| Clubname: | PFC CSKA Sofia |
| Fullname: | Професионален Футболен Клуб ЦСКА София Professional Football Club CSKA Sofia |
| Nickname: | Армейците (The Аrmy) Червените (The Reds) |
| Short Name: | CSKA Sofia |
| Ground: | Vasil Levski, New Bulgarian Army Stadium (under construction) |
| Capacity: | 43,230 |
| Owntitle: | Shareholders |
| Mgrtitle: | Head coach |
| Manager: | Tomislav Stipić |
| Current: | 2024–25 PFC CSKA Sofia season |
| League: | First League |
| Season: | 2023–24 |
| Position: | First League, 3rd of 16 |
| Website: | https://www.cska.bg/ |
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CSKA Sofia (Bulgarian: ЦСКА София) is a Bulgarian professional association football club based in Sofia and currently competing in the country's premier football competition, the First League. CSKA is an abbreviation for Central Sports Club of the Army (Bulgarian: Централен Спортен Клуб на Армията ).
Officially established on 5 May 1948, CSKA's roots date back to an army officers' club founded in 1923.[1] The club has won a record 31 Bulgarian titles and 21 Bulgarian Cups.[2] [3] Internationally, CSKA are the only Bulgarian club to have reached the semi-finals of the European Cup, which they have done twice, and they have also reached the semi-final of the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup once.[4]
CSKA's home colors are red and white and its home ground is the Bulgarian Army Stadium. The club's biggest rivals are Levski Sofia and matches between the two sides are known as "The Eternal Derby of Bulgaria".
In November 1923, football clubs Athletic Sofia and Slava Sofia merged to form AS-23, short for Officers' Sports Club Athletic Slava 1923, under the patronage of the Ministry of War, which provided the equipment.
In 1931, AS-23 won their first Bulgarian championship and The Tsar's Cup, followed by another Tsar's Cup in 1941. The club's stadium (completed in 1938) was named Athletic Park and was situated where the Bulgarian Army Stadium now resides.
On 9 November 1944, with the support of Mihail Mihaylov, an accountant at the Ministry of War and a patron of Shipka Sofia, a unifying agreement was signed, merging AS-23, Shipka, and Spartak (Poduene) to form Chavdar Sofia. Gen. Vladimir Stoychev from AS-23, who at the time was fighting on the front in World War II, was appointed (by telegram) as the new club's chairman. Lawyer Ivan Bashev, a future Bulgarian foreign minister, was appointed club secretary and the person in charge of football.[5]
With the help of Mihail Mihaylov again, in February 1948, Chavdar became the departmental club of the Central House of the Troops ("Centralnia Dom na Voiskata") and took on the name of CDV. Looking for ways to stop the club's decline, CDV's administrators sought to merge it with another club. In May 1948, an agreement was reached between CDV and Septemvri Sofia (which had already earned a place in the play-offs) for uniting the clubs under the name "Septemvri pri CDV" (Septemvri at CDV). The contract was signed on 5 May 1948, which is officially considered the club's date of foundation.
The club's played its first official match on 19 May 1948 against Slavia Sofia at Yunak Stadium, a 1–1 draw. Septemvri pri CDV eliminated Aprilov (Gabrovo) and Spartak Varna en route to the final, where it faced Levski Sofia, losing 1–2 in the first leg. The decisive second match occurred on 9 September 1948. Septemvri pri CDV's lineup consisted of: Stefan Gerenski, Borislav Futekov, Manol Manolov, Dimitar Cvetkov, Nikola Aleksiev, Nako Chakmakov (captain), Dimitar Milanov, Stoyne Minev, Stefan Bozhkov, Nikola Bozhilov and Kiril Bogdanov. The score was 3–3 on aggregate, as Septemvri pri CDV led 2–1 near the end of regulation time, when a last-minute goal by Nako Chakmakov gave the club its first ever title.
In 1950, the word "Narodna" ("Peoples" in English) was added to the name of the Central House of the Troops, changing it to Central House of the People's Troops ("Centralen Dom na Narodnata Voiska" in English), or C.D.N.V., effectively changing the club's name. The following two years, C.D.N.V. won two consecutive titles. In 1951, the club clinched their first double. In 1953, the club was again renamed by the authorities, this time to Otbor na Sofiyskiya Garnizon ("Team of the Sofia Garrison"), and most of the key players were illegally transferred out. The title was lost.
The following year, the club was renamed CDNA (Central House of the People's Army), and the years between 1954 and 1962 marked one of the most successful periods for the Reds, who won nine consecutive titles (an unprecedented achievement in Bulgarian football at the time and a record the club held for 60 years) and, in 1956, took part in the second installment of the newly created European Cup competition, reaching the quarter-finals.[6]
In 1962, CDNA was merged with DSO Cherveno Zname to form CSKA Cherveno Zname ("CSKA Red Flag"). The Central House of the People's Troops ceased its affiliation with the club, which was taken over by the Ministry of People's Defense. CSKA finished third after Spartak Plovdiv and Botev Plovdiv in the 1962–63 season. The following season, CSKA had its worst performance in the Bulgarian championship to date, finishing 11th in the final table, only three points from relegation. This led to the sacking of legendary coach Krum Milev after 16 years at the helm.
