FC Rilski Sportist Samokov

FC Rilski Sportist (ФК Рилски спортист Самоков) is a Bulgarian football club from the town of Samokov founded in 1947 and currently playing in the South-West Third League. Their home stadium is Iskar Stadium.

Rilski Sportist
Full nameFC Rilski Sportist 2011 Samokov
Nickname(s)The Skiers
Founded1947 (1947)
GroundIskar
Capacity7 000
ChairmanDimitar Dzhorgov
Head coachNikolay Nikolov - Chezeto & Hristo Dzhodzhov
LeagueSouth-West Third League
2020–21South-West Third League, 13th

Throughout the majority of its history, Rilski Sportist has competed in the lower levels of Bulgarian football, usually the second, or third tiers. In 2002, however, the team managed to promote to the A Group for the very first time. Their inexperience led to an immediate relegation. Three years later, Rilski Sportist returned to the A Group, only to be relegated again. Since then, the club has been competing mostly in the amateur levels of Bulgarian football.

The club's nickname is the ‘Skiers’, which originates from the fact that the town of Samokov and nearby Borovets are major resorts for winter sports in Bulgaria.

History

PFC Rilski Sportist was founded in 1947 after the union of a few smaller teams from Samokov. Throughout much of its history, the team competed in the second or third tiers of Bulgarian football.

In 2002, Sportist achieved its first ever promotion to the Bulgarian elite, then known as A Group, for the 2002–03 season. As expected from a newcomer, Rilski Sportist found it difficult to survive. The team managed to win only one game and finished last, thus being relegated, after just one year among the best.

Three seasons later, the team managed to win the 2005–06 B Group, which enabled them to play in the A PFG for a second time. In their second top-flight season, they won 10 games and earned 30 points. They were the only team which managed to win against Levski in the league in that season. However, they were still 3 points behind 13th placed Spartak Varna, meaning that they were relegated again. The two top flight seasons remain their most important achievement overall. Since then, the team has shifted between the second and third tiers of Bulgarian football.

In the second division "The Skiers" have 23 participations – 664 matches in total, with 269 wins, 139 draws and 253 losses. Their best result in the Bulgarian Cup has been reaching the quarter-finals in 1950/51 and 2001/02.

"Rilski Sportist" means "Rila sportsman" in Bulgarian.

Crest history

League positions

Bulgarian V AFGBulgarian V AFGRegional Amateur Football Groups (Bulgaria)Bulgarian V AFGRegional Amateur Football Groups (Bulgaria)Bulgarian B Football GroupBulgarian A Football GroupBulgarian B Football GroupBulgarian A Football GroupBulgarian B Football Group

Honours

A Group (now First League):

B Group (now Second League):

A Regional – Sofia:

  • Winners (2): 2010–11, 2013–14

Bulgarian Cup:

Current squad

As of 1 August 2020 Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK Bulgaria BUL Slavi Petrov
2 DF Bulgaria BUL Yuliyan Chapaev
3 DF Bulgaria BUL Ivan Ivanov
4 DF Bulgaria BUL Viktor Kolev (captain)
5 MF Bulgaria BUL Nikoslav Naydenov
6 MF Bulgaria BUL Mark Vodiev
7 MF Bulgaria BUL Aleksandar Ivanov
8 DF Bulgaria BUL Tihomir Krumov
10 MF Bulgaria BUL Ivaylo Zahariev
11 MF Bulgaria BUL Tsvetan Mitev
No. Pos. Nation Player
12 GK Bulgaria BUL Presiyan Hristov
13 DF Bulgaria BUL Petar Rogozanski
14 DF Bulgaria BUL Kaloyan Yankov
15 MF Bulgaria BUL Denis Buchev
17 MF Bulgaria BUL Iliya Petkov
20 FW Bulgaria BUL Valentin Hadzhilazov
21 MF Bulgaria BUL Dinko Dinev
22 MF Bulgaria BUL Ivan Trenchev
23 MF Bulgaria BUL Aleksandar Zlatkov
29 GK Bulgaria BUL Stiliyan Bonev

Past seasons

Season League Place W D L GF GA Pts Bulgarian Cup
2010–11A RFG (IV)1171086652not qualified
2011–12V Group (III)321510662968not qualified
2012–13B PFG156420287122not qualified
2013–14A RFG (IV)12000941260not qualified
2014–15V Group (III)147617264627not qualified
2015–16V Group1110517414335not qualified
2016–17Third League (III)912715536143not qualified
2017–18Third League1510618405136not qualified
Green marks a season followed by promotion, red a season followed by relegation.

Stadium

Iskar stadium is situated in the southwestern part of Samokov near the biggest park of the city – "Gradski". Built in 1972, the stadium has around 7 000 seating places, most of which are covered. The field measures 105x68 meters. The best attendance was on 31.8.2002 in the match with PFC Levski Sofia – 6 800 spectators.

References

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