Botev Plovdiv Football Club has lifted first major trophy since 1981.
The Sleeping Giant from Thrace woke up on the rainy day of May 24, 2017.
Arising from the ashes of insolvency, Botev Plovdiv has paved its way to the Cup as in a real fairytale story.
No, no superheroes indeed, but the Plovdiv's Canaries they are.
Back in the season 2009-2010 they were rooted to the foot and faced the eviction from the
elite professional football of Bulgaria. Thereafter fattened by the money of a notorious local tycoon their rise has not come about by splurging the sack of cash. Though they lost another final (2014), the sixth in a row - after crashes in 1984, 1990, 1991, 1993 and 1995 and nearly avoided another dough plunge as the "big boss with moustaches" Mr. Tsvetan Vassilev, a bank-owner and allegedly political broker, projected a total reconstruction of club's venue. Home stadium was demolished to the ground whilst it became obvious Vassilev was losing the scuffle with his former allies. As an aftermath Botev has presently blur fisc-perspectives and is still homeless, the biggest tragedy in the club's history.
Keeping the motto "Beauty, Faith & Fight" flying high they made it happened
through sustainable growth driven by struggling men, dedicated to the pursuit of beautiful game and prepared to build confidence and respect. People like Nikolay Kirov-Belija, Ivan Kotchev, Lachezar Baltanov, Todor Nedelev, Omar Kossoko, Antonio Vuttov, Ivan Cvorovic, Felipe Brisola, Viktor Ghenev, Yaya Meledje, Lazar Marin, Fernando Viana Jardim, Joao Paulo da Silva, Daniel Zlatkov, Georgi Georgiev, Tsvetomir Panov, Krum Stoyanov, Ivan Stoyanov, Serkan Yusein, Radoslav Terziev have done it. They climb to the pinnacle of Bulgarian club football in just
three years of 2014 collapse, they return to the scene of their club's
greatest tragedy to become National Cup Winners in 2017.
Moreover Botev Plovdiv did not go into the country final as favourites while the opposing team has a standing reputation in the last 6 years and
is well-known by the football chronicles of success. Never mind the odds, here is the "urban order" story. Since the end of 90s, radical club's fans, the so-called Bultras (derived from Botev Ultras) have forged an ideological claim of "urban order and entertainment" as a common sense to distinguish themselves from glory-hunters. Now this story is for them and their never-ending beauty, faith and fight.
