This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page has climbed one place in the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) rankings Last week Dimitrov took part in the Masters 1000 tournament in the Spanish capital Madrid Bulgaria’s junior group won all three gold medals at the 2025 Rhythmic Gymnastics European Cup in Baku (Azerbaijan) Bulgaria won the gold medal in the Senior Group Cross Battles at the 2025 Rhythmic Gymnastics European Cup in Baku (Azerbaijan) Danaya Atanasova and Viktoria Georgieva performed. english@bnr.bg the episcopal ordination of Archimandrite Klimis a clergyman of the Bulgarian Orthodox Diocese in the USA took place at the Patriarchal Cathedral of St The Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church had decided on December 10 following the recommendation of Metropolitan Joseph of the Diocese to elevate Archimandrite Klimis to the episcopal rank with the title Bishop of Levski The ceremony was presided over by Patriarch Daniel of Bulgaria Among those concelebrating were Metropolitans Joseph of the USA and Australia; Gregory of Veliko Tarnovo; Gabriel of Lovech; John of Varna and Preslav; Seraphim of Nevrokop; and Gregory of Vratsa Also present were numerous auxiliary bishops and senior clergy including Archimandrites and Protopresbyters from Sofia and the Bulgarian diaspora The ordination ceremony began with Archimandrite Klimis publicly professing the Nicene Creed and making his episcopal vows before the congregation the bishops laid the Gospel and their hands on him invoking the Holy Spirit to descend upon him and grant him divine grace for his new ministry The sacred rite concluded with the congregation exclaiming “Axios” (“Worthy”) in unison affirming the worthiness of the new bishop Patriarch Daniel presented Bishop Klimis with the episcopal vestments and symbols of his office Patriarch Daniel expressed his deep respect for the new bishop highlighting his monastic dedication and service in the Zograf Monastery on Mount Athos as well as his pastoral contributions in the Bulgarian Orthodox community abroad “Episcopacy is a sacred ministry that transcends human limitations a divine gift enabling the proclamation of salvation in the Church of God,” Patriarch Daniel stated He called upon Bishop Klimis to emulate the example of St who in his time followed the teachings of Saints Cyril and Methodius and ultimately Christ Himself Bishop Klimis expressed gratitude to the Holy Synod I am profoundly aware of the immense responsibility that accompanies this sacred ministry I commit to serving the Church with humility The festive Liturgy concluded with prayers for the Bulgarian Orthodox Church and Australia praised Bishop Klimis’s steadfast dedication and commitment to the Bulgarian Orthodox Church one must clearly understand the sacred duty it entails,” Metropolitan Joseph remarked emphasizing the need for zeal and faithfulness in episcopal ministry The ordination of Bishop Klimis is the third episcopal consecration within the Bulgarian Orthodox Church this year reflecting its continued growth and commitment to pastoral care in Bulgaria and beyond Source and photos: Patriarchate of Bulgaria A car once used by Pope Francis during his 2014 visit to Bethlehem is being transformed into a mobile.. the Monastery of Saint Vlash in Albania hosted a festal Divine Liturgy on the.. 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(function() { window.mc4wp = window.mc4wp || { listeners: [] cb) { window.mc4wp.listeners.push( { event : evt callback: cb } ); } } }})(); © 2023 OrthodoxTimes.com - All rights reserved Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website These cookies do not store any personal information Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website Kolkata Court relied on scientific evidence including the discovery of Sajay Roy's DNA on the victim's body AAP says Arvind Kejriwal attacked by Parvesh Verma’s supporters; BJP hits back ICC Champions Trophy India squad: Jasprit Bumrah, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shami included; Sanju Samson misses out Saif Ali Khan stabbed: Actor recovering, likely to be discharged in three days, says doctors Who are the 33 Israeli hostages being released by Hamas in first phase of Gaza ceasefire? 'India should not see IMEC as a counter to China's Belt and Road Initiative': UAE think-tank chief RG Kar doctor rape-murder: 'Probe half-done', allege victim's parents even as Kolkata court is set to deliver verdict Saif Ali Khan stabbing: Is Mumbai underworld involved? Around 30 police teams on the hunt for attacker human beings are equally to blame for disasters such as forest fires and earthquakes Ratan Tata | Interview with Dr Thomas Mathew, author of the biography 'Ratan Tata: A Life' Gukesh beats Ding to become youngest world chess champion! India-Australia Test: Should Rohit open? ISRAEL plans law to dissolve campus groups backing armed struggle against the state | Israel news has three shows scheduled at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on January 18 Sabyasachi Mukherjee wants to take his brand global Manmohan Singh had a long list of economic and diplomatic achievements in his decade-long tenure as PM writes Daman about her father Manmohan Singh Montek Singh Ahluwalia was the former deputy chairman The Chinese haven’t attempted any adventures in the east till date Directed by Abhishek Kapoor and starring Aaman Devgan Azaad is a film that manages to keep you hooked till the end HOT: » What kind of news would you like to see more of? Bulgarian President Rumen Radev has officially renamed Sofia Airport, honoring the national hero Vasil Levski with the title "Vasil Levski Sofia Airport." The decree, signed on February 17, 2025, formalizes the change, reflecting the widespread support for the decision among the public. The proposal to rename the airport after Levski was originally put forward by scientists from the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences in 2017, who received broad backing for the idea. Last year, the Ministry of Transport and Communications and the Sofia Municipality expressed their support for the renaming. The decision has now been finalized, in accordance with the Constitution of the Republic of Bulgaria. This move aligns with a broader initiative to honor the legacy of the Apostle of Freedom, with studies showing that a significant portion of the Bulgarian public favors the renaming. The change to "Vasil Levski Sofia Airport" is a testament to the deep respect Bulgarians hold for the revolutionary figure and marks a historic moment for the country. We need your support so Novinite.com can keep delivering news and information about Bulgaria! Thank you! Residents of Sofia who are customers of "Toplofikatsia Sofia" can now benefit from a new mobile application, "My Heat," which offers a more accessible and user-friendly way to manage heating-related services The fourth edition of the LUNAR Festival of Lights in Sofia will illuminate 10,000 square meters of art across some of the city's most iconic buildings and public spaces from May 8 to May 11 The Sofia Police has launched a targeted operation against drivers of electric scooters and electric motorbikes who engage in reckless behavior in the city's central areas Prof. Todor Kantardzhiev warned that Sofia's sewer system should be cleared of rats A 54-year-old man, previously known to law enforcement, opened fire with a gas pistol near a kindergarten in Sofia's Lyulin district Sofia Municipality is set to implement a revised framework for managing its municipal housing stock by introducing two distinct rental categories Balkan Holidays UK, a major British tour operator specializing in holidays to Bulgaria, has halted all its operations effective April 24, 2025 Veselin Danev, chairman of the Bulgarian Hotel Association, highlighted a major issue in Bulgaria’s tourism sector: a significant decline in the workforce According to Georgi Duchev, executive director of the Bulgarian Association of Hotel Management Professionals, one-third of Bulgarian hoteliers are planning a modest price increase of about 10% Tourism in Bulgaria has made significant strides toward recovery in 2024, though it still hasn't returned to pre-pandemic levels of 2019 Bulgaria continues to lag behind neighboring countries in achieving significant growth in its tourism sector Despite the global escalation of the trade war, there have been no significant negative trends in Bulgaria’s tourism sector so far Google Street View Cars Return to Bulgaria for Major Mapping Update Housing Prices Soar in Bulgaria’s Major Cities as Demand and Supply Strain Increase 03 Apr 2025 16:30:00 GMT?.css-1txiau5-AnswerContainer{color:var(--GlobalColorScheme-Text-secondaryText2);}Levski Sofia won 2–0 over CSKA 1948 on Thu This is 27 of the First Professional League Predicted lineups are available for the match a few days in advance while the actual lineup will be available about an hour ahead of the match The current head to head record for the teams are Levski Sofia 3 win(s) Have scored 12 goals in their last 5 matches 03 Apr 2025 16:30:00 GMT?Levski Sofia won 2–0 over CSKA 1948 on Thu 03 Apr 2025 16:30:00 GMT.InsightsHave scored 7 goals in their last 5 matches Levski Sofia is playing home against CSKA 1948 at Vivacom Arena Georgi Asparuhov on Thu "Vasil Levski" Sofia Airport has earned the prestigious title of "Best Airport in Europe with 5 to 15 million passengers" for 2024. This accolade, awarded by ACI World and Amadeus, recognizes the airport's outstanding passenger satisfaction. The award reflects the positive feedback from travelers, highlighting the high level of service and continuous efforts by SOF Connect, the airport's operator, to enhance the passenger experience. "This award is a testament to our dedication to our passengers and our goal to provide exceptional service," said Jesus Caballero, CEO of SOF Connect. He added that the recognition motivates the team to continue striving for excellence, having already invested significantly in modernizing the airport, digitizing services, and improving passenger comfort. Over the past few years, SOF Connect has made various improvements, including upgrading terminals, enhancing cleanliness, simplifying navigation, and expediting security processes. These initiatives have collectively contributed to creating a more pleasant and efficient experience for the millions of travelers passing through the airport each year. The Airport Service Quality (ASQ) Awards, presented by ACI World in partnership with Amadeus, are the aviation industry's leading benchmark for quality. Based on the world's largest passenger satisfaction survey, the awards gather feedback from over 400 airports in 110 countries. This year's ASQ program completed nearly 700,000 surveys, with 181 awards given to 95 airports globally. The ASQ Awards ceremony will take place on 10 September 2025 at the ACI World Airport Experience Summit in Guangzhou, China, where industry leaders will discuss the future of airports and passenger service innovations. This recognition solidifies Sofia Airport's position as a prominent aviation hub in the region, emphasizing its commitment to innovation, convenience, and top-tier service quality. On May 6, Bulgaria