page_title: PFC Levski Sofia
section_title: Levski Sofia (1989–2009)
hierarchical_section_title: PFC Levski Sofia / History / Levski Sofia (1989–2009)
caption_attribution_description: Levski Sofia vs Werder Bremen, UEFA CL 06/07 Group A
context_page_description: Levski Sofia is a Bulgarian professional association football club based in Sofia, ranked 1st in the All-time Bulgarian League table. The team competes in the First League, the top division of the Bulgarian football league system. The club was founded on 24 May 1914, as a football department of Sport Club Levski by a group of students and is named after Vasil Levski, a Bulgarian revolutionary renowned as the national hero of the country.
  Levski have participated in more seasons of the Bulgarian football championship than any other team and are the only Bulgarian team to have never been relegated. They have won 26 A Group titles, 25 Bulgarian Cups and 3 Super Cups, which include a record 13 Doubles and 4 Trebles. Levski have reached five quarterfinals in UEFA competitions, three international finals, and in 2006, they became the first Bulgarian club to enter the group stages of the UEFA Champions League.
  The team's regular kit colour is all-blue. Levski's home ground is the Vivacom Arena - Georgi Asparuhov in Sofia, which has a capacity of 25,000 spectators.
context_section_description: After the 1989–90 season, the club regained its original name. The team composed of the newcomers Plamen Nikolov, Petar Hubchev, Tsanko Tsvetanov, Emil Kremenliev, Zlatko Yankov, Georgi Slavchev, Ilian Iliev, Daniel Borimirov, Stanimir Stoilov and Velko Yotov and the return of the veterans Plamen Getov, Nikolay Todorov and Nasko Sirakov, dictated the game in the domestic championship by winning the title in 1993, 1994 and 1995. Memorable wins by big margins over challengers Lokomotiv Sofia – 8–0, CSKA – 7–1 and Botev Plovdiv – 6–1, clearly demonstrated Levski's complete superiority. Home games in European Competitions against Rangers and Werder Bremen turned into true holidays for supporters. Levski contributed with the most players – 9 (Petar Hubchev, Tsanko Tsvetanov, Emil Kremenliev, Zlatko Yankov, Nasko Sirakov, Plamen Nikolov, Petar Aleksandrov and Daniel Borimirov) to the Bulgaria national football team that ended on fourth place in the unforgettable American summer of the World Cup 1994.
  Another relatively successful period lasted until 2005. Then the young new manager and former player Stanimir Stoilov organized a team of Levski's academy products Zhivko Milanov, Milan Koprivarov and Valeri Domovchiyski, the experienced Elin Topuzakov, Georgi Petkov, Stanislav Angelov and Dimitar Telkiyski, the fans' favorites Hristo Yovov, Daniel Borimirov and Georgi Ivanov, who came back after spending time abroad, reached the quarter-final stage of the UEFA Cup, knocking out 2004–05 Coupe de France champions AJ Auxerre, wins against Olympique de Marseille, Dinamo București and finishing ahead of the reigning title holder CSKA Moscow in the group stage, triumphing over Champions League participants Artmedia Bratislava and Udinese Calcio, before being knocked out by Schalke 04 in a controversial tie.
  Levski, as the champions of Bulgaria, started their UEFA Champions League 2006–07 participation from the second qualiftying round, where they eliminated Georgian champions Sioni Bolnisi, defeating them 2–0 both home and away. In the third round, Levski faced Italian team Chievo Verona who are taking part in the tournament because of other clubs' sanctions as part of the 2006 Serie A matchfixing scandal. Levski eliminated Chievo after a decisive 2–0 win in Sofia and a secure 2–2 draw on Italian soil, and becoming the first Bulgarian club to ever reach the group stage of the UEFA Champions League. There they faced last year's winners FC Barcelona from Spain, English champions Chelsea and German powerhouse Werder Bremen.
  Levski earned a spot in the UEFA Champions League 2008–09 after domestic champion CSKA Sofia failed to secure a UEFA license because of numerous debts to creditors. Levski lost to BATE Borisov of Belarus in the third qualifying round.
caption: Levski against Werder Bremen at the National Stadium in the Champions League
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