PFC Spartak Varna

Football club infobox
clubname = Spartak (Varna)


fullname = PFC Spartak Varna
nickname = Sokolite
(The Falcons)
founded = 28 August 1918
ground = Spartak Stadium, Varna
capacity = 12 000
chairman = Ivan Slavkov
director = Zhivko Velikov
manager = Slobodan Staševic
league = TBI A Football Group
season = 2006-07
position = A Group, 13th place
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PFC Spartak Varna is a Bulgarian football team based in Varna and founded on 28 August 1918. The original name of the club was "Sokol" ("Falcon"), which is the source of the club's nickname — "Sokolite" ("The Falcons"). After a one-season stay in the second Bulgarian division in 2005/06, they have returned to the A PFG by decisively winning the East B PFG.

Honours

* Bulgarian Championship
** Champions of Bulgaria - 1 time - 1932
** Second place - 2 times - 1931, 1933
** Third place - 7 times - 1929, 1933, 1955, 1984;1945, 1946, 1948 (as a national championship semi-final runner-up)
* Bulgarian Cup
** Runners-up - 2 times - 1961, 1983

History

1918-1945 F.C.Spartak Varna was founded on 28 August 1918 by a group of young people which were playing football together for two years. At the initial meeting regarding the establishment of the club, the name was decided as "Sokol". Niagol Kolev was elected as the first chairman of the club. A few days later the members of the board registered the Football Club with the government under the name "Bulgarski Sokol". The colors of the team were blue and white and have remained unchanged. "Bulgarski Sokol," one of the poor suburban teams in Varna, is poorly circumstanced in comparison to the leading teams at that time such as "Ticha" and "Vladislav." Nonetheless, the football team quickly became stronger, and improved their style of play. On 30 January 1924 "Bulgarski Sokol" merged with sport club "Shipka". Shipka is a peak with historical meaning to all Bulgarians and the club took the name "Shipchenski Sokol". Gradually the team proved itself as one of the strongest teams in Varna at those days. Among all the players called with a lot of love from the fans "Falcons" with most successful plays was the forward Mihail Tunchev.In 1924 he is invited in the national team and that way he became the first national player of the team.A few years later starts the rise of the team. In the season 1928/29 the team wins for first time the championship of Varna, and joins the State Championship where they reach third place.Two years later 1930/31 the falcons are again champions of Varna. For the State Championship they reach the final with the Sofia's AS-23. Next year "Shipchenski Sokol"again reaches the final, where the rival is the capitol's team Slavia .On 18.09. 1932 in front of 10 000 audience on the football field of AS-23 the falcons win with 2:1 and became State Champion and Winner of the Cup of the King. In the next season "Shipchenski sokol" are again champion of Varna, and for the State Championship they reach for the third consecutive time the final. On 03.10.1933 in Sofia rival of the "falcons" is capitol's PFC Levski Sofia.Varna's team loses with 3:1 and took second place in the State Championship.

1945-1980In 1945 the club merged with other two Varna's football clubs "Levski" and "Radetski". The unite of the tree clubs is on 18.10.1945,and is accepted the name of the club to be SPARTAK. In the period 1945-1948 Spartak three time reaches the semi-finals of the State Championship. In 1950 the team takes fifth place in the newly created "A" Republican Football League.

The greatest team /1955-1962/

In 1955 Spartak wins the third place and bronze medals in the championship of "A" League. In 1959 the forward of Spartak Georgi Arnaudov-"Alaha" became a shooter of the championship with nine goals. Two years later-1960 Spartak again had a winner in the shooters list-Liuben Kostov with 12 goals. In 1960/61 Spartak has a very good matches in the tournament of the Soviet Army which then was playing the role of the Cup of Bulgaria. They reach the final where and meet the strongest team in Bulgaria at that time-CDNA. On the final in Sofia the "Falcons" lose 3:0.As a finalist in the final Spartak wins the right to paly in the tournament of the National Cup Winners.Varna's football players are the first one Bulgarian team which plays in that tournament. In the autumn of 1961 revail of Spartak is the Austrian Rapid Vienna. In Vienna Spartak demonstrates in front of 25 000 audience great play and keep the 0:0 result. In the next match in Varna the "Falcons" lose with 2:5 from the classfull team of Rapid. In 1969 another sport club merges Spartak-it was the "Locomotive"sport club. The merge became a fact on 06.03.1969 and the club takes the name "JSK-Spartak"

