Bulgarian Women's League

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Bulgarian Women's League
Founded1985
Country Bulgaria
ConfederationUEFA
Number of teams14
Level on pyramid1
Domestic cup(s)Bulgarian Cup
International cup(s)UEFA Champions League
Current championsLokomotiv Stara Zagora
(2022–2023)
Most championshipsFC NSA Sofia (18 titles)
Current: 2023–24

The Bulgarian women's league (Bulgarian: Българска женска лига) is Bulgarian's top level league of women's football in Bulgaria.

It features fourteen teams that play a double round robin to decide the champion, which qualifies for a spot in the UEFA Women's Champions League. Because of the few teams in the country the league has no relegation to a second league.[1]

History[edit]

Pre-women football[edit]

In the 1920s, the young operetta and opera singer Mimi Balkanska became the first Bulgarian woman seriously involved in football in Bulgaria. She trained with Slavia Sofia, participated in matches as a goalkeeper of the singers against the artists, formed a team, even was a side referee at a charity match.[2]

The first demonstration women's football match in Bulgaria was played in Ruse in 1967. Again, the first women's football team in the country was officially formed there in 1980, and a year later the first inter-city football match between women's teams was played in Ruse.

Thus, the beginning of women's football in Bulgaria was officially set in the early 1980s. This happened about 100 years after the first match between women in England, which is also the modern homeland of women's football.[3]

First official championship: 1985-1990[edit]

In the 1980s there were a few arguments in the Bulgarian football community for and against the official "recognition" of women's football as a sport. Eventually the Bulgarian Football Union decided to hold the First Republican Women's Football Tournament in the 1985/86 season. According to official reports, over 10,000 female players took part in this championship, and it is suggested that this number is highly inflated. Nineteen teams, representing the various counties (now districts) of the time, reached the final stage of the tournament, which followed a complex schedule. The semi-finals of the first championship were played between Akademik Sofia and Sredets Sofia 7:2 and Slantse Stara Zagora and Dunav Ruse 2:0. In the match for third place Sredets (today CSKA) defeated Dunav with 3:1. In the final Akademik wins the first women's title in Bulgaria after 3:1 against Slantse. The names of 16 women who won the first gold medals for the state champion are: Tsvetanka Miteva, Galina Doneva, Katya Petkova, Iliana Georgieva, Tsvetanka Todorova, Hristina Hristova, Ganka Todorova, Bistra Trifonova, Diana Kalfina, Emilia Milanova, Daniela Bineva, Stoilka Ilcheva, Iliana Bogdanova, Albena Stefanova, Isabel Adjemianova and Polina Shishmanova. Their coach is Valeri Nachkov. In the next 2 seasons 1986–87 and 1987–88 Akademik again triumphed with the title. For every bigger football club in Bulgaria at that time it was a matter of honour to have a women's team. Women's football in general was on the rise and gaining more and more fans.

Grand Hotel Varna ages: 1990–2003[edit]

After the political changes in Bulgaria in 1989, as in many other spheres, there was a crisis in women's football. A huge number of teams were closed down for financial and organisational reasons. The championship shrunk to the participation of only 3-4 clubs. In this period, the absolute hegemon in Bulgaria was the Grand Hotel Varna established in the late 1980s. This team, which is owned by the eponymous hotel complex located in the Saints Constantine and Helena ressort, won 10 consecutive championship titles in the period from 1993 to 2003.

NSA Hegemony: 2003–2022[edit]

After Grand Hotel Varna sponsorship money were shrunk, NSA Sofia become absolut hegemony. LP Super Sport ended the Grand Hotel reigh and become champions in 2003. Bulgarian Football Union left the organisation of the women's league to the Amateur football league. NSA become absolute hegemony winning not only 17 conservative championships, but also the national team of Bulgaria had mainly players from NSA. FC NSA Sofia hegemony was ended by Lokomotiv Stara Zagora in 2022.[4]

UEFA push and league development: 2022–present[edit]

Following the UEFA new restrictions for women's football in January 2023, all First League teams have to have a women's department playing in at least one youth or main league from 2023–24 season.[5] At this point, only Etar and Pirin Blagoevgrad were professional teams having women department, while Lokomotiv Stara Zagora and Sevlievo Ladies had male teams in amateur divisions and were part from the Women's league. Some of the First League teams started an youth women teams, Dunav Ruse decided to join the league from 2023. On 26 August 2023 WFC Varna was bought by Ludogorets Razgrad owners and was transformed into the woman's team of Ludogorets.[6]

2023–24 Teams[edit]

Team Location Stadium Capacity (seating)
Dunav Ruse Gradski Stadion 13,000
Enko Plovdiv Plovdiv Stadium 1,000
Etar Veliko Tarnovo Ivaylo Stadium 25,000
LP Super Sport Sofia German Stadium 2,000
Lokomotiv Stara Zagora Lokomotiv 2,000
Ludogorets Razgrad Eagles' Nest 2,000
NSA Sofia Sofia NSA Stadium 1,000
Pirin Blagoevgrad Hristo Botev 7,500
Paldin Plovdiv Paldin Stadium 1,000
Sevlievo Ladies Sevlievo Rakovski Stadium 5,000
Sportika Blagoevgrad Hristo Botev 7,500
Sofia Ladies 2021 Sofia Stadion Akademik 2,000
Svetkavitsa Gradezhnitsa Gradezhnitsa Gradezhnitsa Stadium 1,000
Rial Kovachevtsi Kovachevtsi Dimitrovets Stadium 1,000

Champions[edit]

By season[edit]

Teams in just bold indicate doubles with the Bulgarian Women's Cup.