CSKA did not recapture the title until 1966. However, during the 1966–67 season, CSKA recorded its first major international achievement, reaching the semi-finals of the European Cup for the first time, where they faced Italian giants Inter. After two hard-fought 1–1 draws, a third decisive match was played, which CSKA lost 0–1.[7]
The next two seasons were unmemorable for the Army Men, finishing in fifth and second place respectively. In 1968, CSKA underwent another merger, joining with Septemvri Sofia and taking on the name of CSKA Septemvriysko Zname ("CSKA September Flag"). The club clinched the title in 1969 with the help of recent acquisition Petar Zhekov, who would go on to become the top Bulgarian goalscorer of all time, a record Zhekov held for 52 years until he was surpassed by Martin Kamburov in 2021.
The 1970s are widely considered the period when CSKA made its name on the European stage. The club began the decade modestly, claiming second place domestically and reaching the round of 16 in 1970–71 European Cup Winners' Cup, where they fell to English side Chelsea 0–2 on aggregate.[8] However, from 1971 to 1973, CSKA won three consecutive titles and delivered one of the biggest surprises in European football when it eliminated reigning European champion Ajax – considered the finest team of all time[9] – 2–1 on aggregate in the 1973–74 European Cup.[10]
They then faced German champions Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals. After losing 1–4 in the first leg in Munich, CSKA bowed out of the competition following a 2–1 win at home.[11] Between 1975 and 1979, the club won two more domestic titles.
The 1980–81 season was again a memorable one for CSKA Sofia, winning the Bulgarian title once more and twice beating European champion Nottingham Forest, both times with 1–0 scorelines,[12] before being stopped by the future European champions Liverpool with a 6–1 defeat on aggregate in the quarter-finals of the European Cup.[13]
The next season, CSKA reached their second-straight European Cup semi-final, eliminating Spanish champions Real Sociedad, Glentoran and Liverpool after losing 0–1 in England and winning 2–0 at home with two goals by Stoycho Mladenov.[14] In the semi-final, the Reds again faced Bayern Munich. The first leg was held in Sofia and started with a full dominance over Bayern, as by the 16th minute, CSKA were leading 3–0 in front of 85,000 jubilant spectators who saw the European final in their dreams. But the final score was 4–3 for CSKA. In Munich, the club suffered a 4–0 defeat, ending what is still the deepest run by a Bulgarian side in the European Cup or UEFA Champions League.[15]
In the domestic league, CSKA did not let go of the title until the 1984–85 season, where they finished second behind arch-rivals Levski, but still managed to reach the Bulgarian Cup final.
On 18 June 1985, the final for the Bulgarian Cup was held at the Vasil Levski National Stadium between CSKA and Levski Sofia. The match was marked by many questionable referee decisions and saw several brutal fights, including an assault on a referee by some of Levski's players. CSKA won the match 2–1, even though they had missed a penalty when the score was 2–0. By decree of the Central Committee of the Bulgarian Communist Party, both teams were disbanded and re-founded under new management. CSKA was renamed Sredets while Levski was renamed Vitosha. Several players were banned from participating in official matches for varying periods of time, including Hristo Stoichkov and Kostadin Yanchev from CSKA. One year later, the committee's decision was reversed and the players were reinstated.
As Sredets, the club finished in fourth place in the 1985–86 season. In 1987, the club was renamed CFKA Sredets ("Central Football Club of the Army Sredets"), and the following three years were marked by a formidable performance, even as Septemvri Sofia ended their 20-year partnership with CFKA in 1988 and became an independent club again. Coached by Dimitar Penev, CFKA won the title in 1987 and 1989 and reached the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup semi-finals against Barcelona in 1989. In reaching this stage in the tournament, CFKA had eliminated Roda JC after penalty kicks following a 2–1 win at home and a 1–2 loss away. Barcelona, coached by former Dutch international Johan Cruyff, won both matches (4–2 in Barcelona and 2–1 in Sofia) and CFKA were eliminated, but Cruyff did notice the talent of Hristo Stoichkov and decided to bring him to Barcelona the following year, effectively launching Stoichkov's international career.
The decade, immediately following the fall of communism, brought turbulent changes to Bulgarian football, and the club was not spared. The CSKA name was restored starting with the 1989–90 season and they won the title again. In March 1991, former footballer and administrator Valentin Mihov was chosen as president of CSKA. The club bought some of the most talented Bulgarian players, including Yordan Letchkov, Ivaylo Andonov and Stoycho Stoilov, among others. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Defense concluded their affiliation with the club. Despite the uncertainty and the numerous problems that followed, CSKA won the title again in 1992. They were later eliminated in the first round of the 1992–93 UEFA Champions League by Austria Wien after losing 1–3 in Vienna and winning 3–2 in Sofia.
In the meantime, Valentin Mihov was appointed president of the Bulgarian Football Union and Petar Kalpakchiev was chosen as his replacement. However, Kalpakchiev wrangled with the club's administration over their decisions to replace several coaches, one of which was Gjoko Hadžievski, considered to be leading the club in the right direction, and eventually he was fired.
The owner of the Multigroup conglomerate, Iliya Pavlov, took over as president, but ultimately his sponsorship proved insufficient to overcome the club's ineffective management. Five coaches were changed in just one season, with Tsvetan Yonchev being coach for just one day. In Europe, CSKA nevertheless defeated Juventus 3–2 in the first round of the 1994–95 UEFA Cup, but the result was annulled by UEFA because of the delayed player-indexing of forward Petar Mihtarski, and Juventus were awarded a 3–0 victory by default. In the second leg in Turin, CSKA succumbed to a 5–1 defeat.
In the summer of 1995, CSKA made a strong selection and eventually the club included half of the youth national football team of Bulgaria. Plamen Markov was appointed head coach, but after a disappointing first half of the season, he was replaced by Georgi Vasilev, who had previously won three Bulgarian titles (one with Etar Veliko Tarnovo and two with Levski Sofia). Vasilev managed to win a double with CSKA for the 1996–97 season, entering the second qualifying round of the Champions League against Steaua București. After a dramatic 3–3 in Bucharest, CSKA fell 0–2 at home.
