Bulgaria. Changes: 2 directly relegated from First Division, but the 13th and 14th in the final table were no longer safe – they went to promotion/relegation play-off against the 2nd placed in the Second Division. Second Division itself was reduced for the next season – the two groups of the division were shortened to 18 teams each. Thus, 1981-82 was the last season of the largest ever Second Division in which 22 teams participated in each group.
Big size did not work somewhat. The idea was not merely giving a chance to many small clubs to play high-level football. The idea largely was to give a chance to many players to develop and eventually shine in competitive environment. But nothing happened – Second Division became less competitive instead, mostly because better, but not ambitious players spread around the leagues. This season there practically there was no fighting for the top place – one team dominated the Northern Second Division and one the Southern Second Division. Both were former first division members, as it was the case most of the time anyway. Both champions largely jumped ahead in the spring half of the season.
On the pessimistic side was the bulk of the leagues.
Ludogoretz (Razgrad) is pehaps the best known abroad Bulgarian club, after 6 titles and playing in the group phase of the Champions league, but in 1981-82 – and actually for many, many years – it was typical second division club: never even dreaming of going higher. The only concern was not to go lower. But it 15th in Northern Second Division and… going down. Not directly down, but in danger – Ludogoretz proceeded to play-offs in hope of surviving.
Dunav (Rousse) was expected to be a prime candidate for promotion – not only a former first division member, but a club unsatisfied with playing second level. However, Dunav was not a factor and finished 4th – 13 points behind the winners!
The winners were a team like Dunav – first division members no long ago, aiming to climb back. Unlike Dunav, ZSK Spartak (Varna) was really determined to do it – and won the first place with 59 points, leaving the nearest pursuer 9 points behind.
Sitting from left: K. Krastev, K. Venkov, T. Gergov, S. Simeonov, K. Zafirov, Zh. Gospodinov, N. Stoev, I. Voychev.
Middle row: T. Popov, P. Mikhov, T. Trendafilov, L. Goranov – assistant coach, I. Vutzov – coach, V. Nikolchev, A. Mikhaylov, A. Stankov.
Third row: N. Zaykov, I. Shukriev, E. Nedev, D. Enchev, M. Demirev, St. Aladzhov.
A curious team, the champions… given the names, it should have been a strong team – too strong for second division, certainly. Three former national team players, one current, and two more donned the national team jersey soon after the season ended. Not just that – Ivan Vutzov was appointed national team coach right after the end of the season. Never before a second division coach was elevated to coach the national team – he immediately included the central defender Assen Mikhaylov and the midfielder Zhivko Gospodinov in his selection and if Mikhaylov did not last in the national team, Gospodinov became one of the key Bulgarian players of the 1980s. Vutzov eventually qualified Bulgaria to the 1986 World Cup finals. The goalkeeper Krassimir Zafirov had been the star of ZSK Spartak for years and a member of the national team also for years – he rarely played, but was constantly called, even when playing in second division. But Vutzov hardly depended on local talent – he brought with himself a bunch of players from his former club, Levski-Spartak (Sofia): Aladzhov, Stankov, Nikolchev, and Zaykov. Dimitar Enchev also played for Levski-Spartak a few years back – unfortunate heavy injury cut short his promising career with the big club and he returned back to his home club. So, it was a squad with strong Levski-Spartak flavour – apparently, the chosen approach of Vutzov, for most of the other players were not much. It was rather short-term approach, though – it was impossible to get from Levski-Spartak current stars: it was possible to get only players no longer wanted for one or another reason – nearing retirement (Aladzhov), unable to establish themselves (Nikolchev), getting a bit over the hill (Stankov), or deep reserves without a chance of becoming starters (Zaykov). They surely helped, but for how long and especially how well in the top division was questionable.
In the South the picture was almost a carbon copy of the Northern league: potential candidates for promotion were not a factor at all, especially Lokomotiv (Plovdiv), which finished 10th. Minyor (Pernik) fought in the fall, but dropped out of the race in the spring, finishing 3rd.
Neftokhimik (Bourgas), little known even in Bulgaria at the time, had a good season – they finished 6th. Why? Easy to tell: a few established, but no longer needed in their first division neigbour, Chernomoretz, provided stability. A bunch of eager youngsters, hoping to join the first division club completed the picture. It was often the case of smaller club from a city with a first-division club. It was also the reason such clubs hardly ever were able to reach the top division – they depended too much on movements to and from the other local club.
The league winners did not shine in the fall, but entirely dominated the spring and finished 8 points ahead of the nearest pursuer. Pirin (Blagoevgrad), like ZSK Spartak, was expected favourite, but there were more differences than similarities between the two second division champions.
Third row, from left: P. Tzvetkov, Kr. Traykov, K. Kabranov, Y. Murlev, M. Stoyanov, K. Penev.
