FC Maritsa Plovdiv
Maritsa (Bulgarian: Марица) is a Bulgarian association football club based in Plovdiv, that plays in the South-East Third League, the third flight of Bulgarian football.
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| Full name | Football Club Maritsa Plovdiv | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Founded | 1921 | ||
| Ground | Maritsa Stadium, Plovdiv | ||
| Capacity | 5,000 | ||
| Chairman | Hristo Hristov | ||
| Manager | Nikolay Dimitrov | ||
| League | South-East Third League | ||
| 2019–20 | South-East Third League, 2nd | ||
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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
Early Years and Promotions to the Elite
FC Maritsa was founded on 20 September 1921, after the Union of three smaller teams. The team, up until 1967, has competed in either the second or third divisions of Bulgarian football. The team managed to promote to the A PFG for the first time in 1967.
Maritsa's first season in the elite was largely unsuccessful. The team finished last (16th), with only 6 wins, 5 draws, and 19 losses. This earned them only 17 points, which was eight points below the relegation zone, thus being relegated after a single season.
Maritsa, however, did not have to wait long for their second season in the first league. This came just two seasons after their relegation, for season 1969-70. This time Maritsa managed to win 10 games and draw 3 times, earning them 23 points. This was enough for the team to ensure safety from relegation, as Minyor Pernik and Beroe Stara Zagora were relegated instead. Maritsa's third season in the elite was less successful, however. The team finished last, with only 4 wins and a total of 17 losses, only earning them 17 points. This ended Maritsa's two year spell in the elite category.
Between 1971 and 1996, Maritsa bounced between the second and third tiers of Bulgarian football. This changed in 1996, when Maritsa promoted back to the A PFG after a 25 year absence from the Bulgarian elite. Their return proved to be hard. The team fought bravely against relegation, however that was not enough, as the team placed 14th, three points behind Etar Veliko Tarnovo, thus were relegated again.
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.[1][2] 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. Maritsa was, however, relegated back to the third tier after only one season in the second league.[3]
After the 2019-20 season in the third league, Maritsa finished second in the Southeast Division, behind Sozopol, which resulted in promotion to the Second League for the 2020-21 season. Maritsa was originally not supposed to be promoted, however after FC Botev Galabovo and FC Chernomorets Balchik were disqualified from the Second League, vacant places were left in the second tier. The BFU sent an invitation to Maritsa to fill the void, based on their ranking in the third tier. Maritsa accepted the invitation, thus being promoted.
Honours
Domestic
A Group / Bulgarian First League:
- Fourtheenth (2): 1969–70, 1996–97
- 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. | |||||||||||
League positions
Current squad
- As of 1 March 2020
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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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
- "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. Archived from the original on 26 June 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. Archived from the original on 4 August 2017. Retrieved 16 June 2017.