Meanwhile, the issue of ownership
was still outstanding. 86 per cent
of the club’s shares were owned by
Bozhkov’s “right hand” Georgi Popov,
but with no finance coming from
Bozhkov, the shares had to be
transferred to avoid bankruptcy,
with players going without pay
for over two months.
Eventually, the shares were
transferred to the Levski legend
Nasko Sirakov – a former Bulgarian
international with 78 caps, and over
200 appearances in four spells at
the club – and Konstantin Papazov,
a former player and head coach of
Levski’s basketball team. The Blue
Bulgaria Supporters’ Trust, a fan group,
also retained ten per cent. When the
deal was completed, Sirakov
announced: “I am not afraid of the
debts. I am sure we will save the club.”
As with every other club in Europe,
the coronavirus brought additional
financial headaches. Levski felt the
strain more than most. Yet even with
games played in empty stadiums, fans
continued to buy virtual and electronic
tickets. The stadium was practically “sold
out” in each game, helping to bring in
around€150,000, while cardboard
cut-outs of fans in the ground also
brought in extra revenue.
Going forward, the club will place a
renewed reliance on youth, with foreign
imports a thing of the past. Sirakov is
continuing to search for sponsors to
stabilise the situation, but so far it
has proven an impossible mission.
For several months, Levski walked thedistance from paradise to hell, from
financial and sports prosperity to the
sinister abyss of bankruptcy. For the
time being the club continues to
dance by the edge of a razor.Saviour...
Sirakov played
at two World
Cups for
Bulgaria