commemorates one of its most significant national holidays – the Day of Saint George the Victorious, also known as Gergyovden, and the official Day of the Bulgarian Army Starting in July, all retailers in Bulgaria will be required to display prices in both leva and euros Employers in Bulgaria are legally required to implement all necessary measures to prevent and minimize workplace accidents, general illnesses Wage growth in Bulgaria is projected at 9.3 percent for 2025, driven by stronger economic activity, a 15.4 percent rise in the minimum wage since January 02 Mar 2025 12:00:00 GMT?.css-1txiau5-AnswerContainer{color:var(--GlobalColorScheme-Text-secondaryText2);}CSKA-Sofia vs Levski Sofia on Sun This is 23 of the First Professional League The current head to head record for the teams are CSKA-Sofia 17 win(s) CSKA-Sofia and Levski Sofia have not drawn any of their last 3 matches against each other. Have scored 9 goals in their last 5 matches 02 Mar 2025 12:00:00 GMT?CSKA-Sofia vs Levski Sofia on Sun 02 Mar 2025 12:00:00 GMT ended in a 2–2 tie.InsightsHave scored 10 goals in their last 5 matches CSKA-Sofia and Levski Sofia have not drawn any of their last 3 matches against each other CSKA-Sofia is playing home against Levski Sofia at Vasil Levski on Sun 30 Mar 2025 15:30:00 GMT?.css-1txiau5-AnswerContainer{color:var(--GlobalColorScheme-Text-secondaryText2);}Levski Sofia vs Botev Plovdiv on Sun This is 26 of the First Professional League The current head to head record for the teams are Levski Sofia 21 win(s) Have scored 3 goals in their last 5 matches 30 Mar 2025 15:30:00 GMT?Levski Sofia vs Botev Plovdiv on Sun 30 Mar 2025 15:30:00 GMT ended in a 1–1 tie.InsightsHave scored 8 goals in their last 5 matches Levski Sofia is playing home against Botev Plovdiv at Vivacom Arena Georgi Asparuhov on Sun Polya Plamenova Pencheva is a Travel Tomorrow reporter with experience in the fields of innovation, travelling, lifestyle, and design. Born and raised in Bulgaria, Polya lived in the Netherlands for eight years and recently moved to Brussels, Belgium, to explore new opportunities. She is also a plant lover, matcha drinker, book enthusiast, and a proud nerd. You can catch up with her on her Instagram or a cafe nestled in the heart of Brussels. The idea of renaming the airport was first proposed in 2009 by a Bulgarian journalist. However, for years, Bulgarian authorities took no concrete action to implement the change. Other names, including Zhelyu Zhelev, Bulgaria’s first democratically elected president, were considered, but no final decision was made. In December 2024, the Minister of Transport and the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences formally prepared a renaming proposal. The academy supported the change, stating that research confirmed Levski as a historical figure deeply respected by the majority of Bulgarians. On 19 February 2025, a special official renaming ceremony was held to commemorate the change. The event was opened by Jesus Caballero, the CEO of SOF Connect, the concessionaire company managing the airport.”The naming is not only a tribute to the past, but also a look into the future,” Caballero said during the ceremony. Among the distinguished guests were high-ranking government officials, including the Minister of Transport, Grozdan Karadzhov, as well as historians and cultural figures. Their presence emphasised the historical importance of the renaming. Ver esta publicação no Instagram Uma publicação partilhada por Vasil Levski Sofia Airport (SOF/LBSF) (@sofiaairport) the airport was officially known as Vrazhdebna Airport was considered by many to be an unsuitable title for Bulgaria’s busiest international gateway The choice of Vasil Levski as the new name carries deep historical and emotional significance for Bulgarians Levski’s revolutionary ideas and tireless fight for national liberation in the 19th century helped lay the groundwork for Bulgaria’s independence from Ottoman rule Though he was captured and executed in 1873 and justice continue to inspire generations of Bulgarians The name “Vasil Levski” has already been prominently displayed throughout the airport reinforcing his cultural significance and ensuring his legacy remains visible to both locals and international visitors which serves as Bulgaria’s main international gateway now carries the name of a man whose vision and sacrifice helped shape the country’s modern identity The decision to rename it is not just a tribute to the past but a reminder of Bulgaria’s ongoing commitment to the values of freedom and unity Essential cookies enable basic functions and are necessary for the proper function of the website Statistics cookies collect information anonymously This information helps us to understand how our visitors use our website Maritza Plovdiv win their eighth consecutive and 10th overall women’s Bulgaria Cup crown Levski Sofia pick up their 18th men’s Bulgaria Cup trophy Dhivehi Sifainge Male defend national men’s championship title in Maldives Calcit Kamnik celebrate as women’s Slovenia Cup laureates for the fifth time ACH Volley Ljubljana lift the men’s Slovenia Cup trophy for the 15th time A post shared by Maritza Plovdiv VC (@volleymaritza) A post shared by National Volleyball League (@nvlbulgaria) Defending holders Dhivehi Sifainge Male claimed the national men’s volleyball championship title in Maldives for the second consecutive time. In Friday’s final at the Social Center Indoor Hall in the island country’s capital, they delivered a 3-1 (17-25, 25-21, 25-16, 25-23) victory over HDC Male. Dhivehi Sifainge’s Hussain Razzan was named MVP. A post shared by Dhivehi Sifainge Club (DSC) (@dhivehisifaingeclub_dsc) The finals of the women’s and the men’s 2024-2025 Slovenia Cup tournaments were held in Velenje on Sunday. First, in the women’s trophy match, Calcit Kamnik mastered an emphatic 3-0 (25-21, 25-13, 25-16) victory over OTP banka Branik Maribor and collected their fifth national cup crown in the history of the club Calcit’s 23-year-old opposite Mika Grbavica was the best scorer of the match with 19 points 🏐🇸🇮 Odbojkarice Calcit Volleya so v finalu Pokala Slovenije premagale OTP Banka Branik s 3:0 in petič v zgodovini osvojile lovoriko. pic.twitter.com/caTMMKqhNP — Odbojkarska zveza Slovenije 🇸🇮 (@SloVolley) January 12, 2025 Then, in the men’s Slovenia Cup showdown, ACH Volley Ljubljana also needed just three sets to secure the victory over i-Vent Maribor. After a 3-0 (25-22, 25-22, 25-14) sweep the club from the capital lifted the trophy for the 15th time 20-year-old outside hitter Luka Marovt and 21-year-old Iranian opposite Amir Mohammad Golzadeh led ACH Volley’s scorers with 13 points each 🏐🇸🇮 Odbojkarji ACH Volley Ljubljana so v finalu Pokala Slovenije premagali OK i-Vent Maribor s 3:0 in 15. v zgodovini osvojili lovoriko. pic.twitter.com/Nyq2ATNupB — Odbojkarska zveza Slovenije 🇸🇮 (@SloVolley) January 12, 2025 The FIVB is the governing body responsible for all forms of Volleyball on a global level Working closely with national federations and private enterprises to develop Volleyball as a popular media and entertainment sport FIVB Fédération Internationale de Volleyball Château Les Tourelles Edouard-Sandoz 2-4 1006 Lausanne Switzerland Phone: +41 213 453 535 Fax: +41 213 453 545 Learn how to describe the purpose of the image (opens in a new tab) Leave empty if the image is purely decorative the international airport of Sofia was named "Vasil Levski" The ceremony was attended by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport Grozdan Karadjov the CEO of the airport operator "SOF Connect" Jesus Caballero representatives of the Presidential Institution “The naming is not only a tribute to the past Vasil Levski is not just a name from history courage and tireless pursuit of freedom of Bulgaria we are sending a message to the world of honour integrity and tireless pursuit of a brighter future,” Caballero said “It has always been strange why one of the main gateways to Bulgaria has remained nameless,” Deputy Prime Minister and Transport Minister Grozdan Karadjov said “It was never a question of whether the airport should have a name Not only because he is the most prominent Bulgarian patriot One of them was for Bulgaria to be a member of the European family,” the Deputy Prime Minister said Karadjov said that in six months the process should be fully completed in technical terms - the new name should be submitted to ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) and IATA (International Air Transport Association) BULATSA (the Bulgarian Air Traffic Services Authority) must update its electronic registers “I was assured that this will be done within a month as well as the one in ICAO,” Karadjov said “The name Vasil Levski on the facade of the airport is binding It is not only a tribute to the traditions and worthy Bulgarians but it is part of our future as members of the European family,” he added The former President of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (BAS) said that in the process of naming the airport there was support from the President He expressed his gratitude to former transport minister Krasimira Stoyanova for the work done in the procedure the idea of naming the airport dates back to 2009 The opinions of the transport ministry and the municipality were key Levski's name is a symbol of everything we honour as principles today,” Revalski said deputy chairman of the Bulgarian Airlines Association said that this is a landmark event for Bulgaria Sofia will welcome the millions of passengers who come to our country and will send with dignity everyone who goes to the world Aviation has always been a symbol of progress and limitless possibilities The airport will not just be a gateway to Bulgaria connected and dynamic nation,” Garabedian said said the process of naming the airport was the result of the work of many people “It was only in 2023 that this idea was presented to the special committee of the President We have a responsibility when we proceed with such an action Levski's name for every Bulgarian is an embodiment of a flight to freedom,” Timeva said said that from the beginning the idea was for the world to learn another Bulgarian name A minute of silence was held in memory of Vasil Levski Sofia Airport is named after the Apostle of Freedom Vasil Levski the head of state's press secretariat said on Tuesday Bulgaria marks the 152nd anniversary of the death of Levski (1837-1873) He is arguably the most influential Bulgarian revolutionary leader in the struggle for liberation from Ottoman rule and one of the few truly undisputed national heroes After a decade of revolutionary activity at home and abroad he was captured by the Ottoman authorities in Northern Bulgaria and hanged in Sofia on February 19 Contacts +359 2 9262 210 By accepting cookies you can enjoy a better experience while browsing pages A temporary traffic organization will be implemented in Sofia today in connection with the 152nd anniversary of the death of Vasil Levski as announced by the press center of the Sofia Municipality The changes will affect several key areas in the capital including parking restrictions and temporary closures of certain streets the parking and stay of vehicles will be prohibited The restrictions will