PFC LUDOGORETS RAZGRAD 1945 (Ludogorets Arena)

UEFA EUROPA LEAGUE GROUP STAGE, LUDOGORETS RAZDRAD 0-1 ESPANYOL, ATTENDANCE: 10,334

When I booked my latest European excursion, this time to Bulgaria, the plan was to get three games in. A Europa League tie involving the Champions of Bulgaria, Ludogorets Razgrad, and Barcelona's other side, Espanyol, plus a top flight double featuring both of the Plovdiv sides. However things didn't quite go to plan to say the least!

The week before travelling, all games in Bulgaria, even low level fixtures, were cancelled because of elections. That another reason for a postponement to add to the list. Apparently the authorities called off the games due to their "inability to guard football meetings on the dates around the elections" so that was my raison d'être well and truly scuppered. Makes a change from a waterlogged pitch.

Regardless I ploughed on and I flew from Luton to the Black Sea resort of Varna. I didn't hang around to say 'hola' as the Espanyol staff and players were not for behind me when I landed around 2pm local time. Bus 409 runs to the city centre, every 15 minutes, and costs 1 lev (approximately 50p and is the standard price for a single bus trip). However make sure your bus is going in the direction of the city and not the other way as I nearly made that mistake!

I had a walk around the centre and down to the seafront before heading back to town to seek out the beer ticks. In one of the bars, I met an Irish couple, who said they have been coming to Varna for 20 years, and they implored me to avoid the trains and take the bus as they are generally quicker and a lot more comfortable. Apparently trains between big cities are ok but otherwise avoid. Having taken both over the course of this trip I can confirm this to be true. (The five hour ride from Razgrad was more pleasant than a 3 hour train journey from Plovdiv). Whatever the mode of transport, I made a mental note that one day I must return to the city and watch PFC Cherno More Varna in action.

It was by bus that I made the trip from Varna to Razgrad (in the direction of Ruse). It cost around £5 and took about 90 minutes. The city of Razgrad in the North East of the country and is 65 miles south of Bucharest. This is a other option for a route in. Hindsight is wonderful thing but I wish I'd gone that way then I may have been to get some Romanian games in.

Razgrad is built upon the ruins of the Ancient Roman town of Abritus so prior to game I a stroll out to the Abritus National Archaeological Reserve to have a look at the remains of a Roman military camp (pictured above). In terms of things to do from a tourist perspective, there isn't a lot to see. I spent the pre-match in a cafe on the main street having a couple of beers and watching the world go by. 

Some of the sights of Razgrad including the

famous clock tower, built in 1864.

The Professional Football Club Ludogorets are a recent phenomenon, despite the club having 1945 on their badge. The club was formed in 2001, replacing the old club which was eventually dissolved in 2006, and adopting their name soon afterwards. The original club had spent most of history in the lower reaches of Bulgarian football.

The Eagles of Razgrad's modern history began in 2009 when the club achieved promotion to the second division. When businessman Kiril Domuschiev took over the club in September 2010, the second division title was won that later season and the club achieved top flight status for the first time. In their debut season in the top flight the club won the league title, along with Bulgarian Cup and the Bulgarian Supercup to complete a domestic treble.

The club have won every league title since, that's eight in a row, wrestling away power from the traditional Sofia based clubs. They also won the treble once again in 2014. These recent successes have resulted in qualification for European football.

It was these subsequent European adventures are what placed Ludogorets firmly on my bucket list, especially with them having played Welsh opposition this season, beating The New Saints 9-0 on aggregate in the Europa League qualifying stages. They have also played Liverpool in the Champions League (in 2014) where they famously earned a 2-2 draw in Bulgaria and narrowly lost 2-1 in the away game. In 2016 Arsenal comprehensively beat them 6-0 at The Emirates and 3-2 in Bulgaria.

The clubs best European performance came in the 2013/14 UEFA Europa League, when the team topped their group ahead of PSV Eindhoven, Chornomorets Odessa and Dinamo Zagreb to become the first Bulgarian team to win a UEFA Europa League group. They beat Lazio 4-3 on aggregate round of 32, which included a famous 1-0 away win in Rome, before being eliminated by Spanish giants Valencia in the round of 16.

The view from my hotel

The games were played in Sofia as their home ground failed to meet UEFA standards. However the Ludogorets Stadium has been converted into a modern stadium that now meets the UEFA requirements. Three sides of the ground have been completely rebuilt to bring the capacity up to 10,444.

