PFC Septemvri (Bulgarian: ПФК Септември) is a Bulgarian football club based in Sofia, who compete in the Second League, the second division of Bulgarian football. Its home matches take place at Dragalevtsi stadium and the 57th Public School's FIFA-certified football field. The club 's biggest success to date is the winning of the Bulgarian Cup in 1960 and finishing 5th in the Bulgarian first division during the same season. Septemvri is known for its strong youth academy, which over the years has developed numerous players for Bulgaria's elite clubs and the national team.
History
Early ages
On November 5, 1944, the clubs of Sportclub, Sokol and Vazrazhdane unite under the name of FC Septemvri Sofia. On March 26, 1945, the additional clubs of Botev (Konyovitsa), Ustrem (Zaharna fabrika), Pobeda (Krasna Polyana), and Svoboda (Tri kladentsi) merge into the club. In May 1948, the club, then playing in the 1st Sofia Division, is briefly merged with second-division CDV/Chavdar (Sofia) and the unified club wins the 1948 Bulgarian Championship by overcoming Levski Sofia at the final.[1]
FC Septemvri's roots prior to merging with CSKA Sofia (see lower right corner)
Septemvri starts the 1948/49 season in the newly formed A Republican Football Group, but only six months later is separated from CDV (Chavdar) and removed from the division, with the current title given to CDNV, Chavdar's new name, which would ultimately become CSKA Sofia. At the end of the 1948/49 season, Septemvri is allowed to take part in a two-match play-off for entering first division against Marek Duptinsa. After both matches end with a 2:0 win for each team, a third game is played in which Septemvri falls 1:0 and remains in second division.
From 1949 to 1969, Septemvri exists as an independent club, during which period it reaches the height of its success. In 1959, the club finishes first in the B PFG and is promoted to first division for the 1959/60 season. That same season, Septemvri finishes in 5th place and claims the Bulgarian Cup after a dramatic 4:3 win over Lokomotiv Sofia in extra time. The club's stay among the elite lasts only two years, as in 1961 it is relegated to the B PFG, where it remains until 1968.
In 1969, during another period of football reform in Bulgaria, Septemvri was again merged into CSKA Sofia. This unification continued for almost 20 years, until 1988, when the club became independent again and joined the V AFG. In 1993, Septemvri won a promotion to the B PFG. In 1998, the club became the champion of the B PFG and joined the elite for the first time since 1961. It finished in 16th place and was relegated again.
2000s years
During the 2000/01 season, the club finished in 13th place in the B PFG and was relegated to the V AFG, where it remained until 2008. In March 2008, the club was heavily penalized after a scandalous match against FC Bansko, when coach Rumen Stoyanov ordered his players to leave the field, a serious offence according to Bulgarian Football Union regulations.[2] With an executive decision, the BFU removed Septemvri from the V AFG and placed it in the A OFG, the Sofia Regional Football Group.[3] Despite this setback, the club attained 1st place in the division in the 2008/2009 season and qualified for a play-off match for entering the V AFG against FC Novi Iskar.[4] After an emotional 0:0 in regular time, penalty kicks were in order to determine the team going forward. Septemvri lost the penalty shootout 5:4.[5]
Chandarov era (2015–present)
In 2015 Rumen Chandarov, owner of DIT Sport Academy, one of the best Bulgarian football academies in the last few years, announced that he is the new owner of Septemvri, with the goal of getting the young players to compete in the First Professional Football League of Bulgaria. The team merged with Conegliano German and started the 2015–16 season from V Group. Nikolay Mitov was appointed as a manager of the team. In the end of the 2015 it was decided that the team will give a bigger chance to their U19 players, so most of the players who joined in the season start left and only 7 players left, but 18 players joined from the U19 team which was 3rd in the Elite Youth Group by the end of 2015. Some media announced that Chandarov will stop financing the team also due to the fact that he started financing Botev Plovdiv, but Chandarov said that this is not true and the only reason to do this is to make youth players enter the man's football.[6]
On 24 June 2016 Pirin Razlog merged into PFC Septemvri Sofia. From the new season 2016/17 Septemvri will compete in the new Second League, the second division of Bulgarian football.[7] Septemvri returned and in the Bulgarian Cup and draw the Bulgarian First League team Beroe Stara Zagora. They sensationaly won the match on 21 September 2016 with 2:0, goals scored by Georgi Stoichkov and Petar Tonchev.[8]
Honours
Domestic
Bulgarian A Group:
Bulgarian B Group:
- Winners (3): 1955−56, 1958−59, 1997−98
Bulgarian Cup:
Crest, Shirt and Kit manufacturer
Crest history
Kits and manufacturers
From 1944 to 1990 team main color is red with white or blue. From 1990 to 2010 team main color is purple, but in the period between 2001 and 2007 they used white with red colors. From 2011 team first kit is dark red.