apply to parking lots on St as well as along Moskovska Street between Vasil Levski Blvd between Krakra Street and Vasil Levski Blvd. Oborishte Street between Vasil Levski Blvd 11-ti avgust Street between Moskovska Street and St vehicle entry will be prohibited on Vasil Levski Blvd Restrictions will also be in place on Yanko Sakazov Blvd 11-ti avgust Street between Vrabcha Street and St Alexander Nevski Square and Moskovska Street and Vrabcha Street between Dunav Street and Vasil Levski Blvd vehicle access will be restricted on 15-ti Noemvri Street as well as Moskovska Street between Dunav Street and G.S Authorities advise residents and visitors to plan their routes accordingly and use alternative transportation options where possible We need your support so Novinite.com can keep delivering news and information about Bulgaria Employers in Bulgaria are legally required to implement all necessary measures to prevent and minimize workplace accidents with 45.2% of those aged 16–74 having bought goods or services via the internet in the past year The National Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology forecasts that May will bring temperatures ranging from 2°C to 33°C across Bulgaria a trend that has persisted for over 30 years A Romanian family paid 3,084.60 leva (1,500 euros) for medical treatment at the Burgas University Hospital following a serious road accident 152 years after Bulgaria lost its beloved son and advocate for a free independent and tolerant state – Vasil Levski his personality continues to excite and inspire Bulgarians from all generations Scholars continue to study the work of the Apostle of Freedom and to fill in the ''blank space'' of his portrait listen with excitement to the stories of the elusive Deacon who always manages to escape from the Ottoman zapties (gendarmes) touring Bulgaria to awaken the longing for revolution and freedom after nearly five centuries of Ottoman rule Vasil Levski Revisited A digital font based on Levski's handwriting brings us closer to his personality The handwriting of Vasil Levski, along with those of two other champions of national liberation – poet and revolutionary Hristo Botev, and the founder of the organized national-revolution movement Georgi Stoykov Rakovski reaches the younger generations in digital format through the project ''The Apostles of Liberation'' that started in 2021 Honorary Consul of Bulgaria in Washington: "The aim is to revive and preserve the memory of the Apostle of Freedom making his handwriting accessible for widespread use in the digital age Our historical heritage is preserved through this initiative The initiative provides the opportunity for everyone to use the fonts of these Bulgarian revolutionaries in their everyday communication" Elka Rouskov explained in an interview with Radio Bulgaria She herself helped with contacts at the beginning of the project and now contributes to the spread of this font among Bulgarian schools in the USA The project is an initiative of the National Card and Payment Scheme (NCPS)  National Card and Payment Scheme Director Stoilka Arsova has more: we met with the author of the first font based on Vasil Levski's handwriting He had been working on the project since 2014 but was looking for sponsors there was no similar project in our country we dedicate ourselves to the person and their life We meet with people who have researched them and learn first-hand information We will definitely continue this project next year when we will digitize the handwriting of Rayna Knyaginya (the Bulgarian woman who sew the flag of the April Uprising of 1876- editorial note) On the eve of the anniversary of the death of the Apostle of Freedom Stoilka Arsova visited Bulgarian schools in New York and Las Vegas where she held open lessons dedicated to the font based on Vasil Levski's handwriting It is being distributed free of charge and has been extremely well accepted in schools a platform will be created where the other digitized handwritings will be added Bulgarians around the world bow down to the Apostle of Freedom Tribute to the Apostle of Freedom in Chicago Every year the Bulgarian community in Chicago honors the memory of Vasil Levski with various initiatives Bulgarica Center organizes a lecture dedicated to his life and work It is delivered by historian Kamelia Popova who is also the founder of the historical circle ''Patriotism'' at the cultural center "We created the historical circle with the idea to hold discussions on Bulgarian history we have discussed both ancient history and the history leading up to the Balkan War and the First World War a member of the historical circle ''Patriotism'' – After the establishment the historical circle ''Patriotism'' we began to honor the memory of Vasil Levski by screening films dedicated to him but the idea arose to expand our activities adding a series of lectures and organizing a memorial service such as the Macedonian Patriotic Organization who also gave several lectures and screened several films" "The 152nd anniversary of Vasil Levski’s death will also be marked with Olympiad Levski Olympiad 2025 organized by the Magura Cultural Center in Chicago It will be attended by Bulgarian schools and organizations in the Chicago area including representatives of the Bulgarian American Police Association (BAPA) It will be hosted by the Little Bulgarian School in Chicago Nearly 650 Bulgarian children have learned to read and write in Bulgarian since its establishment in 2010 "We are the only school that has its own building with a large gymnasium where we can hold such events director of Little Bulgarian School in Chicago The Olympiad is organized by artist Kina Bagovska who works voluntarily for the Magura Cultural Center the event has always included a quiz with questions the task will be to assemble a puzzle depicting Levski’s portrait or one of the quotes attributed to him our two Sunday schools will also participate with a folklore program."  Artist Galiley Simeonov who breathes life into the memory of Bulgaria’s national heroes "You must have strong faith and pray - then the saint will help you and carry your prayer to God," says Father Georgi Markov of the Church of St Athanasius the Great in Gorni Lozen near Sofia He adds that he has often witnessed the miracles of St. marks 1160 years since the baptism of our Bulgarian people into the Orthodox faith and 1170 years since the creation of the Bulgarian alphabet and Slavic literature the Varna and Veliki Preslav Bishopric Metropolis. Bulgaria celebrates 149 years since the April Uprising – an event that led to the liberation of Bulgaria after almost five centuries of Ottoman rule we must not forget that every participant in the April. With various events throughout the country Bulgarians are marking 152 years after the death of the Apostle of Bulgarian Freedom Vasil Levski a memorial ceremony in front of the monument to the Apostle of Freedom in Sofia takes place Head of State Rumen Radev and Vice President Iliyana Iotova will also pay tribute The Head of State will deliver a speech and lay a wreath Hundreds of residents of Pleven and guests of the city went to the monument to Vasil Levski to pay respect and lay flowers Sofia Airport was renamed "Vasil Levski" Airport This became possible after the Head of State issued a decree to this effect More than 100 children took part in the traditional "Lion's Leap" competition in the "Vasil Levski" High School of Mathematics and Natural Sciences in Smolyan It was also announced that the construction of a tourist route "Levski's Path" has begun The route will start from the town of Troyan and will connect northern and southern Bulgaria and pass through various places associated with the work of the Apostle Foreign Minister Georg Georgiev has left for Washington where he will participate in the Munich Leaders Meeting (May 5-7 The forum is organised by the Munich Security Conference The foundation Unity- Kočani has sent an open letter to key Bulgarian institutions expressing gratitude for the support and humanitarian assistance provided by Bulgaria after the tragedy of the fire at a nightclub in Kočani The foreign ministers of Bulgaria and Greece Georg Georgiev and Giorgos Gerapetritis signed a joint declaration on the use of the waters of the river Arda on 2 May the BNR reports citing an announcement published by the Greek Foreign Ministry.. people will be able to withdraw money  from ATMs only in the new currency according to the website of the Bulgarian. helicopters of the Bulgarian Air Force will fly at low altitude over Sofia in preparation for a military parade marking the Day. The Bulgarian student teams that participated in the European Olympiad of Experimental Sciences EOES 2025 in Zagreb have returned with. Bulgaria is honouring its greatest national hero Vasil Levski (1837-1873) on the 152nd anniversary of his death Levski is arguably the most influential Bulgarian revolutionary leader in the struggle for liberation from Ottoman rule in the late 19th century and one of the few truly undisputed national heroes Levski laid the foundations of Bulgarian ethnic tolerance brotherhood and equality of all ethnic groups must prevail in post-Liberation Bulgaria his country's form of government should be a "pure and sacred republic" He wanted Bulgarians to advance on a par with the rest of Europe's nations maintaining good relations with all their neighbours Levski was hanged on the outskirts of Sofia on February 18 The two-day annual commemoration of the hero's death is due to a persistent misdating the anniversary has been marked on February 18 in a number of locations countrywide while the principal ceremony takes place on the 19th at a monument in central Sofia marking the site where the patriot was hanged Vasil Levski is a Bulgarian revolutionary and national hero who fought for the Liberation of Bulgaria from the Ottoman Empire founder and organizer of the Internal Revolutionary Organization for which grateful Bulgarians call him the Apostle of Freedom He travelled across the country for 4 years and founded local revolutionary committees Levski was captured by the Ottoman Empire in 1872 and hanged on February 18 (February 6 The organisation he created served to organize the April Uprising in 1876 considered a peak in the National Liberation Movement The series of events caused by the uprising led to the resurrection of the Bulgarian state after five centuries of Ottoman rule Vasil Levski's personal notebook is considered one of the relics of Bulgaria’s National Revival In this authentic document we can see the Apostle of Freedom not only in his role of a revolutionary a conspirator who planned an illegal network that should put an end to foreign domination But most of all we see Levski as a person Sofia University professor Plamen Mitev says "A reader of this notebook will find information about the Apostle's daily life how he maintained contacts with his relatives or with completely unknown people who helped him in some way in his activities this notebook is a universe that reveals many faces of the Apostle - not only the revolutionary but above all the living person who can afford to convey the emotion he experienced when unknown children came to him to congratulate him he had nothing to give