Vasilev was unexpectedly released from the club at the beginning of the second half of the 1997–98 season after a 3–0 win over Spartak Pleven. Coach Petar Zehtinski took his place. That year, the club saw the return of Hristo Stoichkov, Emil Kostadinov and Trifon Ivanov, but the three of them challenged each other for the captain's band. Stoichkov played in only four matches and left CSKA right before the derby with Levski to play for a club in Saudi Arabia. After the end of the season, Ivanov also left the club. CSKA finished in third place.
In the summer of 1998, Dimitar Penev took the lead as head coach for the second time. CSKA reached the second round of the UEFA Cup and won the Bulgarian Cup, but disappointed in the domestic league, finishing in fifth place in 1999. That season, the young talents of Martin Petrov, Stilian Petrov, Dimitar Berbatov and Vladimir Manchev started to play a bigger role in the team. There were problems with player-indexing due to some unpaid obligations to Neftochimik. In the domestic championship, CSKA had only 16 players registered for the 1999–2000 season and some un-indexed players took part in official UEFA games. Consequently, at the shareholders meeting at the end of 1999, the club ownership was transferred to businessman Vasil Bozhkov.
After the first two fixtures in the spring of 2000, which the club lost, Dimitar Penev was relieved as coach and in his place was appointed Georgi Dimitrov – Jacky, who was later replaced by Spas Dzhevizov. After a 1–1 draw with Pirin at Bulgarian Army Stadium, Dzhevizov handed in his resignation and Aleksandar Stankov took his place. Even though at times CSKA had fallen as far as nine points behind league leaders Levski, the club shortened the difference to only two points before the decisive match for the title at Georgi Asparuhov Stadium. CSKA dominated Levski for most of the match, as Dimitar Berbatov made several serious misses, but a last-minute goal from Georgi Ivanov secured the title for Levski.
In the summer of 2000, the Italian Enrico Catuzzi was retained as head coach, who managed to revive the team. However, even though the Army Men played attractive matches under his leadership, Catuzzi resigned during the winter break, citing family problems. Aleksandar Stankov was appointed as coach again, but was replaced by Catuzzi again after two losses from Litex for the cup and the championship. The Reds finished second, seven points behind Levski.
To start the 2001–02 season, CSKA's head coach was Asparuh Nikodimov, who would be fired during the winter break, as CSKA was situated two points behind Levski. He was replaced by another Italian, Luigi Simoni. Simoni failed to make CSKA champions as the club finished third and lost the Bulgarian Cup final to Levski. Simoni left at the end of the season.
In the summer of 2002, former CSKA striker Stoycho Mladenov was appointed as head coach. With him, the team set a record of 13 consecutive wins in 13 matches and won the title for the first time since 1997. However, Mladenov was fired the following season after losing to Galatasaray in the qualifying rounds of the 2003–04 UEFA Champions League and after giving a less than impressive performance in the first round of the UEFA Cup, where the club lost on penalty kicks to Torpedo Moscow. Immediately after, two of the new arrivals, Léo Lima and Rodrigo Sousa, purchased for a total of 3 million dollars the year before, left the club on the grounds they had not received two monthly salaries. FIFA decided they had the right to leave and that CSKA had to pay them and release the players to their former club, Vasco da Gama. Alexander Stankov was temporarily appointed as head coach until the winter break, when Ferario Spasov officially took over. At the end of 2004, Spasov was replaced by Serbian coach Miodrag Ješić, despite the club's first place in the league. With Ješić at the helm, CSKA won their record 30th domestic title in 2005.
For the 2005–06 UEFA Champions League, after eliminating Tirana in the second qualifying round, CSKA were paired against reigning European champions Liverpool. The club lost 1–3 in the first match in Sofia, but surprisingly won the second leg 1–0 away at Anfield.[16] [17]
In the UEFA Cup, the Reds eliminated Bayer Leverkusen (with Dimitar Berbatov in the team) with two 1–0 wins and reached the group stage, where they finished fifth with three points from four matches and were eliminated. During the winter break of the 2005–06 season, the club was in first place, seven points ahead of Levski. However, during the spring, CSKA lost the seven-point advantage and ultimately finished second, three points behind Levski. Club president Vasil Bozhkov blamed head coach Miodrag Ješić for the failure to capture the title and fired him, while some supporters blamed Bozhkov instead.
Former CSKA head coach Plamen Markov was appointed in Ješić's place. Bozhkov then announced that he would restrict the finances of the club and that during the upcoming season CSKA will not be aiming at the title. In December 2006, Bozhkov sold the club to Indian steel tycoon and owner of Kremikovtzi AD, Pramod Mittal, brother of ArcelorMittal's Lakshmi Mittal. Former Bulgarian politician Aleksandar Tomov became president of the club and assured the supporters that CSKA would, in fact, be aiming at both the championship and the cup. After two draws in the beginning of the spring half of 2006–07, CSKA found themselves six points behind Levski. As a result, Plamen Markov was replaced by Stoycho Mladenov. CSKA finished second.
During the beginning of the 2007–08 season, CSKA purchased players for more than €2 million. The team was unluckily eliminated from the UEFA Cup in the first round by French side Toulouse after a 96th-minute goal from André-Pierre Gignac in the second leg. CSKA was also eliminated from the Bulgarian Cup in the Round of 16 by Lokomotiv Plovdiv. The match was engulfed in a scandal because of three CSKA players who at the time were on loan at Lokomotiv (Stoyko Sakaliev, Aleksandar Branekov and Ivan Ivanov). The players had clauses in their contracts restricting them from playing matches against CSKA, but Lokomotiv's management used the players anyway.