Players
Current squad
As of 1 August 2016
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
- For recent transfers, see Transfers summer 2016.
Out on loan
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Club officials
Board of directors
| Position |
Name |
Nationality |
| President | Rumen Chandarov |  |
| Owner | DIT Group | |
| Sports Director | Kristian Dobrev | |
| Administrator | Irina Gorolomova | |
| Housekeeper | Georgi Aleksandrov | |
| Director of Youth Academy | Vacant |  |
Current technical body
| Position |
Name |
Nationality |
| Head Coach | Nikolay Mitov | |
| Assistant Coach | Hristo Arangelov | |
| Assistant Coach | Anton Kirilov | |
| Assistant Coach | Alexandre Canedo |  |
| Goalkeeper Coach | Kaloyan Georgiev | |
| Physical Coach | Pablo Gomez | |
| Physiotherapist | Borislav Angelov | |
| U19 Coach | Mihail Mihaylov | |
| U17 Coach | Rumen Geshev | |
|
Manager history
| Dates |
Name |
Honours |
| 1944–1946 |
Dimitar Dimitrov |
|
| 1946 |
 Milos Strujka |
|
| 1947–1948 |
Hristo Nelkov |
|
| 1948–1949 |
Anton Kuzmanov |
|
| 1951–1953 |
Ivan Radoev |
|
| 1953–1957 |
Atanas Dinev |
|
| 1957–1959 |
Lozan Kotsev |
|
| 1959–1961 |
Trendafil Stankov |
99991 Bulgarian Cup |
| 1961–1964 |
Sergy Yotsov |
|
| 1964–1969 |
Stoyan Petrov |
|
| 1969–1988 |
merged with CSKA Sofia |
|
| 1988–1990 |
Unknown |
|
| 1990–1992 |
Angel Rangelov |
|
| 1992–1993 |
Pavel Panov |
|
| 1993–1994 |
Sergey Todorov |
|
| 1994–1995 |
Stefan Grozdanov |
|
|
|
Past seasons
Reserve team
The club's reserve team - Septemvri II Sofia plays in the A RFG (fourth tier) since 2015–16 season.
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| No. |
|
Position |
Player
|
| |
|
GK |
Martin Kostadinov
|
| |
|
GK |
Atanas Yanev
|
| |
|
DF |
Lyudmil Atanasov
|
| |
|
DF |
Teodor Koev
|
| |
|
DF |
Nikolay Veselinov (captain)
|
| |
|
DF |
Radoslav Hristov
|
| |
|
DF |
Martin Markov
|
| |
|
DF |
Ivan Dimitrov
|
| |
|
MF |
Mario Abadzhiev |
|
|
| No. |
|
Position |
Player
|
| |
|
MF |
Petar Ivanov
|
| |
|
MF |
Plamen Penev
|
| |
|
MF |
Lenko Ivanov
|
| |
|
MF |
Alesandro Damyanov
|
| |
|
MF |
Stoyan Valkov
|
| |
|
FW |
Ognyan Yankov
|
| |
|
FW |
Veselin Yovov
|
| |
|
FW |
Mitko Vuchkov
|
| |
|
FW |
Svetlin Borisov |
|
Past seasons
| Season |
League |
Place |
W |
D |
L |
GF |
GA |
Pts |
| 2015–16 | A RFG (IV) | 4 | 15 | 4 | 7 | 93 | 48 | 49 |
| 2016–17 | A RFG | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Green marks a season followed by promotion, red a season followed by relegation. |
References
External links
Adidas
Mitre
Givova