Middle row: V. Metodiev – coach, Y. Samokovliyski, At. Atanassov, I. Mularov, V. Popov, Khr. Khristov, Ev. Stanoev. B. Nikolov – assistant coach.
Sitting: R. Stoychev, I. Berbatov, I. Petrov, D. Tassev, M. Andreev, M. Dimitrov, K. Yanchev.
Like ZSK Spartak, Pirin excelent coach – if not the best coach at the time, certainly the key coach of the 1980s. However, Vassil Metodiev was in disgrace – the elimination of Dinamo (Kiev) a couple of years back terminated his career with Lokomotiv (Sofia). Success, ironically, brought heavy punishment and he had to look for employment in smaller clubs and towns. With this the similarities between Pirin and ZSK Spartak end. Metodiev did not bring trusted players with himself – Pirin already had one of the best youth systems in Bulgaria and there was plenty of young talent. For short-term stability he used the veterans of Pirin – Samokovliyski, Stoyanov, Petrov, and particularly the goalkeeper Khristo Khristov, who was still national team member. Now, on the surface, this was the reason Pirin was relegated to second division – the team depended too much on veterans, completing the team with inexperienced youngsters without dependable middle generation. The gap was crucial and Pirin went down. Metodiev changed this – now the youngsters were regulars and the number of veterans was reduced to the bare minimum. It was made clear that the youngsters make the team and veterans would provide support, if needed. A look at the squad in the next season shows that: Petrov and Kabranov were out, Andreev and Samokovliyski – second fiddle. Metodiev delivered, shaping, arguably, the best ever team of Pirin. But for the moment it was just achieving the first important goal – returning to first division.
Pirin and ZSK Spartak were directly promoted, but there was still more – the promotion/relegation play-offs, involving the second-placed teams. Thanks to chance, there was no need of a draw: the 13th and 14th in the First Division were teams from the North and from the South, so they were just paired with corresponding second-division team.
Botev (Vratza) against Shumen (Shumen0, the 2nd placed in the Northern Second Division. Botev won it home leg 1-0, then lost 1-2 in Shumen and preserved its place in first division on away goal.
In the South, very weakened Marek (Stanke Dimitriv, today – Dupnitza) faced Rozova dolina (Kazanlik). Marek was unable to win at home – the first leg ended 0-0 – and lost away 1-2. They were relegated – it was only logical, for Marek failed to reinforce. Its great team actually consisted of about 13 players, some dangerously old. With veterans retiring and some players moving away, the squad was heavily handicapped and the team dropped further and further down. There was still bite to it and under normal circumstances Marek was good at least for another year – they finished 13th – but the new rule suddenly opposed them to a team which was pretty much similar to Marek, except it was more excited and hungrier. One thing was sure after the play-off: may be Marek went down prematurely, but their crisis made sure they were not climbing back anytime soon.
Sitting from left: Radko Radev, Georgy Dimitrov, Tosho Tanev, Angel Yanev, Kralyo Orozov, Kamen Petkov, Kancho Kanev, Tenko Nachev.
Middle row: Zlatko Minchev, Khristo Gotzkov, Atanas Yovchev, Ivan Zafirov – coach, Koycho Koev, Nikolay Dyakov, Kolyo Petkov.
Third row: Radko Lyopansky, Khristo Popov, Yordan Todorov, Ahmed Dormushev, Roumen Atanassov, Dinyo Stoyanov, Emil Lichev, Stayko Radev.
Of all teams involved with promotion, Rozova dolina was the only one which never played first-division football before (Shumen, under different name, had a single season in First Division). To a point, Rozova dolina was also lucky – if there was a draw and they had to play against classier Botev (Vratza), most certainly they would have stayed in second division. The club enjoyed its strongest ever period, but it was not good enough for direct promotion – the club was small and belonged to a small city. They had not even one recognizable player – only 4 players played first division football before, but minimally and they were in Kazanlik only because did not make it elsewhere. From the local players none attracted the interest of bigger club – prime example was their captain and central defender Orozov, a local legend and arguably the best ever Rozova dolina player, who practically spent his long career in second division. For a second-division club from a small city, Rozova dolina was not bad – well balanced, experienced, dependable. Spurred by their young coach – Ivan Zafirov was captaining CSKA (Sofia) not even two years ago – Rozova dolina played perhaps above its own ability. Good luck helped – Marek happened to be pretty much equal, but aging and demoralized opponent, therefore, beatable – and Rozova dolina was suddenly promoted to the first division for the first time in their history. Fantastic achievement, but… it was painfully clear that they don’t have a team for top division football. They needed to get stronger players – and quickly. And not just one or two, but at least 5-6. A new team to be made, pretty much. It was rather impossible task – the city was small, the club was small… good players at their prime were surely not going there. Rozova dolina had to look for veterans no longer needed elsewhere, a temporary patch-up work. This Cinderella story was going to be very short…