At the end of the season, the Army Men secured the title well in advance, finishing 16 points ahead of second-placed Levski and without losing a single match. On 5 May 2008, the club marked its 60th birthday with big celebrations organized by the management. An alley of fame was built, comprising the names of the most successful current and former players of CSKA. On 24 May 2008, an exhibition match was played between the current squad and a mixed team of Bulgarian and foreign football stars. The mixed team was coached by former German international Lothar Matthäus, who was a special guest for the anniversary celebrations. The match ended 6–6.
In June 2008, only days after CSKA won its 31st title, UEFA notified the Bulgarian Football Union (BFU) that the club would not receive a license for participating in the 2008–09 UEFA Champions League because of unpaid obligations.[18] [19] The BFU then speculated this could also result in CSKA not being able to take part in the domestic championship, effectively turning it into an amateur club. Attempts to arrange a settlement with UEFA proved unsuccessful and CSKA lost its right to compete in the Champions League in favor of runners-up Levski Sofia.[20] The person widely blamed for the crisis was club president Aleksandar Tomov, who resigned shortly after and was arrested and charged with embezzling millions of levs from CSKA and Kremikovtzi AD.[21]
The problems with the license exposed the club's weak financial situation and led to chaos and panic, prompting many of the key players to flee, including head coach Stoycho Mladenov himself, who left saying he was not happy with the fire sale of so many important players. The future of CSKA looked grim, its status as a professional club hanging in the balance. In the midst of the crisis, Dimitar Penev was given the head coach's job for the third time and burdened with the task of saving the club. With almost all senior players gone, Penev had no choice but to rely on members of the CSKA youth squad.
Ultimately, CSKA managed to fulfill all licensing requirements set by the BFU and was allowed to compete in A Group.[22] Despite all the difficulties, and to the surprise of the whole football community, Penev's young squad claimed the Bulgarian Supercup in August 2008, overcoming Litex 1–0.[23]
At the beginning of the 2008–09 season, the club managed to strengthen their ranks by signing Bulgarian internationals Zdravko Lazarov and Vladimir Manchev. On 24 December 2008, club owner Pramod Mittal announced he had signed a preliminary contract with a local investor to sell the club.[24] The deal was finalized on 6 March 2009, and the ownership of the club was transferred to Titan Sport EAD, a subsidiary of Bulgarian waste management company Titan AS.[25] Meanwhile, coach Dimitar Penev was replaced by his nephew, Lyuboslav Penev, who set aggressive goals for the club.[26] After having led the league for most of the season, CSKA finished the championship in second place, one point behind arch-rivals Levski.
In 2009, CSKA earned a place in the 2009–10 UEFA Europa League's group stage after defeating Dynamo Moscow in the qualifying round and drew Roma, Basel and Fulham in the group stage.[27] The first match was against Fulham in Sofia, where CSKA took the lead thanks to a beautiful goal by newly signed from Chernomoretz Burgas Brazilian Michel Platini. However, a simple goalkeeper mistake at the end of the match allowed Fulham to score, ending the game in a 1–1 draw. Despite the strong start, CSKA did not manage to earn any more points in the group stage and exited the competition after finishing fourth in its group.[28] In November 2009, coach Luboslav Penev threatened to resign following a squabble with the club's management after they had reversed his decision to reprimand several players for disciplinary reasons, but decided to carry on with the job. Their disagreements eventually boiled over in January 2010 and the board relieved Penev of the position.[29] Reports in the press pointed to former CSKA coach Miodrag Ješić as a possible replacement, but even though Ješić expressed a desire to come back to CSKA, his current contract with Libyan club Alittihad Tripoli ruled him out.[30] On 17 January, the club retained Romanian specialist Ioan Andone as coach.[31] Andone brought two Romanian players with him and set out to overhaul the team.[32] However, over the next six matches, CSKA won only two matches, drew arch-rivals Levski 0–0 and lost second place to Lokomotiv Sofia. On 30 March, after two months on the job, Andone resigned, citing family reasons.[33] Former CSKA defender Adalbert Zafirov was put in his place.[34] At the same time, the club turned to Dimitar Penev again, naming him supervisor of the coaching staff.[35] Despite the tumultuous second half of the season, CSKA managed to finish at second place in the table, behind champions Litex, and prepared to enter the third qualifying round of the 2010–11 UEFA Europa League.[36]
In the summer of 2010, the club hired Pavel Dochev as head coach, but after a string of unsatisfactory results, including a 0–1 loss to Levski Sofia and a 1–2 loss to Chernomorets Burgas, he was fired. His place was taken by the relatively unknown Macedonian manager Gjore Jovanovski, who kept his job for just three months before being replaced by his assistant Milen Radukanov. Under Radukanov, CSKA won the 2011 Bulgarian Cup and the Bulgarian SuperCup, beating league champions Litex Lovech 3–1.
CSKA started 2011–12 with eight-straight league victories, but after a 1–2 defeat against Slavia Sofia and a 0–0 draw against Cherno More Varna, Radukanov was unexpectedly fired by chairman Dimitar Borisov. Dimitar Penev was appointed as a temporary manager with Adalbert Zafirov as his assistant. In the spring, Stoycho Mladenov was again hired as head coach, and he led the club to a second-place league finish, a single point behind champions Ludogorets Razgrad after losing on the final day of the season.
