FC CSKA 1948 Sofia (Bulgarian: ФК ЦСКА 1948 София) is a Bulgarian football club from Sofia. The team plays its home matches at the Bistritsa Stadium and competes in Bulgaria's First League. The colours of the club are red and white.
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| Full name | Football Club Central Sports Club of the Army 1948 Sofia | |||
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| Nickname | Червените (The Reds) | |||
| Founded | 19 July 2016[1] | |||
| Ground | Stadion Bistritsa | |||
| Capacity | 4,000 | |||
| Owner | Tsvetomir Naydenov | |||
| Coach | Aleksandar Aleksandrov | |||
| League | First League | |||
| 2025–26 | First League, 2nd of 16 | |||
| Website | cska1948 | |||
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History
editFoundation
edit2016–2018: Amateur Leagues
editOn 21 August 2016, FC CSKA 1948 won its first cup in a friendly four-team tournament in Kokalyane. The team defeated Akademik Sofia 1–0 in the final.
In its first official game for the 2016–17 season in A OFG Sofia (capital) South, FC CSKA 1948 won 8–0 against Lyulin Sofia. The club began playing its home games at Vasil Levski National Stadium, but later during the season used the stadiums in Obelya and German. FC CSKA 1948 won its group and became champion of the whole A OFG Sofia (capital) after victory 4–3 against Nadezhda Dobroslavtsi. Then, on 7 June 2017, the team played with Bratsigovo in order to qualify for the Third League and won after penalties (7–6).[3] Beside that, FC CSKA 1948 reached the final for the Cup of Bulgarian Amateur League, which they lost on 25 May 2017 to the club from the Third league Chernomorets Balchik.[4]
For their first season in the third division of the Bulgarian football (2017–18), the club moved to Dragalevtsi Stadium, in order to comply with the requirements of the respective league. After very strong performance, on 19 May 2018, FC CSKA 1948 secured its place in Second Professional League.[5] The team finished with 29 wins, 5 draws and no losses, as two players of the Reds became goalscorers of the South-West Third League – Andon Gushterov and Petko Petkov. Also, FC CSKA 1948 had again a good campaign for the Cup of Bulgarian Amateur League, this time reaching the semi-finals.
2018–2020: Second Professional League
editFor the beginning of the 2018–19 season in the Second Professional League, FC CSKA 1948 moved to Vasil Levski National Stadium due to the higher league it is playing in. Strong selection of professional players was done, as the goal for the season is qualification for First League. After four rounds, manager Valentin Iliev, who managed the club from the very beginning, was replaced with Petko Petkov. FC CSKA 1948 eventually finished fourth, three points below the promotion playoff place, which was occupied by Arda Kardzhali. Although FC CSKA 1948 didn't promote to the elite in their first attempt, the team established itself as a strong contender for promotion.
For the 2019–20 season, FC CSKA 1948 started the season on a high note, defeating local rivals Lokomotiv Sofia 2–0 at home. This was followed by an away win at newly promoted Spartak Pleven with a score of 1–4. Another dominant 2–0 win against Spartak Varna earned the team three out of three wins in their first three matches. An away win against Montana, followed by a home destruction of OFC Pomorie extended their winning steak to 5 games. FC CSKA 1948's spectacular form continued, as the team defeated Lokomotiv Gorna Oryahovitsa and Strumska Slava in the following rounds. The team then beat fellow Sofia rivals Septemvri Sofia 5–0 at home. The first defeat of the season came in the tenth round, when FC CSKA 1948 lost 1–0 to Litex Lovech. After a 2–0 home win against Chernomorets Balchik, FC CSKA 1948 suffered another loss in the hands of Kariana Erden. This was followed by three consecutive wins, which ended with a disappointing 2–2 home draw against Ludogorets II. Following that, the team managed to win two away games, against Botev Galabovo and Lokomotiv Sofia again, which put them in second place in the table, three points behind Septemvri Sofia, before the winter break.
2020–present: First Professional League
editFC CSKA 1948 secured their First League spot for the 2020–21 season after finishing 1st in the 2019–20 Second League. Krasimir Balakov was announced as manager for the new season on 2 June, and the club unveiled a new logo on 30 June in preparation for their First League debut. On 7 August 2020, the team faced CSKA in its first ever top flight game, with the encounter resulting in a 2–2 draw.[6]
CSKA 1948 established itself in the following years in the First League, frequently finishing in the top six of the championship. During the 2022–23 season, the team reached the final of the Bulgarian Cup for the first time in club history, eliminating Lokomotiv Sofia in the semi-finals.
Club culture
editUntil 2022, the club had a policy of relying exclusively on Bulgarian players,[7] which gained the approval of a lot of the club's supporters who had previously criticized CSKA Sofia for fielding teams with many foreign footballers.[8]
Shirt, sponsor and mascot
editThe colours of the team main kit are red and white. The second kit is in white and the third – in black, with white sleeves.