them except for a few candies and he wrote this as an expense in this notebook Or when he mentions a Bulgarian widow with whom he lived for weeks and set a small amount aside so that he could help her feed her children these are very important accents that we can hardly find in his correspondence in the emigration political press that tells about the liberation cause with a different language The notebook reveals to us different and most human faces of the Apostle," the historian says It is very important for people to know that the information in this notebook is not consecutive Levski wrote somewhat spontaneously and the information from the different pages must be very carefully followed and combined simultaneously with other documents that would provide the connections and explain the situation in which he wrote down a given fact Mitev how we should read and understand an address written in the notebook with four question marks "People????" "People????" and the question marks facing the Bulgarian freedom Doyno Doynov connected these words with the words "chloroform" and "ammonia" written in Latin on the adjacent page After a robbery of the Turkish post office in the Arabakonak Pass Levski's assistant Dimitar Obshti told the Ottoman investigation about all the figures of the revolutionary committees he knew to seek their own decoding of these question marks they are an expression of this disappointment which would make Vasil Levski admit to the investigators interrogating him in Sofia that ‘the Bulgarian is waiting for freedom to be served to him on a platter’ For two and a half years he put in a lot of effort to create a powerful illegal organization that would start preparing a national uprising And suddenly what happened in Arabakonak on September 22 led to such a heavy blow that shattered before his eyes the hope and the dreams of a national uprising every generation will try to seek its own explanation of these question marks they are an expression of this disappointment that the Apostle was going through in the last months of his life,"  university lecturer Prof Section 13 of the Constitution of the Republic of Bulgaria President Rumen Radev named Sofia Airport after the Apostle of Freedom and Bulgarian National hero Vasil Levski its official name becomes Vasil Levski Sofia Airport the proposal to name the airport after the Apostle of Freedom was made by scientists from the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (BAS) and received wide support the Ministry of Transport and Communications supported the implementation of the project proposed by the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences to name Sofia Airport after Vasil Levski Only on the Day of Bravery and Holiday of the Bulgarian Army (May 6) we will provide our visitors with the opportunity to enter three of perhaps the most interesting machines from our outdoor exhibition Dozens of enthusiasts and nature lovers will kick off the 44th edition of the Move and Win campaign with a spring hike to Bozhur Hut The meeting point will be the Vladishki Bridge in Veliko Tarnovo The third edition of the Samardala Festival will be held on 3 May in the central square of Nova Zagora is used as a spice and is harvested at the peak of its flowering in May we will provide our visitors with the opportunity to enter three. United have acquired forward Nigel Robertha on a permanent transfer from PFC Levski Sofia in the Bulgarian first division (efbet Liga) using Targeted Allocation Money (TAM) and signed him to a three-year deal through the 2023 season with an option in 2024 Robertha will join the Black-and-Red pending a medical after receiving his P-1 Visa and International Trade Certificate (ITC) "We have been monitoring Nigel over the past two seasons and we’ve been impressed with him in all phases of the game particularly his ability to stretch the game vertically and score and manufacture all types of goals in every situation,” Dave Kasper United General Manager and VP of Soccer Operations “Nigel is a bright young talent at 23 and we are looking forward to welcoming him to our family when he arrives ahead of our season opener on April 17." Robertha spent the previous two seasons with PFC Levski Sofia in the Bulgarian first division after joining the club from SC Cambuur-Leeuwarden in the Dutch second division on July 24 The forward has scored 20 goals and recorded eight assists in 39 appearances across all competitions for PFC Levski Sofia He scored his first goal for the club on his debut in the 2-0 win against Tsarsko Selo Sofia on Aug Robertha was with SC Cambuur-Leeuwarden in the Dutch second division after his transfer from Feyenoord on July 5 Robertha scored 16 goals and recorded eight assists in 59 appearances He scored his first goal for the club in the 5-1 win against Helmond Sport on Sept Robertha is a product of the famed Feyenoord Academy in the Netherlands that has produced players like Robin Van Persie Robertha went on to appear in 63 matches for the U-19 and U-21 teams at the club He scored 19 goals and recorded two assists during his time with the club The 23-year-old appeared once for the first team at Feyenoord; making his debut as a substitute in the 1-0 win against Willem II Tilburg on May 1 Robertha represented the Netherlands Youth National Team after growing up in Dordrecht The forward scored three goals in 22 appearances for the youth national team at the U-15 Player: Nigel RoberthaPosition: ForwardBirthplace: Dordrecht NetherlandsCountry: Netherlands Birthdate: 02/13/1998Age: 23Height: 6'1"Weight: 170 lbsPrevious Club: PFC Levski Sofia (Bulgaria)Status: InternationalTransaction: D.C United have signed Nigel Robertha on a permanent transfer using Targeted Allocated Money (TAM) from PFC Levski Sofia United have signed Robertha on a three-year deal through the 2023 season with an option for 2024 Levski won its second consecutive and 17th title in the men's volleyball championship Levski's volleyball players gave their all to win the three possible trophies in Bulgaria - title said the team's head coach Nikolay Zhelyazkov after the last match in the final series with Lokomotiv Avia "It was a very tough year for the entire team but the boys gave their all to win all possible trophies - title This is very difficult and bravo to everyone at Levski for the work they put in All this is the result of a lot of effort and of the management "Every year is different because the performers change We changed some elements of our game and it helped us a lot that we were in optimal shape right from the start "We had very difficult matches in the playoffs We started with a loss at home and a mandatory victory We had very tough matches to get to today and lift the title Levski was the strongest in the most important moments and this helped the team reach the title in the Bulgarian men's volleyball championship said the young star of the champions Venislav Antov Maybe the fact that we won it 3:0 is deceiving people In the first two games we won very narrowly and in the second we were behind in the tiebreak The most important thing is that we held on as a team" "There was a slight decline during the season but then it was already clear that we would be first we showed good enough volleyball to become champions," the points leader in the championship also said The most valuable player in the final series was also asked if he would leave Levski in the summer: "Now I will enjoy the victory and I assume that in a few days I will have more clarity on this issue" More news from Sport Comment by Yanaki Dimitrov, "TEMA SPORT": What is happening in Levski and what are the prospects for the club After the past Extraordinary General Meeting about a month ago we did not receive any concrete answers from the management the media came and went the participation of the central striker of the Blues Alex Kolev in a podcast made by the general sponsor of the club the ram brought out dirty shirts from the locker room But with them he touched the wound not only of the team because there are quite a few foreigners and when the number of Bulgarians is small you don't have three or four leaders who can stand up and pound on the table I've had conversations with the people above (ed – refers to the management) and they told me what I should do but when you say something in the locker room start by setting themselves up against a coach Alex Kolev would most likely have received a strict reprimand and a fine for his statement he didn't point out “how great we are and what a great success the second place is which hasn't been won for 10 years“… Julio Velasquez keeps repeating the latter things to whom it has clearly been well explained where he has ended up and what the fans expect and at this stage it seems to be unimportant It is strange why in a big club like Levski a footballer has to receive orders from the bosses and act like a scoundrel in the locker room Why doesn't “Gerena“ have a sports director who can build everyone but the takeaway from it has always been that the majority owner Nasko Sirakov executive director Daniel Borimirov and member of the Management Board Hristo Yovov possess “more than the necessary expertise“ to spend money on opening such a position in the club Levski is no longer threatened with bankruptcy but this important position continues to be neglected Where is the sports director to say something immediately after a match - a brief opinion about the game and not for this to happen 2 days late in writing It has come to the point that Levski is not shaved for a plum in the Bulgarian Football Union And after the cleanest penalty in the world they officially explain to him that there is none a stone would not have been left on top of a stone in Boyana a while ago Now they are picking on the fact that the son of the chief of referees trained in the Black Sea after the son of the former president of the Bulgarian Football Union has been guarding Levski's goal for many years And his son-in-law - first a player for the Blues then a temporary coach and finally a permanent one We are talking about Nikolay Mihaylov and Zhivko Milanov Who is currently responsible for the selection It is not serious for a majority owner to deal with such things "Gerena" does not know when it will have money for a sports director and does it even need one is that it was not clear what would happen after 1 year and 7 months because until then the contract with the general sponsor was in effect And that's why a sports concept for the next 5 seasons could not be made Isn't it time for the club to have several options for continuing life after a specific date The news about the sponsor was revealed after the extraordinary General Meeting convened due to the announcements of the planned construction of a new stadium From which it turned out that the situation is “Neroden Petko“ And by the way - since the beginning of the year there has been no sponsor against the name of “Georgi Asparuhov“ But let's get back to what Alex Kolev said about the team Levski is currently confidently in second place in the standings sending them to the European tournaments for sure With a 9-point lead over the third and fourth The difference became so much after the last round in which the Blues won hard with 1:0 