Football (, futbol) is the most popular sport in Bulgaria. Around 40% of the people in Bulgaria are football fans. The sport was introduced in 1893–1894 by Swiss gymnastics teachers invited to the country. A football (initially called ритнитоп, ritnitop, "kickball") match was first played in Varna's High School for Boys in 1894, where it was introduced by Georges de Regibus, and the game was brought to Sofia by Charles Champaud the following year. The rules of the game were published in Bulgarian by Swiss teachers in the Uchilishten pregled magazine in 1897, and football continued to gain popularity in the early 20th century. Among the founders of the Turkish team Galatasaray in 1905 was the Bulgarian Lycée de Galatasaray student Blagoy Balakchiev, and the first Bulgarian club, Futbol Klub, was established in Sofia in 1909 on the initiative of Sava Kirov. Botev Plovdiv was founded in 1912, Slavia Sofia in 1913, and Levski Sofia in 1914.

The Bulgaria national football team debuted on 21 May 1924 in a 1924 Summer Olympics qualifier, losing 0–6 to Austria in Vienna. In the 1950s and 1960s Bulgarian football achieved its biggest Olympic success, being third in the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne and second in the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, also finishing fifth in Euro 1968. In 1962, Bulgaria first qualified for a FIFA World Cup tournament, in total of seven participations to date. In the 1986 FIFA World Cup, Bulgaria did reach the round of 16. Then, in the 1994 FIFA World Cup, came Bulgaria's biggest World Cup success, the fourth place, the elimination of reigning world champions Germany and Hristo Stoichkov's top goalscorer prize. Bulgaria is also three times European champion in under-19, three times Balkan champion, and three times Balkan Youth champion. The titles won by the national team make Bulgaria one of the best performing nations in European football competitions.

Bulgarian football competitions Championships: Top division: First League - 14 teams Second division: Second League - 16 teams Third division: Third League - 4 groups with 12-18 teams each Fourth division: Regional Groups - divided by region Cup: Bulgarian Cup Super Cup: Bulgarian Super Cup AFL Cup: Cup of Bulgarian Amateur Football League

Crime and corruption

Between 2003 and 2013, 15 club presidents or previous owners of Bulgarian top league clubs were murdered. A leaked US diplomatic cable of 2010 claimed that since the end of Communism, allegations of illegal gambling, match fixing, money laundering, and tax evasion abound in Bulgarian football, which has become a symbol of organised crime's corrupt influence on important institutions.

Most successful clubs overall

local and lower league organizations are not included. ClubDomestic TitlesEuropean TitlesOverall titlesParva LigaBulgarian CupSecondary cup (1981–1982) & (1983–1990) & (1991)Bulgarian SupercupTotalEuropean Railways CupBalkans CupTotalCSKA Sofia 31225563---63Levski Sofia27264360---60Ludogorets144-927---27Slavia Sofia78--15-2217Lokomotiv Sofia44--821311Lovech44-19---9Beroe Stara Zagora12-14-448Botev Plovdiv24-17-118Lokomotiv Plovdiv12126---6Vladislav Varna 3---3---3AS-23 11--2---2Spartak Plovdiv11--2---2Etar1-1-2---213 Sofia -2--2---2Cherno More Varna -1-12---2Lokomotiv Mezdra -----1-11Akademik Sofia ------111Spartak Varna1---1---1Sportklub Sofia 1---1---1Ticha Varna 1---1---1Marek Dupnitsa -1--1---1Septemvri Sofia -1--1---1Shipka Sofia -1--1---1Sliven -1--1---1Spartak Sofia -1--1---1

The articles in italic indicate the defunct leagues and the defunct cups. The figures in bold indicate the most times this competition has been won by a team.

Attendances

The average attendance per top-flight football league season and the club with the highest average attendance:

Season League average Best club Best club average 2018–19 1,881 Levski 5,817 2017–18 1,753 CSKA Sofia 5,019 2016–17 1,638 CSKA Sofia 4,217 2015–16 2,108 Levski 3,558 2014–15 2,034 Beroe 4,069 2013–14 1,798 CSKA Sofia 4,364 2012–13 2,606 Botev 8,071 2011–12 2,117 CSKA Sofia 4,227 2010–11 1,883 Chernomorets 4,084 2009–10 1,834 Chernomorets 3,996 2008–09 2,862 Levski 5,967 2007–08 2,891 CSKA Sofia 5,313 2006–07 2,790 Levski 7,572 2005–06 3,157 Levski 6,228 2004–05 2,763 CSKA Sofia 4,813 2003–04 2,854 Lokomotiv Plovdiv 6,333 2002–03 3,344 CSKA Sofia 7,462 2001–02 4,007 Neftochimik 8,750 2000–01 5,392 Levski 13,216 1999–2000 6,859 Beroe 13,600 1998–99 — — — 1997–98 — — — 1996–97 — — — 1995–96 6,799 Neftochimik 17,500 1994–95 7,479 Levski 17,133 1993–94 4,646 Levski 9,367 1992–93 6,554 Botev 12,467 1991–92 5,186 Levski 8,773 1990–91 7,486 Hebar 12,533 1989–90 8,183 Dunav 13,400 1988–89 9,570 Levski 14,500 1987–88 8,700 Levski 12,750 1986–87 9,225 Beroe 17,667 1985–86 9,044 Botev 13,100 1984–85 10,031 Volov 21,600 1983–84 9,367 Botev 13,733

Source:

Notes

See also List of football clubs in Bulgaria List of football stadiums in Bulgaria Bulgaria national football team Bulgaria national under-21 football team Bulgaria national under-19 football team Bulgarian Football Union Bulgarian Footballer of the Year Bulgarian Professional Football Leaguе Официален сайт на Първа професионална футболна лига

References