1980-2000 In 1982 leaded by the headcoach Liudmil Goranov the "Falcons" reach the final of the Cup of Bulgaria as they wins semi-final against Levski-Spartak in Kazanlak in front of 20 000 audience. On the final in Plovdiv, Spartak loses with 4:0, from CSKA-Septemvriisko Zname, but as a finalist they obtain the right to play in the Cup of the NationalCup Winners. The first match is against "Mersin"/Turkey/.In Turkey the match is with 0:0 score. In Varna Spartak wins with 1:0,and made it to the next round of the tournament. There the "Falcons" meet one of the greatest football teams in the world-the EnglishThe 80's will be remembered and with the regular participation of the team in the tournaments for Varna Summer Cup, where in the years the "falcons"met the teams of NK Rijeka Croatia,the English Oxford United F.C. ,Hungarian Újpest FC and many others.In 1988/89 Spartak became the first Bulgarian team with private sponsor and president Atanas Atanasov-Kebie.From the autumn of 1994 president of the club is Nikolay Ishkov. In the season 1994/95 after mighty games the falcons wins the cup as the most progressive team in Bulgaria. In the same Season the forward Ivo Georgiev scores 21 goals and became shooter number one of Bulgaria. From the summer of 1996 Spartak plays in every tournament for the UEFA-Intertoto Cup, and the results are different each time.But forever will remain the memories of the matches with European clubs with great traditions as the French Montpellier HSC the Netherlands's FC Groningen,and with the Germany's Munchen 1860-which game the "Falcons" win with 2:1 and with 9 players! At this time Spartak is considered as one of the strongest teams in Bulgaria. For the first time there is successful transfer policy and perspective selection.Many of the players has a profitable offers from capitol's and foreign clubs. In its 84 years of history F.C.Spartak goes through many peak and downfall moments, but it leaves bright trace in Bulgarian football.F.C. Spartak is one of the clubs with the greatest traditions, between the 10 clubs which have most partisipations in the "A"RFL,and between the 15 who reached the Champions title of Bulgaria.

The great number of matches in first division
* 1. 271 - flagicon|Bulgaria Iliya Kirchev
* 2. 248 - flagicon|Bulgaria Biser Dimitrov
* 3. 240 - flagicon|Bulgaria Nikolay Stanchev
* 4. 227 - flagicon|Bulgaria Krasimir Zafirov
* 5. 220 - flagicon|Bulgaria Blagoy YanevThe great number of goals in first division
* 1. 56 - flagicon|Bulgaria Stefan Naydenov
* 2. 48 - flagicon|Bulgaria Valentin Stanchev
* 3. 48 - flagicon|Bulgaria Hristo Nikolov
* 4. 41 - flagicon|Bulgaria Zhivko Gospodinov
* 5. 39 - flagicon|Bulgaria Georgi Arnaudov
* 5. 39 - flagicon|Bulgaria Plamen Kazakov

Fan groups

* Spartak Varna Ultra Division
* Mladost boys'95
* Vladislavovo boys'96
* Spartak youth
* Arise Guys
* Brigada Punks
* Sofia Support

Current squad

Image label|x=0.07|y=0.48|scale=350|text= flagicon|BUL Image label|x=0.13|y=0.43|scale=350|text=4.Morales Image label|x=0.35|y=0.72|scale=350|text=9.Malindi

"As of August 2008" The players in bold have senior international caps.

Reserves squad

Squad changes 2008

In:
* Stefan Donchev - from Lokomotiv Sofia
* Lee Hyung-Sang - from S.C. Beira-Mar
* Daniel Morales - from Lokomotiv Plovdiv
* Ilia Nikolov - loan from Litex Lovech
* Enco Malindi - from Slavia Sofia
* Spas Bayraktarov - from Lokomotiv Mezdra
* Ilian Chilibonov - from PFC Haskovo
* Anton Kostadinov - from Lokomotiv Mezdra
* Yuri Ivanov - from Lokomotiv Mezdra

Out:
* Radostin Stanev - to PFC Lokomotiv Mezdra
* Kuncho Kunchev - to FC Prefab 05 Modelu
* Budimir Đukić - to ???
* Marko Savić - to ???
* Stanislav Zhekov - to Naftex Burgas
* Georgi Arnaudov - retired
* Ivan Naydenov - to team in Cyprus
* Boyan Iliev - to PFC Levski Sofia
* Vladislav Mirchev - loan to FC BATE

Club officials

Board of Directors

*President: Ivan Slavkov
*Vice-President: Ivan Dinov
*Managing Director: Zhivko Velikov
*Technical Manager: Silvia Nikolova

Coaching Staff

*Manager: Slobodan Stašević
*Assistant Manager: Slaviša Kovaćević
*Goalkeeping Coach: Ilko Stanchev
*Fitness Coach: –
*Manager of Reserves Squad: Todor Popov
*Director of Youth Football: Nikolay Stanchev

ponsorship

*Official Shirt Sponsor - Sportingbet
*Official Sport Clothing Manufacturer - Ulhsport
*Official Stadium Sponsor - InterBILD
*Official Communication Sponsor - Media company

Notable players