over Septemvri Sf Mustafa Sangare's header crossed the goal line The Ram jumped over the advertising boards and went to celebrate in sector A he still received congratulations from Ohene and Georgi Kostadinov who was wearing the captain's armband at that moment start waving to the others to go and celebrate with the goal scorer should unleash joy… But apparently the situation on the field as well as on the higher floors of the club And then the Blues will really have to complain to the Armenian priest Bulgarian powerhouse FC Ludogorets Razgrad has been crowned champion with 27-year-old forward Bernard Tekpetey lifting his fifth league trophy with the team Despite missing most of the season due to a serious knee injury Tekpetey celebrated as Ludogorets secured the title following a win over Cherno More in the championship playoffs Olivier Verdon scored the opening goal just before halftime and Swiss-Ghanaian striker Kwadwo Duah sealed the victory for the Eagles The speedy winger has won league titles in each of his five seasons with Ludogorets Tekpetey made seven appearances across all competitions He is expected to join his teammates for a title celebration at the Ludogorets Arena before their match against Levski Tekpetey is anticipated to play a crucial role for Ludogorets next season and website in this browser for the next time I comment Stay informed with the most relevant stories shaping Ghana and the world By subscribing, you agree to our Privacy Policy Bulgaria marks the 187th anniversary of national hero Vasil Levski Levski was the ideologue of the Bulgarian national revolution the organiser and leader of the national liberation movement under Ottoman rule He was hanged by the Ottoman authorities in 1873 Levski’s nickname "the Apostle of Freedom" The anniversary was marked with commemorative ceremonies and military tattoos at different monuments of Vasil Levski across Bulgaria The commemorative ceremony in Levski’s hometown Karlovo included a liturgy in the St Nicholas church Flowers were laid at the grave of Gina Kuncheva Karlovo Mayor Emil Kabaivanov said that July 18 is the most solemn day in Karlovo "In a constant political crisis and instability Levski is needed as a moral pillar and as a statesman and leader," the mayor said With the revolutionary committees he established with his strategy of having the centre of the revolution in Bulgaria the Apostle created the future political class that restored Bulgarian statehood after the Russo-Turkish War During a visit to the coastal town of Sozopol Vice President Iliana Iotova said: "One of the most important messages of Vasil Levski is the unity of our people our strength lies within these differences but the strength that is within us - as a people and as a nation," Iotova said the Vice President and Sozopol Mayor Tihomir Yanakiev laid wreaths and flowers at the monument to Vasil Levski Parliamentary groups also made declarations on the anniversary: GERB-UDF: With deep adoration and immense respect we pay tribute to the Apostle of Freedom a symbol of endless devotion to the Motherland Levski's life and work are not only a memory and a history they are a mirror in which today's Bulgaria can and must seek answers to the many challenges it faces BSP for Bulgaria: Vasil Levski is the only person in Bulgarian history whom the people call the Apostle of Bulgarian freedom Today we still face the responsibility and the difficult question of whether we are doing everything possible to realise his ideas for the functioning of this democratic republic for which he dreamed and gave his life this republic which he saw as a temple of truth and freedom Representative military formations also participate in wreath-laying ceremonies at monuments of Vasil Levski across the country The football club named after Vasil Levski also marked the 187th birth anniversary of its patron Levski management officially announced the transfer of Portuguese defender Aldair Neves Paulo Faustino “PFC Levski“ signed a contract with defender Aldair Neves Paulo Faustino The contract with the Portuguese footballer is until the summer of 2027 he signed his first professional contract with his native “Torenze” recording 10 games he moved to another local club – “Academic“ (Coimbra) where he played 22 matches with the under-23 team he moved to another Portuguese club – “Sanjoanese“ he was transferred to “Sanjoanese” for one half-season and from the summer of 2023 he went on loan to another Portuguese club – “Pasosh Ferreira“ with whose team he recorded 27 matches and scored 2 goals „PFK Levski“ welcomes “Gerena“ Aldair and wishes him many victories and happy moments with the blue jersey" To get the most out of our content, including fees, please confirm your age The username can only contain letters, numbers and underscores. Username can only contain letters, numbers and underscores. Length between 4-16 characters. Registration has been successfully completed. Make a new account if you don't have one yet Puedes ver la versión Española de BeSoccer.com. You can see the English version of BeSoccer.com. Vous pouvez voir la version French de BeSoccer.com. Puoi vedere la versione Italian su BeSoccer.com. Você pode ver a versão Brasileira de BeSoccer.com. Arda Kardzahli mourned Petko Ganchev before a league match against Levski Sofia on Sunday. Both teams lined up on the centre circle and bowed their heads to remember Ganchev. However, Arda posted on their Facebook page before the match had even finished to say it had been misinformed. "The management of PFC Arda would like to express its deepest apologies to the team's former footballer, Petko Ganchev, and his loved ones, after the club received incorrect information regarding his death. "We wish Petko Ganchev many years of health and to enjoy Arda's successes." Arda Kardzahli mourned Petko Ganchev before a league match against Levski Sofia on Sunday. (Source: Supplied) A Bulgarian top division football club has apologised after holding a minute's silence for a former player who turned out to be still alive. EPL: Chelsea wins The race for Champions League qualification got even tighter in the Premier League after Chelsea beat recently crowned champion Liverpool Football Premier League: Liverpool win record-equalling 20th league title Liverpool sealed the Premier League title in style with a 5-1 win against Tottenham Chris Wood strikes again to help end feelgood factor at Spurs The New Zealand striker scored his 19th goal of the Premier League season to help Nottingham Forest to a comfortable victory over Tottenham EPL: Liverpool one win away from title with 1-0 win over Leicester Trent Alexander-Arnold's second-half strike against pushed the Merseyside club to within one more win of a record-equalling 20th English league crown Arsenal Inter Milan advance to Champions League semifinals Inter will face Barcelona in the semifinals while Arsenal takes on Paris Saint Germain PSG Barcelona advance to Champions League semifinals Paris Saint-Germain staved off a gallant fightback by Aston Villa while Borussia Dortmund's 3-1 win over Barcelona wasn't enough to prevent a 5-3 aggregate loss Southland farming company slapped with fine over effluent discharge 6:55pm Police believe wave of Invercargill robberies, burglaries are linked 6:00pm Destiny Church to move out of its South Auckland headquarters 5:51pm 'Light' 4.1 magnitude earthquake jolts lower North Island 5:48pm 'Wake up call': Businesses warned over lithium battery fires 5:30pm Erica Stanford sent pre-Budget documents to her personal email 7:30pm 1Destiny Church to move out of its South Auckland headquarters Explosions heard in 'suspicious' blaze at east Auckland McDonald's Tipene Funerals owners break silence after ex-employee jailed Trump threatens 100% tariff on foreign-made films Two arrested over alleged plot targeting Lady Gaga concert in RioBrazilian police said they thwarted an alleged bomb attack planned for Lady Gaga's concert on Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro. Lady Gaga rocks Copacabana Beach with free concert for over 2 million fansCries of joy rose from the tightly-packed fans who sang and danced shoulder-to-shoulder on the vast stretch of sand. Lorde announces new album name, dateThu, May 1 Kim Kardashian to testify in Paris trial over 2016 armed robberyMon, Apr 28 Chubby Checker, Outkast, Cyndi Lauper join Rock & Roll Hall of FameMon, Apr 28 Lorde releases new single after weeks of cryptic teasesThu, Apr 24 Chubby Checker, Outkast, Cyndi Lauper join Rock & Roll Hall of FameMon A Bulgarian top division football club has apologised after holding a minute's silence for a former player who turned out to be still alive Arda Kardzahli mourned Petko Ganchev before a league match against Levski Sofia on Sunday Both teams lined up on the centre circle and bowed their heads to remember Ganchev Arda posted on their Facebook page before the match had even finished to say it had been misinformed "The management of PFC Arda would like to express its deepest apologies to the team's former footballer after the club received incorrect information regarding his death The race for Champions League qualification got even tighter in the Premier League after Chelsea beat recently crowned champion Liverpool and Newcastle dropped points at Brighton With a record-extending 16th defeat of the campaign Manchester United could hardly be further from it all Liverpool's players were afforded a guard of honour by Chelsea as they came onto the field at Stamford Bridge for their first match as champions with Chelsea running out a 3-1 winner thanks to a third-minute goal by Enzo Fernandez an own-goal by Jarell Quansah in the 56th and a stoppage-time penalty by Cole Palmer Virgil van Dijk's header made it 2-1 at the time but Liverpool was off the pace for much of the game The win lifted fifth-placed Chelsea into a tie for 63 points with fourth-placed Newcastle which needed an 89th-minute penalty by Alexander Isak to salvage a 1-1 draw at Brighton With Manchester City a point higher in third place and both Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa three points back in sixth and seventh the fight to finish in the top five — and therefore qualify for next season's Champions League — looks like going to the wire The Premier League appears to hold little importance to Man United anymore this season with a 4-3 loss at Brentford leaving the team languishing in 15th place on 39 points and already certain of recording its worst-ever total in the Premier League as well as its lowest finish United's focus is fully on winning the Europa League and qualifying for the Champions League by that route end-to-end game against Brentford was played between matches against Athletic Bilbao in the Europa League semifinals — United leads 3-0 after the first leg — and manager Ruben Amorim fielded the club’s youngest ever Premier League lineup according to average age highlighting how Europe is clearly the priority for the remainder of this season A first-half goal by Brighton winger Yankuba Minteh — a former Newcastle player — looked like seeing off his old club only for Isak to convert a penalty after Yasin Ayari’s outstretched arm in a defensive wall block against Fabian Schar's free kick Newcastle had previously been awarded two