulgaria's match with Croatia on 9 October 2004...
- Kostadin VidolovKostadin VidolovKostadin Vidolov is a Bulgarian former footballer. In his career he played for Lokomotiv Plovdiv, Botev Plovdiv, CSKA Sofia, Levski Sofia, Beroe Stara Zagora, German 1. FC Union Berlin and Turkish Bursaspor. For Bulgaria national football team, Vidolov was capped 9 times, scoring one goal...
- Aleksandar TunchevAleksandar TunchevAleksandar Blagov Tunchev is a Bulgarian footballer who plays for Leicester City as a defender.-Bulgaria:Tunchev started his career in his hometown of Pazardzhik with local team Hebar. After that he played for Belasitsa Petrich, later joining Lokomotiv Plovdiv in June, 2002...
- Georgi IlievGeorgi Iliev (footballer)Georgi Iliev is a Bulgarian footballer who captains Cherno More Varna. He primarily plays as a centre midfielder. He was capped 11 times for Bulgaria.-Cherno More:...
- Georgi Petrov
- Vladimir IvanovVladimir Ivanov (footballer)Vladimir Ivanov is a former Bulgarian football defender. He is also known as "Fugata" In his career Ivanov played for Slavia Sofia, Levski Sofia, Lokomotiv Sofia, Lokomotiv Plovdiv and German Borussia Mönchengladbach....
Guinea-Bissau
- Basile de CarvalhoBasile de CarvalhoBasile Salomon Pereira de Carvalho is a naturalized Bissau-Guinean footballer. He plays for Lokomotiv Plovdiv as a forward in the Bulgarian A PFG.-France:...
Macedonia
- Robert PetrovRobert PetrovRobert Petrov is a football player from Macedonia who plays for AZAL PFC Baku and the Macedonia national football team. He is a left defender/midfielder.-Career:...
- Boban JančevskiBoban JancevskiBoban Jančevski - Janker is a Macedonian football striker who currently plays for FK Renova in the Macedonian First League. Boban grew up in the village of Rogačevo, in the Tetovo multiplicity where he worked his way up in the local academies. The experienced striker is known for his powerful...
- Žarko SerafimovskiŽarko SerafimovskiŽarko Serafimovski is a former football midfielder from the present-day Republic of Macedonia....
- Vančo TrajanovVanco TrajanovVančo Trajanov or Vanco Trajanov is a Macedonian football player who currently plays for Minyor Pernik. Trajanov is a defensive midfielder who previously played for the Macedonia national football team.-Career:...
Mali
- Garra DembeleGarra DembéléGarra Dembélé is a French-born Malian footballer. He currently plays as a forward for SC Freiburg. He signed a four-year contract, beginning with the 2011–12 season.-Career:...
Serbia
- Saša Vukojević
- Darko SpalevićDarko SpalevicDarko Spalević is a Serbian football player on the position of a Forward who currently plays for FK Radnički Kragujevac....
- Ivan Krizmanić
Note: For a complete list of Lokomotiv Plovdiv players, see :Category:PFC Lokomotiv Plovdiv players.