CSKA began the season by being surprisingly eliminated from international football by Slovenian side Mura 05. While the first leg in Slovenia ended in a 0–0 draw, a 1–1 tie at home eliminated the Reds from the 2012–13 UEFA Europa League in the second qualifying round. The start of the domestic championship was unimpressive as well –- a 0–1 loss to Litex, in which the club had no right to use its new signings due to administrative restrictions. However, in the middle of the autumn half of the season, CSKA achieved some significant wins, defeating Levski 1–0 in the Eternal Derby and eliminating Ludogorets Razgrad in the round of 32 of the Bulgarian Cup.
In late December 2012, head coach Stoycho Mladenov was abruptly fired by the club owners for "disciplinary" reasons, and Miodrag Ješić was appointed in his place. During the winter transfer window, CSKA made several signings, such as Bulgarian internationals Martin Kamburov and Spas Delev, in addition to South-American players Marcinho and Ignacio Varela. After managing the team for only two matches in the spring, Ješić was sacked and replaced by fan favourite Milen Radukanov, with whom the club managed to finish the season with the bronze medals.
In June 2013, former FIFA Ballon d'Or winner Hristo Stoichkov was released from Litex Lovech to replace Radukanov on the bench, but the poor financial condition of the club forced him to leave shortly after his arrival without even having signed a contract. Most of the key players left CSKA while speculations about the club's bankruptcy circled in the media.[37] After the serious financial problems led to CSKA's withdrawal from the 2013–14 UEFA Europa League, igniting multiple fan protests, the club was ultimately declared for sale. On 10 July 2013, it was officially purchased by the Red Champions Group, a union of businessmen and club legends. The leader of the group was Aleksandar Tomov, former club president widely blamed for CSKA's financial crisis in 2008. Stoycho Mladenov was hired back as manager by the new owners.
The club made several major signings for the new season, bringing in former team captains Valentin Iliev, Emil Gargorov and Todor Yanchev. Algeria's national goalkeeper Rais M'Bolhi and ex-Premier League stars Mamady Sidibé and Martin Petrov were also brought on board. On 19 October 2013, the reborn CSKA crushed city rivals Levski 3–0 and were given the nickname The Phoenixes. By the end of the season, CSKA smashed Levski three more times and finished in second place, behind Ludogorets Razgrad.
On 21 March 2014, as part of the plan to reduce debt and make the club's finances more transparent, CSKA became the first club from Eastern Europe to be publicly traded by listing itself on the Bulgarian Stock Exchange.[38] [39]
Before the start of the new season, a few key players were no longer part of the club. Goalkeeper Raïs M'Bolhi was transferred to Major League Soccer (MLS) side Philadelphia Union after an impressive performance at the 2014 FIFA World Cup; young talent Ivaylo Chochev joined Palermo; club legends Martin Petrov and Todor Yanchev retired; and the team's leading scorer, Emil Gargorov, left due to conflict with the managing board. CSKA were surprisingly eliminated by the Moldovan side Zimbru Chișinău in the 2014–15 UEFA Europa League's second qualifying round, but performed well in the domestic league during the first half of the season, beating rivals Levski twice more and being on the top of the table ahead of Ludogorets before the winter break. However, after the season resumed, CSKA lost three-straight matches without scoring a goal, prompting the resignation of head coach Stoycho Mladenov. Former team captain and youth team's coach Galin Ivanov was appointed as the new head coach,[40] but after five more goalless matches, he was replaced by European football legend Lyuboslav Penev, a move widely praised by fans.[41]
On 2 April, CSKA club president Aleksandar Tomov transferred his controlling block of shares to Milko Georgiev and Borislav Lazarov, with club supporters intending to find a new owner and major sponsors capable of paying off the club's numerous debts.[42] On 24 April, it was officially announced the club's new controlling owner would be the corporation Finance Marketing Company Ltd.[43] CSKA finished the season in fifth position, but due to the unfunded debts, the BFU refused to issue the club a license for A Group for the upcoming season, instead sending the club to the South-Western V group, the third tier of Bulgarian football.[44]
On 24 June 2015, businessman Grisha Ganchev announced he would be the new owner of CSKA. Club legend Plamen Markov and famous former footballer Hristo Yanev were appointed as sports director and head coach respectively.[45] Yanev claimed he wants to form a squad consisting entirely of Bulgarian players.
On 25 May 2016, CSKA Sofia won the 2015–16 Bulgarian Cup, becoming the first third-division club to record such an achievement. In the final, CSKA defeated Montana 1–0 to lift the cup for the 20th time in club history.[46]
On 27 May 2016, the legal firm that represented PFC Chavdar Etropole, "PFC Chavdar EAD", was renamed to "PFC CSKA-1948 AD".[47] On 6 June 2016, the legal firm which representedb Litex Lovech, "PFC Litex-Lovech AD", was renamed to "PFC CSKA-Sofia EAD",[48] in order for the club to use PFC Litex Lovech's professional license to apply for the reformed First League,[49] with "PFC CSKA-1948 AD" being written in as its owner. The shift was made because the old legal firm, "PFC CSKA AD", was not issued a professional license, and later went bankrupted and ceased operations as of 9 September 2016. Litex Lovech later began playing in the Third League, taking the place of Botev Lukovit.[50]
Following a series of unfavourable results in the championship, Hristo Yanev resigned as head coach. The following week, the son of former Romanian football legend Anghel Iordănescu, Edward Iordănescu, was appointed as head coach. However, on 27 November, following a 1–1 home draw against Vereya, he resigned as head coach.
