On 24 May 1914 a group of students in Sofia gave their team the name it still bears today. Levski Sofia turns 113 years old on 24 May 2027 and is one of the best-loved clubs in Bulgaria.

Students with a ball in Sofia

The roots go back to 1911, when high-school students began playing football in Sofia. According to Bulgarian National Radio, they were first called "the Sixth Club", because the city already had five clubs.

The official registration was delayed by the Balkan Wars. The club took its final name on 24 May 1914 and played its first recorded official match in July of the same year.

The team soon became one of the country's best. In 1924 nine Levski players took part in Bulgaria's first international match, and in 1933 the first league title arrived, with a 3-1 win in the final over Shipchenski Sokol of Varna.

The name of a national hero

The name was proposed by founder Boris Vasilev, in honour of Vasil Levski, the national hero Bulgarians call the "Apostle of Freedom". As he explained, he did not want foreign influence in the team's name.

But the name did not stay untouched. In 1969 the Communist regime forcibly merged Levski with Spartak Sofia, and after the clashes at the 1985 cup final against CSKA the team was renamed Vitosha. The historic name returned in 1990.

How they became "the Blues"

Few people know that Levski did not start out in blue. The first shirts were yellow and red with black shorts, and blue came later.

According to a Bulgarian source, in 1921 the team got blue shirts with white or black shorts, and from then on the nickname "the Blues" (Sinite) stuck. Today the home kit is all blue, and since 2023 the supplier has been adidas.

The Л on the badge

The first badge was designed by Mincho Kachulev in 1922. It had a blue background and a stylised Cyrillic letter Л, its inside split vertically into yellow and red, a reminder of the first colours.

In 1998 the badge became a blue shield with the year 1914, and for the centenary in 2014 laurel branches were added. The letter Л remains the team's symbol on its shirts to this day.

From Gundi to the 2026 title

The most beloved player in the club's history is Georgi Asparuhov, "Gundi", with 153 goals in 239 games. He was killed in a car crash on the mountain road to Vratsa on 30 June 1971 together with teammate Nikola Kotkov, and today Levski's stadium bears his name.

In 1976, in the UEFA Cup quarter-finals, Levski beat Barcelona 5-4. In 2006 it became the first Bulgarian team in the Champions League group stage, and legends such as Nasko Sirakov, Pavel Panov, Plamen Nikolov and Georgi "Gonzo" Ivanov all wore the blue shirt.

2026 brought a big moment. Levski won its 27th league title, the first in 17 years, and ended Ludogorets' run of 14 titles.

Celebrate with us

From the students' "Sixth Club" to the 2026 title, Levski counts 113 years with a hero's name on its chest. It is a story of bans, comebacks and a lot of blue.

Happy birthday, Levski! May the blue Л keep flying over Sofia.

See our collectible jerseys at sportarena.gr.

Photo: Georgi Asparuhov Stadium of Levski Sofia – Bjoertvedt, Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.