Bulgaria. Ranked 21st. The rules for the season were almost the same as in the previous one: 16 teams in the top league, 20 in the Second Division, Third Division divided into 4 regional groups. In the Third level 3 points were given for a win, but the upper levels still used 2 points for a win. No matter what kind of ‘reforms’ the Communist Party declared in 1985, things were going back to old established habits – CFKA Sredetz (CSKA) was back to taking stars from elsewhere, Vitosha (Levski) depended more on their home grown talent, the other clubs managed with was left to them. Rapidly increasing number of players were sold abroad and they were no longer restricted by age, which meant considerable loss for some clubs – the big clubs replaced the stars they sold with talents from the smaller clubs, which in turn had to improvise. The main result was that this season CFKA Sredetz (CSKA) entirely dominated domestic football, as in the ‘old days’, and no wonder why: they took 4 national team players before the season – Plamen Getov (from Spartak Pleven), Trifon Ivanov (from Etar), Georgy Georgiev (from Trakia), and Iliya Valov (from Vratza). With the new recruits, the Army team had a total of 13 national team players, solid in every line and particularly lethal in attack (Christo Stoichkov, Lyuboslav Penev, Emil Kostadinov, Plamen Getov, Lachezar Tanev, and Ivaylo Kirov). This season was entirely theirs.
Second Division. 20 teams – the top 2 promoted, the bottom 4 relegated. A bit of a battle both at the top and the bottom, but hardly and exciting season. The amalgamation of the Second Division in the recent past temporary reshaped the picture, but it was going back to ‘normal’ – four long-time Second Division members won the Third Division groups and were promoted this season: Septemvriyska slava (Mikhailovgrad), Svetkavitza (Targovishte), Rozova dolina (Kazanlik), and Velbazhd (Kyustendil). Meantime shaky and troubled clubs went down in the Second Division.
Arda (Kardzhali) was last with 24 points.
Lokomotiv (Rousse) – 19th with 26 points.
Spartak (Plovidiv) – 18th with 30 points.
Akademik (Sofia) – 17th with 32 points.
Rila (Stanke Dimitrov) barely escaped relegation – 16th with 33 points. The former Marek was in the same situation as Akademik – they were unable to replace their wonderful squad from the second half of the 1970s. They still depended on remains of the great team… now reduced to 2 players: goalkeeper Stoyan Stoyanov (38 years old) and midfielder Dimitar Dimitrov (34). And the reserve player from the old days Kiril Sergiev, now 27 years old. There was no future, clearly…
And above them were similar teams: Cherveno zname (Pavlikeni) -15th with 33 points, Ludogoretz (Razgrad) – 14th with 34 points, Bdin (Vidin) – 13th with 37 points, Tundzha (Yambol) – 12th with 37 points. As a whole, Second Division teams depended largely on few experienced key players, often with some First Division performance, and the fate of particular team heavily depended on the age and desire of those players. Teams with more such players generally performed better – those above had 2-3 players of this class, not enough for competing against others.
Freshly relegated Spartak (Pleven) finished 11th with 37 points and no surprise: their former squad was dangerously aging and as soon as they were relegated big number of key players left, including the great star Plamen Getov. The new team… was mediocre. Sitting from left: Angel Marinov,Vassil Dikov, Milko Galabov, Milko Gavrilov, Tony Vashkov, Emil Tzvetanov, Georgy Barbov, Marius Urukov. Middle row: Vladimir Popov – assistant coach, Dimitar Todorov, Ivan Marinov, Stefan Velichkov – coach, Kalin Pekhlivanski, Ventzislav Gochev – captain, Blagoy Krastanov – assistant coach. Top row: Boyko Tzvetkov, Blagovest Petkov, Vesselin Gerov, Harry Kazakov, Boyko Ivanov, Mitko Surdzhiyski, Nikolay Popov.
It was shapeless squad – only one of the former team remained: the goalkeeper Kazakov and the exodus was not even finished yet – after this season some of the better players left as well – Gochev, Urukov, and others.