In September 2017, the club officially announced a sponsorship with Mtel, the largest telecommunications company in Bulgaria. A sponsorship contract was also signed with Bulgarian online gambling company WinBet.
On 11 October 2018, after three auctions, the company holding PFC CSKA-Sofia EAD bought the CSKA Sofia EAD brand, becoming officially the successor of the original club.[51] The transaction was made for the amount of €4 million, thus giving legitimacy to the new entity, even though it had already been accepted by most supporters and ex-legends of the club as the successor of the original club.
The beginning of the decade marked CSKA Sofia's return to the European stage. The club earned a place in the group stage of a European tournament for the first time in ten years after eliminating FC Basel in the playoffs of the 2020-21 Europa League.
Stoycho Mladenov was appointed as head coach for the fifth time in club history in the summer of 2021, replacing Lyuboslav Penev. After defeating FK Liepāja, NK Osijek, and Viktoria Plzeň in the qualifying rounds of the UEFA Europa Conference League, the club reached the group stage.[52]
In April 2022, after it became apparent that the club would not win the title, Mladenov abruptly resigned and was replaced by Alan Pardew, the club's technical director, who became the first Englishman ever to manage CSKA.[53] Alan Pardew would resign from his position on 1 June of the same year, after bad results and a racist incident where CSKA fans threw bananas at part of black players during a game against Botev Plovdiv.[54]
In the following 2022/2023 season, CSKA Sofia was managed by serbian football legend Saša Ilić, with the Reds challenging for the title, losing it in the final round by 1 point to rivals Ludogorets after Ivan Turitsov missed a penalty in the 95th minute.
PlotData = bar:Position width:16 color:white align:center from:01/07/1948 till:01/07/1949 shift:(0,-4) text:2 from:01/07/1949 till:01/07/1950 shift:(0,-4) text:4 from:01/07/1950 till:01/07/1951 shift:(0,-4) text:1 from:01/07/1951 till:01/07/1952 shift:(0,-4) text:1 from:01/07/1952 till:01/07/1953 shift:(0,-4) text:2 from:01/07/1953 till:01/07/1954 shift:(0,-4) text:1 from:01/07/1954 till:01/07/1955 shift:(0,-4) text:1 from:01/07/1955 till:01/07/1956 shift:(0,-4) text:1 from:01/07/1956 till:01/07/1957 shift:(0,-4) text:1 from:01/07/1957 till:01/07/1958 shift:(0,-4) text:1 from:01/07/1958 till:01/07/1959 shift:(0,-4) text:1 from:01/07/1959 till:01/07/1960 shift:(0,-4) text:1 from:01/07/1960 till:01/07/1961 shift:(0,-4) text:1 from:01/07/1961 till:01/07/1962 shift:(0,-4) text:1 from:01/07/1962 till:01/07/1963 shift:(0,-4) text:3 from:01/07/1963 till:01/07/1964 shift:(0,-4) text:11 from:01/07/1964 till:01/07/1965 shift:(0,-4) text:4 from:01/07/1965 till:01/07/1966 shift:(0,-4) text:1 from:01/07/1966 till:01/07/1967 shift:(0,-4) text:5 from:01/07/1967 till:01/07/1968 shift:(0,-4) text:2 from:01/07/1968 till:01/07/1969 shift:(0,-4) text:1 from:01/07/1969 till:01/07/1970 shift:(0,-4) text:2 from:01/07/1970 till:01/07/1971 shift:(0,-4) text:1 from:01/07/1971 till:01/07/1972 shift:(0,-4) text:1 from:01/07/1972 till:01/07/1973 shift:(0,-4) text:2 from:01/07/1973 till:01/07/1974 shift:(0,-4) text:1 from:01/07/1974 till:01/07/1975 shift:(0,-4) text:1 from:01/07/1975 till:01/07/1976 shift:(0,-4) text:1 from:01/07/1976 till:01/07/1977 shift:(0,-4) text:2 from:01/07/1977 till:01/07/1978 shift:(0,-4) text:2 from:01/07/1978 till:01/07/1979 shift:(0,-4) text:2 from:01/07/1979 till:01/07/1980 shift:(0,-4) text:1 from:01/07/1980 till:01/07/1981 shift:(0,-4) text:1 from:01/07/1981 till:01/07/1982 shift:(0,-4) text:1 from:01/07/1982 till:01/07/1983 shift:(0,-4) text:1 from:01/07/1983 till:01/07/1984 shift:(0,-4) text:2 from:01/07/1984 till:01/07/1985 shift:(0,-4) text:2 from:01/07/1985 till:01/07/1986 shift:(0,-4) text:4 from:01/07/1986 till:01/07/1987 shift:(0,-4) text:1 from:01/07/1987 till:01/07/1988 shift:(0,-4) text:2 from:01/07/1988 till:01/07/1989 shift:(0,-4) text:1 from:01/07/1989 till:01/07/1990 shift:(0,-4) text:1 from:01/07/1990 till:01/07/1991 shift:(0,-4) text:2 from:01/07/1991 till:01/07/1992 shift:(0,-4) text:1 from:01/07/1992 till:01/07/1993 shift:(0,-4) text:2 from:01/07/1993 till:01/07/1994 shift:(0,-4) text:2 from:01/07/1994 till:01/07/1995 shift:(0,-4) text:5 from:01/07/1995 till:01/07/1996 shift:(0,-4) text:5 from:01/07/1996 till:01/07/1997 shift:(0,-4) text:1 