A record attendance equals big queues!

Anticipating a high demand for this game, I got in touch with the club to buy a ticket via bank transfer and it was waiting for me at their box office just down the road from the stadium.

Tonight a ticket in the central section cost 25 lev rather than the normal 15 lev. There were 10,334 in attendance this evening which is a new record for the stadium.

I counted 14 away fans in the corner, plus a couple in the VIP section, and apparently the tickets were provided to Spanish supporters free of charge by the club by way of a thank you.

These hardy souls were rewarded with a 1-0 victory for Espanyol. The game was hardly a classic but an early goal from Victor Campuzano ensured the team from Barcelona top the group at the midway stage. 

It was an early start for me so I retired to my hotel, which happened to be next to the ground, rather than follow the crowd into the city for a nightcap. A great "tick" but sadly the last action on this trip.

SPARTAK MOSCOW (Spartak Stadium)

UEFA EUROPA LEAGUE GROUP STAGE, SPARTAK MOSCOW 3-3 VILLARREAL, ATTENDANCE: 21,264

For my final full day in Moscow my attention switched from the Champions League to the Europa League as Spartak Moscow welcomed La Liga side Villarreal to the Spartak Stadium.

I spent the day exploring Moscow on foot. Inspired by The Scorpions (ahem) I followed the Moskva down to Gorky Park. The only wind in the air though was a cold chill coupled with rain showers. The Park was very serene in early October but I guess it was buzzing in the summer months and during the World Cup. 

I eventually found myself pitching up a bar called 'Eric the Red' on the famous Stary Arbat. Given the name I did wonder to myself as to whether there was a Cantona/Manchester United connection somewhere?

Spartak Moscow are the most successful Russian team in history with 12 Soviet titles and 10 Russian titles. Nine of their Russian titles were won in succession from 1992 to 2001 but their tenth never arrived until 2017.

Having been founded in 1922 the club were initially backed by a trade union (the food workers) are considered to be 'the people's team' of Moscow. As a result of the trade union links the club also has the unusual nickname of Myaso (meat).

Despite Spartak's status in Russian football they never actually had a stadium to call home until 2014. The club played "home" games at Moscow's Dynamo, Luzhniki and Lokomotiv stadiums, at the Khimki Arena just outside Moscow and even as far away as Ekaterinburg.

In spring 2010, on the site of a former airfield in the district of Tushino, the ground was broke as Spartak began building a 45,000 all seater stadium to call its own. There is a huge statue of Spartacus (pictured left) as you approach the stadium and there is another statue inside the ground, behind the goal, of Spartak's founders the Starostin brothers but the zoom on my camera could not get a suitable picture.

For a new ground I think it is brilliant. You are right on the action and the views are excellent. The atmosphere was very good, despite the attendance tonight.

The venue hosted its first match on 5 September 2014, when Spartak drew 1-1 with Red Star Belgrade. The ground hosted five games during the 2018 FIFA World Cup including England's penalty shoot out win over Colombia in the round of 16.

The stadium is known as the Otkritie Arena for sponsorship purposes. The stadium is easily reached from Moscow city centre as it has it's own metro stop, Spartak, on the purple line.

As seems to be case across the continent when it comes to the Europa League, apathy seems to be the winner and the ground wasn't even half full. It didn't help the attendance that there were just a handful of Spanish supporters in the away end. The fans that did stay away though missed an absolute cracker.

A great game at the Otkritie Arena ended all square courtesy of a 96th minute penalty from ex-Arsenal player Santi Carzola, who scored his first goal in two years after a nightmare spell out with injury. 

There were plenty of chances for both teams but in the end there were only the six goals between the sides! Karl Toko Ekambi opened the scoring after 13 minutes when he burst into the area then cut back on his right foot and fired a shot into the top right corner of the goal.

Spartak were level after 34 minutes when Zé Luís converted a penalty kick after a handball by Nicola Sansone. After 49 minutes Pablo Fornals restored Villarreal's lead when the ball broke kindly to him and he fired home from inside the area.

The home side had a goal disallowed and hit the woodwork before Zé Luís (82) headed home an equaliser. The stadium erupted three minutes later when, after the ball came back off the post, Lorenzo Melgarejo (85) was on hand to fire home for what the home crowd thought would be the winning goal.