penalties only for both of them to be overturned after video reviews Isak moved onto 23 league goals for the season 2 on the list behind Liverpool's Mohamed Salah (28) It is the most by any Newcastle player in a Premier League season since Alan Shearer in 2001-02 Palmer left it late to end his 18-game run without a goal in all competitions when he struck the ball against the post from an acute angle but was given a chance from the penalty spot after Quansah made another mistake by tripping Moises Caicedo Palmer buried his spot kick past Alisson Becker for his 15th league goal this season Liverpool's visiting fans tried to encourage their team with shouts of "champions champions" but with their motivation perhaps lacking Chelsea is tied for points and goal difference with Newcastle and only behind courtesy of scoring fewer goals There were a couple of positives on another tough day for Man United with injury-prone midfielder Mason Mount scoring his first goal of the season and winger Amad Diallo — just back after three months out — netting the third goal in stoppage time as the visitors came from 4-1 down but couldn't find an equaliser Kevin Schade scored two of Brentford's goals while Yoane Wisse also netted for the 18th time in the league — the same number as teammate Bryan Mbeumo Tottenham has reached the Europa League semifinals and manager Ange Postecoglou left out a slew of key players for the 1-1 draw with West Ham in a London derby between two struggling teams Tottenham beat Bodø/Glimt 3-1 in the first leg on Friday and faces a tough trip to northern Norway for the return game next week Postecoglou made eight changes and went with a mostly second-string lineup against West Ham yet still saw Wilson Odobert open the scoring in the 15th with his first league goal for Spurs James Maddison didn't play for Tottenham with Postecoglou saying the playmaker's knee injury — sustained against Bodø/Glimt — "doesn't look great" Liverpool sealed the Premier League title in style overnight with a 5-1 win against Tottenham The Merseyside club's record-equalling 20th English league title matched the achievement of its great rival Manchester United Liverpool fans partied inside and outside its famous Anfield Stadium as coach Arne Slot sealed a remarkable first year in charge of the club After going behind to an early goal from Dominic Solanke Liverpool powered back with strikes from Luis Diaz Alexis Mac Allister and Cody Gapko before halftime to ensure the celebrations wouldn’t be delayed any more The title was confirmed after the break as Mohamed Salah added another and Destiny Udogie's own-goal rounded off the rout Liverpool only needed a point to be crowned champion and a packed Anfield expected nothing less than to see the job get done on home turf the victory was so comfortable that Salah even had time to pose for selfie in front of the famed Kop stand after scoring his 33rd goal of the season in all competitions lining the streets around the stadium in anticipation of a title party The smell of sulphur filled the air as red smoke canisters were let off outside Liverpool flags were hung from nearby houses giant banners made their way across the stands Slot has joined that list of club greats in only his first season after replacing Jurgen Klopp He also joins a select group of managers by winning the title in his first year in the Premier League era — following Jose Mourinho with Liverpool 15 points ahead of second-placed Arsenal with four rounds of the season to go It is Liverpool’s second title in five years having ended a 30-year wait to be champion in 2020 This time there was a crucial difference as the players were able to celebrate in front of the fans Five years ago it had to finish off the season behind closed doors as the UK faced lockdown restrictions because of the Covid pandemic fans in the stadium were on their feet singing the club's anthem - You’ll Never Walk Alone Rasmus Hojlund scored in added time to salvage a 1-1 draw for Manchester United at Bournemouth United was on course to lose for a 16th time in the league this season after Antoine Semenyo’s first-half strike But a late flurry of pressure paid off for United after Bournemouth went down to 10 men and Hojlund converted from close range for his ninth goal of the season The point moved United up to 14th in the standings Semenyo fired a low shot from inside the box to beat United goalkeeper Andre Onana in the 23rd minute Bournemouth had chances to extend its lead with Dango Ouattara hitting the post with a free kick after the break But when Evanilson was sent off for a lunge on Noussair Mazraoui following a VAR review in the 70th The visitors still had to wait until the sixth minute of added time for Hojlund to divert Manuel Ugarte’s effort past Kepa Arrizabalaga It did not take Nottingham Forest long to drain the joy from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and put Ange Postecoglou's tenure at Tottenham back under a harsh spotlight Four days after masterminding the triumph in Frankfurt that secured him a stay of execution the Australian coach watched his team concede twice in the opening 16 minutes a deflected shot from Elliot Anderson and a header from New Zealander Chris Wood It was Wood's 19th Premier League goal of the season and he earlier had one scrubbed out for offside lifting them back to third and leaving Spurs 16th after their 18th loss of the Premier League campaign it's another one we've let slip," Postecoglou told Sky Sports "Really disappointed with the goals we've conceded and the most frustrating thing is our football side I thought was outstanding "We couldn't dominate any more than we did or create the chances We've just conceded poor goals and given ourselves a mountain to climb "There's too many games this year we've lost in that manner and that's why we're in the position we are." The feelgood factor last Thursday's progression to the Europa League semi-finals engendered immediately drained away with Forest's early goals sapped by the knowledge Forest are the worst team in the EPL to go behind to was sacked by Tottenham after four months in 2021 in part because his teams tend to be defensive and reactive Spurs fans want their team to play on the front foot which is why they instantly warmed to Postecoglou and stayed with him deep into this gruesome domestic campaign In their last seven league games Spurs have snatched a comeback home point against Bournemouth beaten hapless Southampton and lost the other five The belief that as the treatment room emptied the team would improve but Forest always let the opposition have the ball and only late on were they under real pressure hooked Dejan Kulusevski's header off the line and goalkeeper Mat Selz first blocked Richarlison's snapshot then brilliantly turned aside a header from the Brazilian Richarlison did eventually head a Pedro Porro cross - the 48th of the night from Spurs - out of Selz's reach "Five games to go and we know what to do but we've played already an amazing season and we can be proud of what we've done already until now," Forest's Belgian goalkeeper said "We just need to continue and give everything to end up there in the top five." Forest fans may tire of Santo's defensive approach In their second season after promotion they are heading for the Champions League and everything now hangs on the Europa League The Premier League title is so close Liverpool can almost touch it Trent Alexander-Arnold's second-half strike against Leicester overnight pushed the Merseyside club to within one more win of a record-equalling 20th English league crown It would not even take that if second-placed Arsenal loses to Crystal Palace on Thursday Liverpool knows victory against Tottenham at Anfield next Monday will be enough to seal the title Arsenal ensured the league leader would have to wait a while longer for its crowning moment after routing Ipswich 4-0 earlier Sunday And for long periods at the King Power Stadium Leicester threatened to frustrate Arne Slot's team — even having a goal disallowed before Alexander-Arnold's winner Defeat confirmed the 2016 league champion Leicester's relegation Wolves ensured top-flight safety by beating Manchester United 1-0 after Pablo Sarabia's brilliant second half free kick Chelsea moved up to fifth by rallying to beat Fulham 2-1 with two late goals but Arsenal at least delayed Liverpool's coronation After eliminating holder Real Madrid from the Champions League in midweek Mikel Arteta's team cruised to victory against an Ipswich team that is now all but certain to be relegated Trossard's low shot gave Arsenal the lead in the 14th minute and Martinelli made it 2-0 in the 28th Trossard scored his ninth of the season in the 69th and Nwaneri completed the rout in the 88th Victory temporarily closed the gap on Liverpool to 10 points it can only pick up a maximum of 36 points by winning its remaining five games this season That would still only put it level with 17th-placed West Ham's current points tally After the highs of United's epic Europa League comeback against Lyon on Thursday Old Trafford was brought back down to earth after yet another Premier League defeat A 15th league loss of the season is a club record high for United in the Premier League era United has not lost so many games in a league season since the 1989-90 campaign when it was defeated 16 times in England's old Division One eight home defeats in the league is the most since United was beaten nine times in 1962-63 United is already certain to set the club’s worst-ever points total in the Premier League The latest loss left Ruben Amorim's team on 38 points United's lowest total was 58 in the 2021-22 season even a perfect finish would only see United amass 53 We need to improve in that area of the game clearly you don’t win games," United coach Amorim said made it five wins in a row in the Premier League - and set a new club best in the Premier League Substitute Sarabia had only been on the field for three minutes when he curled a free kick from outside of the area into the top corner Wolves moved level on points with United to ensure it would avoid the drop Chelsea's Champions League hopes looked set to take a hit when trailing 1-0 to Fulham and with time running out at Craven Cottage After Alex Iwobi's goal in the 20th minute Chelsea left it late to score twice to win the West London derby and move to fifth Tyrique George leveled the game in the 83rd and Pedro Neto got the winner in the third minute of added time Chelsea is ahead of Forest on goal difference The Premier League will get a bonus fifth Champions League place next season because of the performances of English teams in Europe this year Former Bayern Munich defender Benjamin Pavard scored against his old club to help Inter Milan to a 2-2 draw against the German team on Thursday sending the Nerazzurri through to the Champions League semifinals 4-3 on aggregate It was Pavard’s first goal for Inter after the France international joined from Bayern in 2023 “There’s certainly a lot of emotions as it’s my first goal moreover it’s at San Siro," said Pavard who last scored almost exactly two years ago to the day “So there were a lot of emotions but I had to stay in the match Harry Kane had levelled the quarterfinal early in the second half but