FC Maritsa Plovdiv
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| Full name | Football Club Maritsa Plovdiv | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Founded | 1921 | ||
| Ground | Maritsa Stadium, Plovdiv | ||
| Capacity | 5,000 | ||
| Chairman | Hristo Hristov | ||
| Manager | Borislav Karamatev[1] | ||
| League | Third League | ||
| 2017–18 | Second League, 14th (relegated) | ||
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Maritsa (Bulgarian: Марица) is a Bulgarian association football club based in Plovdiv, that plays in the Third League, the third flight of Bulgarian football.
It was established in 1921, after the merger of the teams Vampir and Trite Konski Sili. The club plays its home games at Maritsa Stadium, located in the city's northern district. The team's biggest success is playing in Bulgaria's top division four times, in 1967–68, 1969–70, 1970–71 and 1996-97. They have also reached the semifinals of the Bulgarian Cup once, in 1996–97.
The team is named Maritsa after the river of the same name, which flows past Plovdiv.
History
The club is particularly famous for its renowned youth program that has produced many Bulgarian talents over the years – Hristo Stoichkov, Dinko Dermendzhiev, Aleksandar Aleksandrov. Bulgarian national first-team players Georgi Georgiev, Kostadin Vidolov, Krassimir Chomakov, Valeri Domovchiyski, Yordan Todorov, Asen Nikolov had also came through the ranks at Maritsa.
2017–present: Return to professional football
In 2016–17 Third League season Maritsa Plovdiv finished second in their regional division, but gained promotion, because the first ranked team – FC Zagorets declined the offer to participate in the Second Professional League.[2][3] On 16 June 2017 the club signed a contract with Botev Plovdiv for collaboration. Botev sent 5 players on loan and allowed Maritsa to play their home games on their training base, the Botev 1912 Football Complex, until Maritsa Stadium is altered for professional matches.[4]
Honours
Domestic
A Group / Bulgarian First League:
- Semifinals (1): 1996–97
Past seasons
| Season | League | Place | W | D | L | GF | GA | Pts | Bulgarian Cup | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012–13 | A Regional Group (IV) | 2 | 17 | 8 | 5 | 58 | 22 | 59 | not qualified | ||
| 2013–14 | A Regional Group | 1 | 15 | 7 | 6 | 55 | 31 | 52 | not qualified | ||
| 2014–15 | V Group (III) | 11 | 12 | 3 | 15 | 38 | 53 | 36 | not qualified | ||
| 2015–16 | V Group | 9 | 14 | 9 | 11 | 45 | 29 | 51 | not qualified | ||
| 2016–17 | Third League | 2 | 26 | 0 | 8 | 95 | 25 | 78 | not qualified | ||
| 2017–18 | Second League (II) | 14 | 9 | 6 | 15 | 34 | 45 | 33 | First round | ||
| Green marks a season followed by promotion, red a season followed by relegation. | |||||||||||
Current squad
- As of 9 July 2018
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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For recent transfers, see Transfers summer 2017 and Transfers winter 2017–18.
Personnel
Current technical body
| Position | Name | Nationality |
|---|---|---|
| Sports Director | Kiril Andonov |  |
| Head Coach | Borislav Karamatev | |
| Assistant Coach | Krasimir Ivanov | |
| Goalkeeper Coach | Iliya Nikolov | |
| Analyzer | Stoycho Dramov | |
| Academy Director | Vasil Krastev | |
| Rehabilitator | Nikolay Dyulgerov | |
| Administrator | Hristo Dyakov | |
Famous players
Note: For a complete list of Maritsa players, see Category:FC Maritsa Plovdiv players.
References
- ↑ "Борислав Караматев ще води Марица в Трета лига" (in Bulgarian). bnr.bg. 2 June 2018.
- ↑ "Радост в "Кършияка"! Марица се връща в професионалния футбол!". Plovdiv24.bg (in Bulgarian). 1 June 2017. Retrieved 17 June 2017.
- ↑ "Радост в Кършияка: Марица влиза в Б група". Marica.bg (in Bulgarian). 31 May 2017. Retrieved 17 June 2017.
- ↑ "Ботев и Марица ще си сътрудничат, пет "канарчета" ще играят под наем при маричани" (in Bulgarian). botevplovdiv.bg. 16 June 2017.
External links