The fourth official signalled 6 minutes of stoppage time and in the final minute former Evertonian Ramiro Funes Mori was hauled down in the box allowing Carzola to make his vital intervention (pictured right).

So that brought an end to my trip to Moscow and I have to say it was thoroughly enjoyable and I never had any trouble. Just like any other tourist city you could say. Until next time прощай и спасибо!

Cheers Moscow! 

FOTBAL CLUB FCSB (National Arena)

UEFA EUROPA LEAGUE, ROUND OF 32 1st LEG, FCSB 1-0 LAZIO,
ATTENDANCE: 25,000 (est)

The only paper here!

Prince, Puff Daddy, Cat Stevens are a few examples of famous name changes at the height of their respective careers but how often do you hear of a world famous football club changing their name?

In 2017 Steaua Bucharest, 26 times Romanian Champions and 1986 European Champions, were forced to change their name after they lost a legal dispute with the Romanian Ministry of Defence.

Steaua Bucharest were formed in 1947 as the Romanian Royal Army created a sports association, of which football was one of the departments. The colours of the Romanian flag, red, blue and yellow, were adopted as the club colours, though the yellow was gradually phased out to leave the now traditional red shirts and blue shorts.

The club's first name was Army Sports Association Bucharest before changing to Army Sports Club Steaua Bucharest in 1961. Steaua's finest hour was in the the 1980's when, in 1986, the club became the first team from the Eastern Bloc to win Europe's top club prize, beating Barcelona on penalties after a goalless draw. They also claimed the European Super Cup in the same year. Steaua also reached the final in 1989 but even the inspirational Gheorghe Hagi couldn't prevent AC Milan running out 4-0 winners. Steaua were also domestic champions in five consecutive seasons from 1984 to 1989 before going one better in the 1990's by winning the title six times in a row from 1992 to 1998.

In was in 1998 that the seeds for today's issues were sown. In order to comply with UEFA rules the football club became separate from the sports association and became a private entity. In 2003 the club became public under the stewardship of the controversial businessman George Becali.

Prior to gaining control of Steaua, Becali was involved in a dubious land swap deal with Romania's Ministry of Defence involving land he never actually owned and which, ultimately, cost the Ministry millions. He was jailed for his part in 2013.

In 2011 the Ministry of Defence decided to sue for the rights to the name, claiming the name, badge and colours had been used illegally since 2004.  The courts ruled in favour of the Ministry and, in 2014, there was the bizarre sight of Steaua playing a home game with no badge, a change of colours and being referred to as 'the hosts'.

In March 2017 the club officially became known as Fotbal Club FCSB after more court rulings and ratification. The Romanian Army re-founded its football department in 2017 under the name CSA Steaua București and they began in the fourth level of Romanian Football. The newly formed club lay claim to the honours of the club between 1947 and 2003 but UEFA officially recognise FCSB as the continuation of Steaua Bucharest.

The Lazio fans

The decision has also split the fans with some supporter groups following the re-founded army club. Since 2012 home has been the National Arena in Bucharest, which is around 5km from the old town. The ground tonight was about half full, with about 1,500 Lazio fans travelling over from Rome.

They would be heading back to the eternal city wondering how on earth they failed to take anything from the first leg. Felipe Caicedo forced Andrei Vlad in the FCSB goal into a couple of saves before, against the run of play, Harlem-Eddy Gnohere (29) was played through and with only Thomas Strakosha in the Lazio goal to beat, he kept his cool to slot home. Lazio's Sergej Milinkovic-Savic headed against the crossbar in the dying moments of the first half but it was home side ahead at the break.

The second half continued in a similar vein with Lazio making all the running and FCSB hoping to catch the Italians on the break. Caicedo had another couple of half chances before being replaced by Immobile. Another substitute  Felipe Anderson missed Lazio's best chance on the hour when he was played through and with just Vlad to beat he fired wide.

In the final minutes of the game Lazio had an effort blocked on the line as the FCSB defenders put their bodies on the (goal) line to ensure they travel to Italy next week with a precious lead. Whether this is enough to see the Romanians through we will have to see.

The game was finished after midnight local time and by the time I returned to the old town the excellent craft beer bars were closed for night. I thoroughly enjoyed my few days in Bucharest and I will almost certainly pencil in a return visit in the future.

Torchlight from the FCSB fans as the game entered the final seconds

Result!

EDIT: Lazio won the return leg 5-1 to go through 5-2 on aggregate.