On 31 January 2017 CSKA 1948 presented its main sponsor – Efbet. The company sponsors not only the first team, but the academy too.[9]
| Period | Kit manufacturer | Shirt partner |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 |  Erreà |
None |
| 2017–2020 | Efbet | |
| 2020–2023 |  Adidas | |
| 2023– | Puma |
Since 2018, the team mascot is Army the lion.[10]
Honours
edit- First League:
- Bulgarian Cup:
- Runners-up (1): 2022–23
- Bulgarian Supercup:
- Runners-up (1): 2023
- Second League:
- Winners (1): 2019–20
- Third League:
- Winners (1): 2017–18
- A OFG Sofia:
- Winners (1): 2016–17
Players
editCurrent squad
edit- As of 10 June 2026
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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For recent transfers, see List of Bulgarian football transfers summer 2026.
Out on loan
editNote: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Foreign players
editUp to twenty foreign nationals can be registered and given a squad number for the first team in the Bulgarian First League, however only five non-EU nationals can be used during a match day. Those non-EU nationals with European ancestry can claim citizenship from the nation their ancestors came from. If a player does not have European ancestry he can claim Bulgarian citizenship after playing in Bulgaria for 5 years.
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EU Nationals |
EU Nationals (Dual citizenship)
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Non-EU Nationals
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Second-team squad
editGoalscoring and appearance records
edit
Most appearances for the club in all competitions
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- Includes appearances in First League, Second League, Third League, Bulgarian Cup, Bulgarian Supercup, UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League.
- Players in bold are still playing for FC CSKA 1948.
Most appearances for the club in First League
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- Players in bold are still playing for FC CSKA 1948.
Notable players
editHad international caps for their respective countries, or held any club record. Players whose name is listed in bold represented their countries.
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Club officials
editCoaching staff and personnel
edit Ivo Stanislavov |
Operations director |
| Kiril Emilov |
Sports Director |
| Aleksandar Aleksandrov |
Head coach |
| Petko Vasilev |
Assistant coach |
| Plamen Zdravkov |
Assistant coach |
| Deyan Kostadinov |
Goalkeeping coach |
| Aleksandar Kostadinov |
Analyzer |
| Spas Nikolayev |
Scout |
| Ivan Atanasov |
Scout |
| Ivan Georgiev |
Fitness coach |
| Panayot Milenkov |
Fitness coach |
| Hristo Deyanov |
Physiotherapist |
| Nikolay Predragov |
Physiotherapist |
| Ilian Radomirov |
Masseur |
| Ivaylo Iliev |
Psychologist |
| Tsvetan Yordanov |
Administrator |
| Dushko Stefanov |
Administrator |
| Lyubomir Lyupchov |
U19 coach |
| Ivan Svetoslavov |
U17 coach |
| Emil Petkov |
U15 coach |
| Rumen Kirilov |
U11 coach |
Manager history
edit| Name | Nat | From | To | Honours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adalbert Zafirov | |
1 July 2016 | 1 September 2016 | |
| Valentin Iliev | |
2 September 2016 | 21 June 2018 | 1 Fourth League title 1 Third League title |
| Petko Petkov | |
1 July 2018 | 21 October 2019 | |
| Yordan Yurukov | |
21 October 2019 | 6 June 2020 | 1 Second League title |
| Krasimir Balakov | |
6 June 2020 | 23 March 2021 | |
| Rosen Kirilov (interim) | |
23 March 2021 | 24 April 2021 | |
| Todor Kiselichkov | |
25 April 2021 | 26 July 2021 | |
| Miroslav Mindev | |
27 July 2021 | 30 August 2021 | |
| Nikolay Kirov | |
3 September 2021 | 20 May 2022 | |
| Lyuboslav Penev | |
28 May 2022 | 9 December 2022 | |
| Todor Yanchev | |
13 December 2022 | 25 May 2023 | |
| Atanas Ribarski | |
25 May 2023 | 15 August 2023 | |
| Nikolay Panayotov | |
15 August 2023 | 5 April 2024 | |
| Valentin Iliev | |
5 April 2024 | 30 October 2024 | |
| Ivan Ivanov | |