from:01/07/1997 till:01/07/1998 shift:(0,-4) text:3 from:01/07/1998 till:01/07/1999 shift:(0,-4) text:5 from:01/07/1999 till:01/07/2000 shift:(0,-4) text:2 from:01/07/2000 till:01/07/2001 shift:(0,-4) text:2 from:01/07/2001 till:01/07/2002 shift:(0,-4) text:3 from:01/07/2002 till:01/07/2003 shift:(0,-4) text:1 from:01/07/2003 till:01/07/2004 shift:(0,-4) text:3 from:01/07/2004 till:01/07/2005 shift:(0,-4) text:1 from:01/07/2005 till:01/07/2006 shift:(0,-4) text:2 from:01/07/2006 till:01/07/2007 shift:(0,-4) text:2 from:01/07/2007 till:01/07/2008 shift:(0,-4) text:1 from:01/07/2008 till:01/07/2009 shift:(0,-4) text:2 from:01/07/2009 till:01/07/2010 shift:(0,-4) text:2 from:01/07/2010 till:01/07/2011 shift:(0,-4) text:3 from:01/07/2011 till:01/07/2012 shift:(0,-4) text:2 from:01/07/2012 till:01/07/2013 shift:(0,-4) text:3 from:01/07/2013 till:01/07/2014 shift:(0,-4) text:2 from:01/07/2014 till:01/07/2015 shift:(0,-4) text:5 from:01/07/1948 till:01/07/2015 color:green shift:(0,14) text: "A Group" from:01/07/2015 till:01/07/2016 shift:(0,-4) text:1 from:01/07/2015 till:01/07/2016 color:red shift:(0,14) text: "V Group" from:01/07/2016 till:01/07/2017 shift:(0,-4) text:2 from:01/07/2017 till:01/07/2018 shift:(0,-4) text:2 from:01/07/2018 till:01/07/2019 shift:(0,-4) text:2 from:01/07/2019 till:01/07/2020 shift:(0,-4) text:2 from:01/07/2020 till:01/07/2021 shift:(0,-4) text:3 from:01/07/2021 till:01/07/2022 shift:(0,-4) text:2 from:01/07/2022 till:01/07/2023 shift:(0,-4) text:2 from:01/07/2023 till:01/07/2024 shift:(0,-4) text:3 from:01/07/2024 till:01/07/2025 shift:(0,-4) text: from:01/07/2016 till:01/07/2025 color:green shift:(0,14) text: "First League"
Bulgarian Cup – (secondary cup competition)[55]
Cup of the Soviet Army – (secondary cup competition)
European Cup / UEFA Champions League
European Cup Winners' Cup / UEFA Cup Winners' Cup
Biggest win in European tournaments:
Tournament for Stalin's Birthday, Bulgaria:
Tournament in Antwerp, Belgium:
Allied Armies Spartakiade:
Republican Spartakiad, Bulgaria:
Mohammed V Trophy, Morocco:[56]
Trofeo Ciudad de Palma, Spain:
Blitz Tournament Smolyan, Bulgaria:
Trofeo Costa de Valencia, Spain:
Trofeo Ciudad de Zaragoza, Spain:
Cup Olympic Fire, Bulgaria:
Torneio Costa Azul, Portugal:
Tournament Shumen, Bulgaria:
Cup Grand-hotel Varna, Bulgaria:
PlayStation Cup, Bulgaria:
Thöle-Pokal, Germany:[57]
Arona Cup, Spain:[58]
Аrcadia Cup, Turkey:
Sporx Cup, Netherlands and Germany:
IFC Pego Cup, Spain:
Albena Cup, Bulgaria:
Martyrs of 17 February Cup, Libya:[59]
Tournament Tsarsko selo, Bulgaria:
Stubai Cup, Austria:
The main element in the current club crest is the red five-pointed star – symbol of glory and power. Red was the colour of the uniform of the Roman legions, associated with love, freedom and aggression. The six oak leaves above the star symbolise strength, endurance and traditions. CSKA's name and year of foundation (1948) can be seen below the star, between two Bulgarian flags. The circle form of the crest symbolises infinity and eternity.
After CSKA won its 30th national title in 2005, three golden stars were added to the logo.[60] In 2017, to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the club, CSKA introduced an updated chest.[61]
CSKA has carried a plethora of names throughout its history. In chronological order, they are as follows:[62]
| Period | Kit Manufacturer | Shirt Sponsor | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1948–75 |  locally produced | None | |
| 1975–83 |  Adidas | ||
| 1983–85 | Puma | ||
| 1985–89 | Adidas | ||
| 1989–90 | Comco | ||
| 1990–91 | Sintofarm | ||
| 1991–92 |  ABM | ||
| 1991–92 |  Umbro | ||
| 1992–95 | Erreà | ||
| 1995–96 | Lotto | ||
| 1996–99 | Puma | Multigroup | |
| 1999–00 | None | ||
| 2000–01 |  Nike | ||
| 2001–03 | Lotto | ||
| 2003–04 |  ASICS | ||
| 2004–05 | Uhlsport | ||
| 2005–08 | Vivatel | ||
| 2008–09 | None | ||
| 2009–11 | Globul | ||
| 2011–12 | Kappa | ||
| 2012–13 | Legea | ||
| 2013–15 | None | ||
| 2015–16 | Lotto | ||
| 2016–22 | Adidas | A1 / WINBET | |
| 2022– | Macron | WINBET |
See main article: PFC CSKA Sofia in European football. Fully up to date as of 3 August 2023
| Competition | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
Source: https://kassiesa.net/uefa/data/method5/trank2023.html
| 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 |
For recent transfers, see Transfers winter 2023–24 and Transfers summer 2024.