Lokomotiv (Stara Zagora) finished 10th with 38 points – a prime example of the old Second Division rule – the more former First Division one has, the better fared in the league. Lokomotiv had 7 such players, mostly discarded from the their big neighbor Beroe – and they were enough for mid-table position. At least for year or two.
Vihren (Sandanski) – 9th with 39 points, Yantra (Gabrovo) – 8th with 40 points,
Haskovo (Haskovo) – 7th with 40 points.
Shumen (Shumen) – 6th with 41 points, Akademik (Svishtov) – 5th with 44 points, Dobrudzha (Tolboukhin) – 4th with 46 points, and Osam (Lovetch) – 3rd with 47 points. Frankly, none of the teams so far had a promising and well-shaped team. That practically left the top places for teams with slightly better or at least more ambitious teams.
Chernomoretz (Bourgas) finished 2nd with 50 points and earned promotion back to First Division. Standing from left: Lyubomir Todorov, Lyuben Lyubenov, Vladimir Stoyanov, Stoyan Stoyanov, Evgeny Yanchovski – coach, Raly Khalachev – assistant coach, Ivan Piskov, Lyuben Sheytanov, Zhelyazko Markov, Zlatko Yankov. Front row: Stoyan Pumpalov, Krassimir Kostov, Ivan Yovchev, Simeon Chilibonov, Zhivko Kelepov, Atanas Manushev, Nikolay Roussev, Diyan Petkov.
Unlike Spartak (Pleven), Chernomoretz managed to preserve their team after relegation and also had a number of promising young players, and good coach too. That was pretty much enough for promotion. As for not winning the championship… that was perhaps unimportant – the goal was to return to the top league. And to keep their young talent, which was more difficult – the future hero of the 1994 World Cup Zlatko Yankov, Vladimir Stoyanov, Diyan Petkov, Stoyan Pumpalov were already eyed by other clubs. Nikolay Roussev wanted to play abroad, the captain Sheytanov, who already had played for the national team was also difficult to keep in the team. A prime example why Second Division clubs were not particularly eager to have promising squads – why bother when you going to lose your talent and have to start from scratch again?
This problem perhaps explains the sudden and surprising success of Hebar (Pazardzhik) – a long time Second Division member, apparently without any ambitions for more than mid-table place, which suddenly won the league.
With 52 points from 23 wins, 6 ties and 9 losses, 66-38 goal-difference, Hebar won the championship and earned promotion for the very first time on their history. Of course, the fans were out of their minds from happiness, but it was not a great victory in itself. The squad is interesting, though…
Sitting from left: Mladen Radkov, Spas Pomakov, Krassimir Uzunov, Spas Kuzev, Ivan Chorlev, Radko Dimitrov, Georgy Gadzhev. Middle row: Dimitar Sharankov – coach, Petar Kovachev, Vassil Vassilev, Christo Toshev, Toshko Ignatov, Dimitar Milev – assistant coach. Top row: Dimitar Penchev – masseur, Krum Kantarev, Kalin Ivanov, Lazar Dimitrov, Stefan Dabov – doctor.
A typical Second Division squad… Mladen Radkov was the only recognizable player because of his long years playing for Slavia (Sofia). Krum Kantarev also had some top league experience, but by now neither player attracted First Division clubs. Nor anybody else in the team. Even the coach was unfamiliar name. Anonymous squad, but exactly their anonymity helped them to stay together and blend well – the success was recognized as collective effort. No stars. Nobody wanting them, so Hebar was secure to have its team in the next season. Additional players were needed in order of competing with the best teams in the country, but even this was no big deal, for the well-blended squad was at hand. Not aging either, but just at the right average of around 26 years – players with experience, yet still young enough. Hebar won mostly because was a team together – not a rag-tag team, not in the process of rebuilding, not worrying key players staying or not staying with them. Simple as that… if Krum Kantarev wanted to prove himself in the top league, his only chance was to play for Hebar – nobody else wanted him anyway. So good luck to Hebar in their top league debut.
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