Sofia derby gets season off to big start

Published>Tue, Jul 27 10 08:16 AM

Bulgaria's soccer fans, who were not on the World Cup guest list, have something to look forward to at last with their league season getting off to an exciting start next weekend.

The two biggest clubs in the Balkan country -- CSKA Sofia and fierce city rivals Levski -- meet on the opening weekend of the campaign for the first time in the league's existence.

Both teams are eager to forget last season's disappointment when Litex Lovech clinched the title to become only the second club to upset the balance of power this century.

"No doubt, it's the biggest game in Bulgarian football," Pavel Dotchev, coach of 31-times Bulgarian champions CSKA, told Reuters. "It's like a cup final.

"There's always a unique atmosphere, everybody is talking about this game -- the fans, the media -- and they're doing this not only in Sofia. You can't compare it to any other sports event in Bulgaria.

"I took part in this derby on several occasions as a player and I still have great memories. Now I'm looking forward to tasting it as a coach," said former Bulgaria defender Dotchev, who played for CSKA in the early 1990s.

"We know it'll be only the first match of the season but still we realise that the winners will get a huge psychological boost."

FAN VIOLENCE

The "eternal derby", as the meeting between CSKA and Levski is dubbed, has long been known for its highly-charged atmosphere.

Fan violence in the stands and outside the stadium marred the game in the years after Communist rule was overthrown in Bulgaria in 1989, and attendance was low compared to the present day.

After three months with little to interest them in football -- Bulgaria failed to qualify for the World Cup in South Africa -- local supporters are eagerly anticipating Sunday's clash.

"It's been a long summer," CSKA fan Boris Parushev told Reuters. "We watched the World Cup on TV and it was fun but there's nothing better than being at the stadium and singing your favourite songs with your mates."

CSKA, founded in 1948 as an army club, quickly made their name at home and international recognition followed when The Reds reached semi-finals in Europe three times between 1967 and 1989.

"The team are not very strong nowadays but CSKA still have some of the most passionate fans on the continent," said Parushev. "I can assure you that we'll make our mark against Levski. It'll be a night to remember."

Optimism is high in Bulgaria after the top local clubs made a perfect start in Europe this season -- four wins in four matches and no goals conceded.

Litex outclassed Montenegro champions Rudar 5-0 on aggregate to progress to the Champions League third qualifying round while Levski demolished Irish side Dundalk 8-0 on aggregate in the Europa League.

EMOTIONAL PLAYERS

"We're tough opponents in the Bulgarian league but it's always good to see that our teams have a decent chance to be successful in European competitions," said Dotchev.

"I think we still have many talented and quality players in Bulgaria but the biggest problem is that many of them are not mature enough," added Dotchev, who was tempted back to his motherland after 18 years as a player and coach in Germany.

"They are so emotional and they lose their concentration even after an unfair referee's decision. This is where I see a lot of room for improvement and I believe we can change the mentality of the players. It's a big challenge but I love it."

Local experts predict one of the closest championships in years with Litex, CSKA and Levski all having realistic and fairly equal chances of lifting the trophy.

Litex coach Angel Chervenkov will begin the title defence without the experienced Radostin Kishishev, capped 88 times for Bulgaria, who has returned to England to play for League One (third division) side Brighton.

Litex have, though, kept the backbone of the team and the arrival of Bosnia's Dzemal Berberovich from Denizlispor and Romanian striker Florin Bratu from Dinamo Bucharest should help them.

CSKA and Levski have also been busy on the transfer market with Levski's new coach Yasen Petrov adding new players in every department.

Source: Web Search