Stadion Vivacom Arena - Georgi Asparuhov

Stadion Georgi Asparuhov (Bulgarian: Стадион „Георги Аспарухов“, English: 'Georgi Asparuhov Stadium'), currently known as Stadion Vivacom Arena - Georgi Asparuhov (Bulgarian: Стадион „Виваком Арена - Георги Аспарухов“), due to sponsorship, nicknamed Gerena (Bulgarian: Герена, meaning "the flood plain"), is a multi-purpose stadium situated in the Suhata reka neighbourhood of the Bulgarian capital Sofia. Named after the best Bulgarian footballer of the 20th century Georgi Asparuhov, it has been the home ground of Bulgarian association football club Levski Sofia since its opening in 1963.

History

Origin

Levski Sofia previously played their home matches at two different stadiums before the construction of their current stadium. Between 1936 and 1949 the club had its own football ground which was named Igrishte Levski (Levski Football Field; Bulgarian: Игрище „Левски“) and it was situated in the city centre at the place of the current Vasil Levski National Stadium. As the construction of a new national stadium emerged in the early 1950s, Levski Sofia was eventually relocated to the Yunak Stadium and began sharing it with several other football clubs. In the following years, the football club was once again relocated to use another field in the capital, most notably a football ground in the Ivan Vazov neighbourhood of Sofia at the place of the current Spartak Swimming Complex.

Construction and early years

In the late 1950s the club was granted a site where a new stadium could be built. The construction started in 1960 and the new stadium, designed by Lazar Parashkevanov, was built in three years. Its official name was Levski Stadium (Stadion Levski; Bulgarian: Стадион „Левски“) but it was dubbed Gerena by the supporters after the name of the neighbourhood in which it was built. The ground was opened on 10 March 1963 when Levski Sofia hosted a Bulgarian championship match against Spartak Pleven, winning 4-

This page also has a version in other languages :  Георгий Аспарухов Стадион (russian)