FC Lyubimets (Bulgarian: ФК Любимец) is a Bulgarian football club based in Lyubimets. The team was founded in 1921 and re-founded in 2007. The team currently competes in the fourth tier of Bulgarian football, the A RFG Haskovo.[citation needed]

The club's biggest achievement came in 2013, when Lyubimets managed to promote to the A Group for the first time in club history for the 2013–14 season. Lyubimets was relegated, however, and has since slipped into the amateur levels of Bulgarian football.

The club's home ground is the local Municipal Stadium in Lyubimets, which has an overall capacity of 4,000 seats.

History

The first club was founded as Football Club Maritsa in 1921. In 1947 the club changed its name to Football Club Strela. In the 1960s the club was finally named Football Club Lyubimets. The club participated in the third and fourth divisions of Bulgarian football for the majority of its history, before being dissolved by the end of the 1993–94 season.

In 2007, thirteen years later, the club was restored as Football Club Lyubimets 2007. In its first season, the club was promoted for the first time to the second division. In its first season in professional football, the club finished in 7th place.

On 9 January 2013, club's former player Veselin Velikov was announced as the new manager. Four months later he led Lyubimets to promotion to the A PFG for first time in the club's history, finishing in 2nd place in the B PFG.

The maiden season in the professional top-flight began with a 1–0 win over defending champions Ludogorets Razgrad, a big surprise in Bulgarian football. Lyubimets went on to earn 9 points from their first four games, including wins against Lokomotiv Sofia and Europa League participants Botev Plovdiv (2–1 away in Plovdiv). The team's form dropped after the fifth round, however, as it managed to win only one of their next 18 games in the first phase. This placed them in the relegation group for the remainder of the season. In the relegation round, they won only one of twelve possible matches, and were relegated to the B PFG, after finishing last.

In the summer of 2014, the BFU decided to refuse to give FC Lyubimets a license for the second league, similarly to the other teams relegated that year from the first tier, Neftochimic and Pirin Gotse Delchev. This was done mainly because of financial reasons, as Lyubimets could not provide enough financial resources to sustain themselves in professional football. Lyubimets was subsequently relegated to the fourth tier, the regional league of Haskovo. The team returned to the third tier after two seasons in the fourth division, but was relegated immediately.

League positions

Honours

Current squad

As of 1 November 2016[update] Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No.Pos.NationPlayer
No. Pos. Nation Player 3 DF BUL Ivan Yordanov 8 MF BUL Nikolay Nikolaev 9 FW BUL Ventsislav Yordanov 10 MF BUL Georgi Drumev 11 DF BUL Emil Asenov 12 GK BUL Ventsislav DimitrovNo. Pos. Nation Player 13 DF BUL Martin Belomorski 15 MF BUL Nikolay Ilchev 19 FW BUL Hristo Dyulgerov 21 MF BUL Dimitar Dimitrov 22 MF BUL Atanas Evtimov
3DFBULIvan Yordanov
8MFBULNikolay Nikolaev
9FWBULVentsislav Yordanov
10MFBULGeorgi Drumev
11DFBULEmil Asenov
12GKBULVentsislav Dimitrov
No.Pos.NationPlayer
13DFBULMartin Belomorski
15MFBULNikolay Ilchev
19FWBULHristo Dyulgerov
21MFBULDimitar Dimitrov
22MFBULAtanas Evtimov

Managerial history

After restored

NameNationalityYears
Name Nationality Years Dimcho Markov Bulgaria June 2006–Oct 2008 Ivaylo Petev Bulgaria Oct 2008–Aug 2009 Stamen Belchev Bulgaria Aug 2009–Sept 2012 Krasimir Mechev Bulgaria Sept 2012–Jan 2013 Veselin Velikov Bulgaria 1 January 2013–August 10, 2013 Krasimir Mechev Bulgaria 10 August 2013–January 7, 2014 Voyn Voynov Bulgaria 9 January 2014
Dimcho MarkovBulgariaJune 2006–Oct 2008
Ivaylo PetevBulgariaOct 2008–Aug 2009
Stamen BelchevBulgariaAug 2009–Sept 2012
Krasimir MechevBulgariaSept 2012–Jan 2013
Veselin VelikovBulgaria1 January 2013–August 10, 2013
Krasimir MechevBulgaria10 August 2013–January 7, 2014
Voyn VoynovBulgaria9 January 2014

Notable stats

After the club was restored in 2007

#NameAppsYears
Most appearances for the club # Name Apps Years 1 Bulgaria Emil Petkov 98 2008–2012 2 Bulgaria Ivan Minchev 78 2009–present 3 Bulgaria Ventsislav Yordanov 72 2008–2010/2012–present 4 Bulgaria Kircho Krumov 59 2008–2009/2010–2011 5 Bulgaria Anton Ognyanov 53 2011–presentMost goals for the club # Name Gls Years 1 Bulgaria Nikolay Pavlov 20 2011–2012 2 Bulgaria Anton Ognyanov 16 2011–present 3 Bulgaria Emil Petkov 12 2008–2012 4 Bulgaria Tzvetomir Matev 10 2010–2011 5 Bulgaria Atanas Lyubenov 8 2009–2011
1Bulgaria Emil Petkov982008–2012
2Bulgaria Ivan Minchev782009–present
3Bulgaria Ventsislav Yordanov722008–2010/2012–present
4Bulgaria Kircho Krumov592008–2009/2010–2011
5Bulgaria Anton Ognyanov532011–present
#NameGlsYears
1Bulgaria Nikolay Pavlov202011–2012
2Bulgaria Anton Ognyanov162011–present
3Bulgaria Emil Petkov122008–2012
4Bulgaria Tzvetomir Matev102010–2011
5Bulgaria Atanas Lyubenov82009–2011

Notes:

  • Bold signals active players
  • Correct as of 2013-06-10

Past seasons

SeasonLeaguePlaceWDLGFGAPtsBulgarian Cup
2015–16A RFG (IV)4th1374583246not qualified
2016–17Third League (III)17th9619387933not qualified
2017–18A RFG (IV)–––––––TBD
Green marks a season followed by promotion, red a season followed by relegation.

External links

  • [permanent dead link] (in Bulgarian)
  • (in Bulgarian)