Inter swiftly turned the game around with goals from Lautaro Martínez and Pavard on a blustery night in Milan Eric Dier headed in the equaliser on the night It beat the same opponent in the final four in 2010 on its way to winning the Champions League and securing the treble under José Mourinho Arsenal defeated defending champion Real Madrid 2-1 to reach the semifinals for the first time since 2009 in a match where VAR played a key role in two penalty decisions Arsenal advanced 5-1 on aggregate after a 3-0 first-leg win at home in London last week keeping alive its chances of winning Europe’s top club competition for the first time The defending champion and record 15-time European winner fell short of the last four for the first time since 2020 It was seeking its third Champions League title in four seasons Madrid's hopes of staging another comeback — like so many times before in recent years in the Champions League — took a big hit when a five-minute VAR check overturned a penalty for a hold on Kylian Mbappé in the first half with the game tied 0-0 Arsenal earlier had been awarded a penalty after a video review Saka was able to put Arsenal ahead from inside the area after a nice pass by Mikel Merino in the 65th minute and Madrid couldn’t manage more than an equaliser by Vinícius Júnior a couple of minutes later after a defensive blunder by William Saliba Gabriel Martinelli gave Arsenal the victory by scoring on a breakaway three minutes into stoppage time Arsenal will face Paris Saint-Germain in the semifinals Paris Saint-Germain staved off a gallant fightback by Aston Villa to reach the Champions League semifinals despite a 3-2 loss to the English club on Wednesday Holding a 3-1 lead from last week’s quarterfinal first leg PSG built a four-goal cushion thanks to goals by full-backs Achraf Hakimi and Nuno Mendes inside 27 minutes at Villa Park roared back thanks to a deflected shot before halftime by Youri Tielemans and then goals in a two-minute span from John McGinn and Ezri Konsa by the 57th Only a string of fine saves from PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma denied Villa a fourth goal that would have taken the match to extra time PSG advanced 5-4 on aggregate to knock out a second Premier League team which leads Real Madrid 3-0 from the first leg Serhou Guirassy scored a hat trick and still ended up on the losing side as Borussia Dortmund's 3-1 win over Barcelona wasn't enough to prevent a 5-3 aggregate loss to Barcelona in their quarter-final After being swept aside 4-0 in the first leg of the quarterfinal Dortmund had nothing to lose and attacked Barcelona from the start Guirassy had missed chances in the first leg and spurned a couple more early in Tuesday's game but made no mistake from the penalty spot in the 11th minute after Barcelona goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny collided with Pascal Gross Guirassy's header made it 2-0 in the 49th minute before an own goal by Ramy Bensebaini made Dortmund's task even harder Guirassy completed his hat trick with a powerful close-range shot in the 76th in the process becoming the Champions League's top scorer this season on 13 goals It gave Dortmund fresh hope of completing what would have been one of the all-time great Champions League comebacks Barcelona faces either Inter Milan or Bayern Munich in the semifinals A large-scale Southland farming company has been fined $82,500 for discharging effluent in a manner which could have entered waterways Gladvale Farms Ltd committed the offending on two occasions in October 2019 at an Oreti Plains farm The company was sentenced on Monday after being found guilty in February following an August 2024 judge-alone trial Legal action against the company began when Environment Southland alleged the Resource Management Act had been breached through effluent discharge on or into land which could have resulted in the contaminant entering water It was alleged the defendant irrigated at night without monitoring due to employees being off duty The judgement said although it was not necessary to prove the contaminant had entered or impacted the waterway there was sufficient evidence to show it had Steps taken to mitigate against the discharge were not sufficient including using a digger to move effluent further into a paddock Judge Steven told the court that 90 percent of the fine would go to the council Gladvale Farms Ltd operates five dairy farms in Southland with 3700 cows across 3300 acres Stuff has previously reported fines against the company of $27,000 in 2018/19 Police have appealed to the public after two aggravated robberies and a series of burglaries in Invercargill overnight Detective Inspector Stu Harvey said officers were called to a premises on Dee St at around 2.30am on Monday to reports of two people entering a store demanding cash A worker was assaulted but not seriously injured Harvey said an attempted burglary and two burglaries were reported at three further premises on Windsor St Police then received a report that two people had entered a Tay St premises and demanded cash and items Harvey said information suggested the incidents were linked "Two vehicles were seen in the vicinity of some of the incidents "The other vehicle is described as a dark-coloured car," said Harvey "We would like to speak to anyone who saw vehicles fitting these descriptions between 1am and 5am." Anyone with relevant information about these vehicles or those involved should contact police on 105 A magnitude 4.1 earthquake has jolted the lower North Island this afternoon Geonet said the earthquake struck 10km northwest of Levin at 5.16pm at a depth of 37km It described the shaking as "light" with close to 2000 reports from people feeling the tremor by 5.45pm M3.6 quake causing weak shaking near Levin https://t.co/aJM2e4ScOx One Facebook poster said it was "definitely a good one" while another described it as "only little but strange" Horowhenua District Council said it was a "good reminder" to chat about being prepared for earthquakes A large fire which caused "significant damage" to a McDonald's restaurant in east Auckland this afternoon is now being treated as suspicious Emergency services were notified of the fire at around 3pm on Monday Fire and Emergency NZ said the building was "totally involved" in flames by the time crews arrived and Papatoetoe were in attendance at the blaze "Everyone was out at the time and there are no reports of injuries." FENZ said the fire was being treated as suspicious "A fire investigator is attending to determine cause and origin." Pakuranga Rd was closed for nearly two hours in both directions with road users advised to avoid the area "Investigations into the cause of the fire at the McDonalds are underway," police said told 1News he heard a couple of explosions coming from the restaurant as the blaze began He said he heard "one or two" explosions The restaurant was adjacent to a Z petrol station and 250 metres along the same road from Pakuranga College A staff member at the service station said they had closed their fuel pumps and there was "huge fire and huge smoke" coming from the fire The Howick Pakuranga Netball Centre Courts were also closed this evening due to the blaze Auckland Transport said several bus routes Pakuranga MP Simeon Brown thanked emergency services who had been responding to the incident "Please follow the advice of emergency services A McDonald's spokesperson said the McDonald's restaurant in Pakuranga had "suffered significant damage" in the fire "Procedures were followed to raise the alarm and safely evacuate staff and customers McDonald’s is assisting emergency services as they begin the investigation into the cause of the fire." The owners of Tipene Funerals have spoken out for the first time after a former long-time employee was jailed for misconduct in relation to burials Francis and Kaiora Tipene told TVNZ's Marae they should have noticed something sooner but said they knew nothing of former employee Fiona Bakulich's offending For the full Marae story, watch on TVNZ+ Fiona Bakulich, 48, a former employee, was jailed for two years and three months and ordered to pay more than $16,900 in reparations over her misconduct The Tipene owners spoke to Marae in their first interview since Bakulich was jailed Francis said he was called to a meeting alongside Bakulich at Waikumete Cemetery by Auckland Council staff Cyclone Gabrielle had badly damaged a mausoleum housing two coffins interred by Bakulich Repairs to the roof necessitated the disinterment of the remains revealing she had not installed the zinc liner required and pocketed the $3000 in cash instead "I just couldn't believe how someone could do that." Bakulich was stood down for six weeks and continued offending upon her return to work The pair said they only discovered she had further defrauded families after her dismissal and I wish we did so we could have acted sooner," Francis said but I'm deeply apologetic to those whānau." Asked how the charges weren't detected in the company's accounting Francis said the transactions were taking place off-site so that's a hard one to swallow." The company would have to "build trust from the bottom up" the pair said of their business' relationship with the community Marae did not receive a response when Fiona Bakulich's lawyer was approached for comment Lady Gaga gave a free concert Saturday night in front of 2 million fans who poured onto Copacabana Beach for the biggest show of her career (...) Thank you for making history with me,” Lady Gaga told a screaming crowd kicked off the show at around 22.10pm local time with her 2011 song Bloody Mary Cries of joy rose from the tightly-packed fans who sang and danced shoulder-to-shoulder on the vast stretch of sand Concert organisers said 2.1 million people attended the show switching between an array of dresses including one with the colours of the Brazilian flag Some fans – many of them young – arrived on the beach at the crack of dawn to secure a good spot “Today is the best day of my life,” said Manoela Dobes a 27-year-old designer who was wearing a dress plastered with a photograph from when she met Lady Gaga in the United States in 2019 Madonna also turned Copacabana Beach into a massive dance floor last year The large-scale performances are part of an effort led by City Hall to boost economic activity after Carnival and New Years’ Eve festivities and the upcoming month-long Saint John’s Day celebrations in June “It brings activity to the city during what was previously considered the low season – filling hotels and increasing spending in bars generating jobs and income for the population,” said Osmar Lima the city’s secretary of economic development in a statement released by Rio City Hall’s tourism department last month Rio’s City Hall said in a recent report that around 1.6 million people were expected to attend Lady Gaga's concert and that the show should inject at least 600 million reais (NZ$178.3 million) into Rio’s economy Similar concerts are scheduled to take place every year in May at least until 2028 Lady Gaga arrived in Rio in the early hours of Tuesday The city has been alive with Gaga-mania since as it geared up to welcome the pop star for her first show in the country since 2012 Rio’s metro employees