See main article: PFC CSKA Sofia II.
Up to twenty foreign nationals can be registered and given a squad number for the first team in the Bulgarian First League, however only five non-EU/EEA nationals can be used during a match day. Those non-EU/EEA nationals with European ancestry can claim citizenship from the nation their ancestors came from. If a player does not have European ancestry he can claim Bulgarian citizenship after playing in Bulgaria for 5 years.
| EU/EEA Nationals | EU/EEA Nationals (Dual citizenship) | Non-EU/EEA Nationals |
See main article: Bulgarian Army Stadium.
The team's home stadium, the Bulgarian Army Stadium, was completed in 1967 and stands on the same spot as its predecessor, Athletic Park. It is situated in the Borisova gradina park, named after Bulgarian tsar Boris III, in Sofia's city centre. The stadium has four sectors with a total of 22,995 places (18,495 seats),[63] [64] of which 2,100 are covered. The pitch length is 105 metres and the width is 68 metres.
The sports complex also include a basketball court and gymnastics facilities, as well as the CSKA Sofia Museum of Glory. The press conference room has 80 seats.
See main article: Sector G. According to many surveys, CSKA Sofia is one of the two most popular clubs in Bulgaria with approximately 190,000 organized supporters in 799 fan clubs around the world, including supporters from United States, North Macedonia, Spain, Austria, the United Kingdom, Canada, Italy, Sweden, Greece, Germany and almost every country in which there is a large number of Bulgarians. The official fan club was formed in 1990, which to date is the oldest one in the capital of Bulgaria.
Sector G, the main stand for the ultras of CSKA Sofia, is located at the north side of the stadium. Inside the sector, the most influential supporters group is the newly founded ultras group "Ofanziva", which was formed after the unification of several smaller fan clubs. Another strong group is "Animals".
CSKA is also the favourite football club of the late head of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church Patriarch Neophyte.[65]
This is a list of the last 10 CSKA Sofia managers:
| Name | Nat | From | To | Honours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stamen Belchev | 2 July 2020 | 25 October 2020 | — | |
| Daniel Morales (caretaker) |  | 26 October 2020 | 11 November 2020 | — |
 | 11 November 2020 | 28 March 2021 | — | |
| Lyuboslav Penev | 28 March 2021 | 26 July 2021 | 1 Bulgarian Cup | |
| Stoycho Mladenov | 26 July 2021 | 14 April 2022 | — | |
| 15 April 2022 | 1 June 2022 | — | ||
 | 2 June 2022 | 28 July 2023 | — | |
| | 29 July 2023 | 14 April 2024 | — | |
| Stamen Belchev (caretaker) | 15 April 2024 | 31 May 2024 | — | |
| Tomislav Stipić | 4 June 2024 | Current | ||
| bgcolor= | Position | bgcolor= | Name | bgcolor= | Nationality |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Owner | National Fund for Sports, Culture, Art and Science | | |||
| Owner | Hristo Stoichkov | | |||
| President | Danail Iliev | | |||
| Honorary President | Dimitar Penev | | |||
| Executive Director | Filip Filipov | | |||
| Executive Director | Stoyan Ormandzhiev | | |||
| Technical Director | Mihail Aleksandrov | | |||
| Financial Director | Petar Stoyanov | | |||
| International Relations | Boryana Stoycheva | | |||
| Director of Youth Academy | Kostadin Angelov | | |||
| bgcolor= | Position | bgcolor= | Name | bgcolor= | Nationality |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Head coach | Tomislav Stipić |  | |||
| Assistant coach | Sergejs Kožans |  | |||
| Goalkeeper coach | Goran Brašnić | | |||
| Fitness coach | Miljenko Kumić | | |||
| Fitness coach | Ilian Mitrev | | |||
| Club doctor | Georgi Iliev | | |||
| Physiotherapist | Ivan Hristov | | |||
| Physiotherapist | Stanislav Krastev | | |||
| Physiotherapist | Aleks Mladenov | | |||
| Physiotherapist | Dimko Pantev | | |||
| Physiotherapist | Nikolay Petrov | | |||
| Physiotherapist | Stilian Svetoslavov | | |||
| Chief Scout | Ivan Slavov | | |||
| Press Officer | Simeon Hristov | | |||
| Administrator | Stoyko Sakaliev | | |||
| Housekeeper | Dobri Dimov | |
After the merger between Chavdar Sofia and Septemvri Sofia, it was accepted the club's home colour would be red. White became the club's away colour.
In previous years, black was also used, mainly for away or third kits. Other colours of the CSKA kits that can be seen are grey, yellow, orange and green, but only in rarely occasions and only in the colour scheme of the third kits. In the 2009–10 season, and for the first time in club history, CSKA used gold for their away kits.
After the 2011–12 season in which CSKA used equipment of the Italian company Kappa, from June 2012 the club has new kit supplier, Italian company Legea. The team used the new equipment for the first time in the pre-season friendly against Moscow side Torpedo Moscow, ended 1–2. The kits were sample and they were with a different outfit and a different spot where the team badge was placed. The official presentation of the new kits was before the friendly match against Macedonian side Drita on 14 July 2012 (2–0), played at the Bulgarian Army Stadium.
The official anthem of CSKA Sofia is the song "Sartsa cherveni" ("Red hearts") by the famous Bulgarian singer Yordanka Hristova. The song is written in 1999 by composer Evgeni Dimitrov and lyricist Ivaylo Valchev, authors of many of the hits of Slavi Trifonov and Ku-Ku Band.[66]