30 October 2024 | 19 February 2025 | |
| Borislav Kyosev | |
19 February 2025 | 4 April 2025 | |
| Aleksandar Aleksandrov | |
4 April 2025 | 29 April 2025 | |
| Ivan Stoyanov | |
29 April 2025 | 12 February 2026 | |
| Aleksandar Aleksandrov | |
12 February 2026 |
European record
edit- As of match played 8 August 2024
| Competition | Played | Won | Drew | Lost | GF | GA | GD | Win% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UEFA Europa Conference League | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 10 | −4 | 33.33 |
| Total | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 10 | −4 | 33.33 |
Matches
edit| Season | Competition | Round | Club | Home | Away | Aggregate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023–24 | UEFA Conference League | 2Q |  FCSB |
0–1 | 2–3 | 2–4 |
| 2024–25 | UEFA Conference League | 2Q |  Budućnost Podgorica |
1–0 | 1–1 (a.e.t.) | 2–1 |
| 3Q |  Pafos |
2–1 | 0–4 (a.e.t.) | 2–5 | ||
| 2026–27 | UEFA Conference League | 2Q |  |
Seasons
edit| Season | League | Bulgarian Cup | Other competitions | Top goalscorer | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Level | P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts | Pos | ||||||
| 2016–17 | A OFG Sofia (capital) South | 4 | 22 | 21 | 1 | 0 | 105 | 7 | 98 | 64 | 1st ‡ | DNE | Cup of AFL | F | ||
| 2017–18 | South-West Third League | 3 | 34 | 29 | 5 | 0 | 95 | 16 | 79 | 92 | 1st ↑ | DNQ | SF | Andon Gushterov |
22 | |
| 2018–19 | Second League | 2 | 30 | 16 | 11 | 3 | 39 | 18 | 21 | 59 | 4th | Round of 32 | DNE | Andon Gushterov |
21 | |
| 2019–20 | 2 | 21 | 18 | 1 | 2 | 59 | 18 | 41 | 55 | 1st ↑ | Quarter-final | Andon Gushterov |
28 | |||
| 2020–21 | First League | 1 | 31 | 12 | 11 | 8 | 41 | 34 | 7 | 47 | 5th | Quarter-final | Martin Kamburov |
9 | ||
| 2021–22 | 1 | 32 | 11 | 8 | 13 | 51 | 45 | 6 | 41 | 8th | Round of 32 | Ivaylo Chochev |
8 | |||
| 2022–23 | 1 | 35 | 17 | 13 | 5 | 49 | 22 | 27 | 64 | 3rd | Runners-up | Ivaylo Chochev |
22 | |||
| 2023–24 | 1 | 36 | 13 | 13 | 10 | 35 | 30 | 5 | 52 | 7th | Quarter-final | Europa Conference League | 2Q |  Pedrinho |
8 | |
| 2024–25 | 1 | 37 | 12 | 11 | 14 | 45 | 47 | −2 | 47 | 11th | Round of 16 | 3Q |  Yevheniy Serdyuk |
9 | ||
| 2025–26 | 1 | Quarter-final | DNE |  Mamadou Diallo |
11 | |||||||||||
League positions
edit
See also
editReferences
edit- ↑ "Нов ЦСКА бе учреден, ще участва в А окръжна група". 19 July 2016. Archived from the original on 9 May 2021. Retrieved 6 August 2016.
- ↑ topsport.bg (6 August 2016). "ЦСКА 1948 ще играе с емблема като на "Септемврийско знаме"". Topsport.bg (in Bulgarian). Archived from the original on 24 June 2021. Retrieved 16 August 2022.
- ↑ "Голям късмет покри "червените": ЦСКА 1948 влезе в Трета лига след невероятна драма (видео+галерия)". Sportal.bg (in Bulgarian). Archived from the original on 16 August 2022. Retrieved 16 August 2022.
- ↑ "Черноморец разпиля слаб ЦСКА 1948 и спечели Купата! (видео+галерия)". Sportal.bg (in Bulgarian). Archived from the original on 16 August 2022. Retrieved 16 August 2022.
- ↑ "ЦСКА 1948 го направи! "Червените" са във Втора лига, от догодина имат право да атакуват Европа (видео)". Sportal.bg (in Bulgarian). Archived from the original on 16 August 2022. Retrieved 16 August 2022.
- ↑ "Красимир Балъков е новият треньор на ЦСКА 1948". gong.bg. 2 June 2020. Archived from the original on 18 April 2021. Retrieved 5 June 2020.
- ↑ "ФК ЦСКА 1948 взе първи чужденец в своята история". topsport.bg (in Bulgarian). 6 January 2022. Archived from the original on 15 January 2023. Retrieved 15 January 2023.
- ↑ "Благодетелят на ЦСКА 1948: Само с българи ще превземем света!". gong.bg (in Bulgarian). 24 May 2020. Archived from the original on 13 March 2023. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
- ↑ "ЦСКА 1948 представя основен спонсор на клуба". Sportal.bg (in Bulgarian). Archived from the original on 16 August 2022. Retrieved 16 August 2022.
- ↑ "Лъвчето на ЦСКА 1948 ще се казва Арми". Sportal.bg (in Bulgarian). Archived from the original on 16 August 2022. Retrieved 16 August 2022.