PFK Botev Plovdiv: Meet Our Next Opponent

After eliminating Slovenian side NK Bravo (0:1, 3:1) in the second round of UEFA Conference League qualifiers, our European journey continues on Thursday with a match in Bulgaria against PFK Botev Plovdiv.

Botev began their European campaign in the UEFA Europa League qualifiers, where they first eliminated Maribor (2:1, 2:2) but then were defeated in both matches by Panathinaikos (1:2, 0:4).

Considering that we have already played against this club in 2013, we have had the opportunity to get to know Botev. However, here are some key information and interesting facts about our next European opponent.

Basic information

PFK Botev Plovdiv was founded in 1912 and is the oldest football club in Bulgaria. The club is based in Plovdiv, the second-largest city in Bulgaria, with a population of around 350,000 residents. The club is named after Hristo Botev, a Bulgarian revolutionary, poet, and freedom fighter.

Achievements

PFK Botev has won two league titles (1929, 1967), four Cups (1962, 1981, 2017, 2024), and one Super Cup (2017).

When it comes to results in UEFA competitions, older Botev fans remember victories against Bayern and Barcelona in the 1980s, which were not enough for them to advance further. In recent history, they have not had significant successes.

Stadium

Botev’s home is the Hristo Botev Stadium, which can hold 18,777 spectators. It was built in 1961 and has been renovated several times throughout its history. Today, it is one of the most modern stadiums in Bulgaria. However, fans had to wait nearly a decade to return to it in 2023, during which Botev was forced to play their home matches at the club’s training camp.

Coach

The head coach of Botev is Dušan Kerkez, a familiar figure to us as one of Zrinjski’s key players in winning our first championship title in 2005. He spent only one season with our club before continuing his career in Rijeka and then settling in Cyprus, where he ended his playing career and began his coaching career.

He gained coaching recognition at AEL Limassol, worked for just over a year in Serbia leading Čukarički, and took over Botev in September 2023.

Team

Dušan Kerkez’s team features a large number of foreign players, with fifteen used across six matches this season. The squad includes players from Estonia, Greece, Croatia, Spain, Slovenia, Denmark, Nigeria, and Côte d’Ivoire. According to Transfermarkt, the most valuable players are Greek left-back Konstantinos Bologiannis and Croatian forward Martin Sekulić, while the captain and most experienced player is 36-year-old Ivelin Popov.

Owner

PFK Botev is privately owned, with 99% of the club’s shares held by Russian Anton Zingarevič since 2021. He was previously the owner of English club Reading.

Fans

Botev has built a strong fan base throughout its history, with only Sofia clubs CSKA and Levski having larger followings. The most devoted supporters are known as Bultras.

Fun facts

The current coach of the Bulgarian team is our former player Dušan Kerkez. Botev and Zrinjski also share another connection, as they have both been managed by Željko Petrović. The Montenegrin coach led Zrinjski during the spring part of the previous season, while he was at the helm of Botev from June to October 2019.

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