Year Winners Runners-up Third place Top goalscorer Goals
1985–86 Akademik Sofia Slantse Stara Zagora Sredets Sofia
1986–87 Akademik Sofia Sredets Sofia Vitosha Sofia
1987–88 Akademik Sofia CSKA Sofia Slavia Sofia
1988–89 Sredets Sofia Akademik Sofia Slavia Sofia
1989–90 Akademik Sofia Sredets Sofia Lokomotiv Plovdiv
1990–91 NSA Sofia Hebar Pazardzhik Lokomotiv Plovdiv
1991–92 Lokomotiv Stara Zagora NSA Sofia CSKA Sofia
1992–93 CSKA Sofia Grand Hotel Varna NSA Sofia
1993–94 Grand Hotel Varna Lokomotiv Plovdiv Neftochimic Burgas
1994–95 Grand Hotel Varna NSA Sofia Neftochimic Burgas
1995–96 Grand Hotel Varna Neftochimic Burgas Port Varna
1996–97 Grand Hotel Varna Lokomotiv Plovdiv Neftochimic Burgas
1997–98 Grand Hotel Varna Port Varna Neftochimic Burgas
1998–99 Grand Hotel Varna Trivia Burgas NSA Sofia
1999–00 Grand Hotel Varna NSA Sofia Port Varna
2000–01 Grand Hotel Varna NSA Sofia Interport Albena
2001–02 Grand Hotel Varna LP Super Sport NSA Sofia
2002–03 Grand Hotel Varna LP Super Sport NSA Sofia
2003–04 LP Super Sport Grand Hotel Varna NSA Sofia
2004–05 NSA Sofia LP Super Sport Grand Hotel Varna
2005–06 NSA Sofia LP Super Sport Grand Hotel Varna
2006–07 NSA Sofia LP Super Sport Grand Hotel Varna
2007–08 NSA Sofia LP Super Sport Bolyarki
2008–09 NSA Sofia Olympia Sofia LP Super Sport
2009–10 NSA Sofia LP Super Sport Evrokomet 90 Plovdiv
2010–11 NSA Sofia LP Super Sport Olympia Sofia
2011–12 NSA Sofia LP Super Sport Evrokomet 90 Plovdiv
2012–13 NSA Sofia Sportika Blagoevgrad LP Super Sport
2013–14 NSA Sofia LP Super Sport Sportika Blagoevgrad
2014–15 NSA Sofia LP Super Sport Sportika Blagoevgrad
2015–16 NSA Sofia LP Super Sport Sportika Blagoevgrad
2016–17 NSA Sofia LP Super Sport Evrokomet 90 Plovdiv
2017–18 NSA Sofia LP Super Sport Etar
2018–19 NSA Sofia Sportika Blagoevgrad LP Super Sport
2019–20 NSA Sofia Paldin Plovdiv Etar
2020–21 NSA Sofia Lokomotiv Plovdiv Lokomotiv Stara Zagora
2021–22 Lokomotiv Stara Zagora NSA Sofia Barocco Sofia
2022–23 Lokomotiv Stara Zagora NSA Sofia Sportika Blagoevgrad

By team[edit]

Bold indicates clubs which play in the 2023–24 Bulgarian Women's League.

Club Winners Runners-up Years won Years runners-up
FC NSA Sofia 18 6 1990–91, 2004–05, 2005–06, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2011–12, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2019–20, 2020–21 1991–92, 1994–95, 1999–00, 2000–01, 2021–22, 2022–23
WFC Varna[a] 10 2 1993–94, 1994–95, 1995–96, 1996–97, 1997–98, 1998–99, 1999–00, 2000–01, 2001–02, 2002–03 1992–93, 2003–04
Akademik Sofia 4 1 1985–86, 1986–87, 1987–88, 1989–90 1988–89
Lokomotiv Stara Zagora 3 0 1991–92, 2021–22, 2022–23
CSKA Sofia[b] 2 3 1988–89, 1992–93 1986–87, 1987–88, 1989–90
LP Super Sport Sofia 1 14 2003–04 2001–02, 2002–03, 2004–05, 2005–06, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2011–12, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2018–19
Lokomotiv Plovdiv 0 3 1993–94, 1996–97, 2020–21
Sportika Blagoevgrad 0 2 2012–13, 2018–19
Beroe Stara Zagora[c] 0 1 1985–86
Hebar Pazardzhik 0 1 1990–91
Neftochimic Burgas 0 1 1995–96
Port Varna 0 1 1997–98
Trivia Burgas 0 1 1998–99
Olympia Sofia 0 1 2008–09
Paldin Plovdiv 0 1 2019–20
Notes
  1. ^ WFC Varna titles include those won as FC Grand Hotel Varna.
  2. ^ CSKA titles include those won as Sredets.
  3. ^ Beroe was named Slantse in 1985–86 season.

By city[edit]

Club Winners Runners-up
Sofia 25 25
Varna 10 3
Stara Zagora 3 1
Plovdiv 0 4
Blagoevgrad 0 2
Burgas 0 2
Pazardzhik 0 1
Notes

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Women's football across the national associations (2013/14)" (PDF). UEFA. Retrieved 19 February 2014.
  2. ^ Историята на българския женски футбол
  3. ^ Русе поставя началото на женския футбол в България
  4. ^ Локомотив (Стара Загора) е шампион при дамите
  5. ^ Задължително! Елитните тимове с женски отбори – ще има ли наддаване за съществуващите?
  6. ^ Лудогорец вече има женски отбор по футбол

External links[edit]

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