danced to Lady Gaga’s 2008 hit song LoveGame and gave instructions for today in a video A free exhibition celebrating her career sold out While the vast majority of attendees were from Rio the event also attracted Brazilians from across the country and international visitors More than 500,000 tourists poured into the city in the days leading up to the show according to data from the local bus station and Tom Jobim airport Rio’s City Hall said in a statement yesterday made a cross-continent trip from Colombia to Brazil to attend the show “I’ve been a 100% fan of Lady Gaga my whole life,” said Serrano who was wearing a T-shirt featuring Lady Gaga’s outlandish costumes over the years the mega-star represents “total freedom of expression – being who one wants without shame” Rio officials have a history of organising huge concerts on Copacabana Beach Madonna’s show drew an estimated 1.6 million fans last year while 4 million people flooded onto the beach for a 1994 New Year’s Eve show by Rod Stewart in 1994 that was the biggest free rock concert in history sixteen sound towers were spread along the beach Rio state’s security plan included the presence of 3300 military and 1500 police officers Among those present were Lady Gaga admirers who remember their disappointment in 2017 when the artist cancelled a performance scheduled in Rio at the last minute due to health issues “She's the best artist in the world,” the 25-year-old said I love you” in Portuguese rose from the crowd behind him whose real name is Ella Yelich O'Connor which also displayed what appears to be the album cover art — an X-ray of a pelvis "100% written in blood," the website read The new album's announcement came a week after she released her latest single What Was That The song's music video was filmed at a mysterious pop-up event in New York City's Washington Square Park that was initially shut down by police. The event ended up going ahead after all, and fans who stayed got to hear the new song for the first time. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Lorde (@lorde) It was the first sign of a follow-up to Lorde's previous album Her other albums were 2013's Pure Heroine and 2017's Melodrama she collaborated with British singer Charli XCX on a remix of Girl so confusing — on a re-release of the Grammy award-winning Brat Kim Kardashian thought she was going to be raped and killed when criminals broke into her bedroom in central Paris tied her up and stole more than US$6 million in jewellery 10 people will go on trial in Paris over the robbery abduction and kidnapping of the media personality and the concierge of the residence where she was staying during Paris Fashion Week the night of October 2 Kardashian’s lawyers said she will testify in person at the trial starting Monday and scheduled to run through May 23 "Ms Kardashian is reserving her testimony for the court and jury and does not wish to elaborate further at this time," they said "She has great respect and admiration for the French justice system and has been treated with great respect by the French authorities "She wishes the trial to proceed in an orderly fashion in accordance with French law and with respect for all parties to the case." In interviews and on her family’s reality TV show Kardashian has described being terrified as robbers pointed a gun at her In a 2020 appearance on David Letterman’s Netflix show she tearfully recalled thinking: "This is the time I’m going to get raped Twelve people were originally expected in the defendants’ box and another is seriously ill and can't be tried five of the 10 defendants were present at the scene of the robbery The French press has dubbed them The Granddad Robbers because the main defendants are elderly and have careers as bank robbers with long criminal records Kardashian told investigators she was taken to a bathroom next to her bedroom and placed in the bathtub Her attackers fled on bicycles or on foot and she managed to free herself by removing the tape from her hands and mouth She had also removed the tape from her feet and rushed to her stylist’s room She called her sister Kourtney to tell her about the theft Kardashian told investigators that she had not been injured adding that she wanted to leave France as soon as possible to be reunited with her children According to her testimony and that of the concierge at least one of the suspects had a handgun The gangsters stole many pieces of jewellery estimated to be worth more than US$6 million (NZ$10 million) Only one piece of jewellery — a diamond cross on platinum that was lost during the suspects' escape — has been recovered Two of the accused have partially confessed to the crime is one of two suspected robbers who allegedly entered the apartment his genetic profile was found on the tape used to gag Kardashian who was waiting for him in a parked car at a nearby train station The second robber said he tied up the concierge with cables but did not go up to Kardashian’s apartment said he acted as a lookout in the ground-floor reception area He said he was unarmed and did not personally threaten Kardashian but admitted he shared responsibility for the crime Abbas was arrested in January 2017 and spent 21 months in prison before being released under judicial supervision he co-authored a French-language book titled I Sequestered Kim Kardashian is the second alleged robber suspected of entering the flat although he was filmed by CCTV cameras and numerous telephone contacts with the other co-defendants show his involvement The other defendants are suspected of providing information about Kardashian’s presence in the apartment Others are accused of playing a role in the resale of the jewellery in Antwerp Joe Cocker and Bad Company will be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame — in a class that also includes pop star Cyndi Lauper the rock duo the White Stripes and grunge masters Soundgarden the first female rap act to achieve gold and platinum status and the late singer-songwriter Warren Zevon will get the Musical Influence Award pianist Nicky Hopkins and bassist Carol Kaye will each get the Musical Excellence Award who sang at Woodstock and was best known for his cover of The Beatles’ With a Little Help From My Friends a member of Elvis Costello & The Attractions who argued that Cocker is "about as rock and roll as it gets" Soundgarden — with the late Chris Cornell as singer — get into the Hall on their third nomination They follow two other grunge acts in the Hall — Nirvana and Pearl Jam Bad Company get in having become radio fixtures with such arena-rock staples as Feel Like Makin’ Love Can’t Get Enough and Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy The Ahmet Ertegun Award — given to nonperforming industry professionals who had a major influence on music — will go to Lenny Waronker Some nominees that didn't get in this year included Mariah Carey and subsequent Let’s Twist Again are considered among the most popular songs in the history of rock 'n' roll The 83-year-old has expressed frustration that he hadn't been granted entry before including telling the AP in 2014: "I don’t want to get in there when I’m 85 years old so you better do it quick while I’m still smiling." Lauper rose to fame in the 1980s with hits such as Time After Time and Girls Just Want To Have Fun and went on to win a Tony Award for Kinky Boots have six Grammys and a reputation for pushing the boundaries of hip-hop The White Stripes — made up of Jack White and Meg White — were indie darlings in the early 2000s with such songs as Seven Nation Army Artists must have released their first commercial recording at least 25 years before they’re eligible for induction The induction ceremony will take place in Los Angeles this fall Nominees were voted on by more than 1200 artists historians and music industry professionals The selection criteria include "an artist’s impact on other musicians the scope and longevity of their career and body of work as well as their innovation and excellence in style and technique" Dave Matthews Band and singer-guitarist Peter Frampton were inducted Lorde has dropped her new single What Was That after weeks of cryptic posts and teases that set fans buzzing It's the lead single from her upcoming fourth album and her first original solo release since 2021's Solar Power which is three minutes and 28 seconds in length Some fans had been lucky enough to hear the track in full earlier this week. On Wednesday, Lorde posted a picture of Washington Square Park yesterday with the caption "tonight 7pm". Fans flooded the park an hour before she was supposed to appear, with photos shared of eager fans scaling trees to catch a glimpse of the singer. Shortly before she was to perform, the Royals singer took to social media to tell fans police had shut the event down. "Omg @thepark the cops are shutting us down," the message read. "I am truly amazed by how many of you showed !!! "But they’re telling me you gotta disperse ... I’m so sorry." However, the pop-up event ended up going ahead after all, with fans who stayed getting their first full airing of Lorde's new single. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Lorde (@lorde) Lorde, real name Ella Yelich O'Connor, announced the single last week sharing a headshot-style photo of her wearing a red shirt with a dripping wet face Earlier this month, she dropped a 15-second snippet of the unreleased song Lorde was seen wearing a white shirt and jeans while walking through New York City I gave you everything/Now we wake from a dream What was that?” she sings over a synth beat It was the first sign of a follow up to Lorde's previous album Besiktas eye Hajduk’s Marko Livaja, but talks wait for title race to finish Real Madrid preparing €100m move for Arsenal’s William Saliba Currently sitting fourth in the Bulgarian championship Levski are trailing leaders Ludogorets by 13 points but remain ambitious in strengthening their squad which was twice managed by Slovenian coach Slaviša Stojanović has set its sights on a high-profile signing The target is none other than Tiemoué Bakayoko The French midfielder once had a bright future even earning a call-up to the French national team his career has lost momentum in recent years Levski see an opportunity to bring Bakayoko to Sofia following reports of a fallout between the player and PAOK coach Răzvan Lucescu While they cannot afford a permanent transfer the Bulgarian side is willing to take him on loan and cover up to half of his wages It remains to be seen whether this ambitious move will materialize but Levski’s determination to land a player of Bakayoko’s pedigree signals their intent to make a statement in Bulgarian football Nogomania.com is a premier destination for football enthusiasts delivering fresh and in-depth content from the heart of the Ex-Yu region's football scene Levski congratulates the majority owner of the football club Nasko Sirakov on his birthday The former Bulgarian national team celebrates his 63rd birthday on April 26 "The majority owner of PFC Levski and top scorer in the club's history 1962 in Stara Zagora and is the son of the great Bulgarian wrestler Petko Sirakov and his first steps towards the men's team of the “blues“ took in the matches between the club's first team and the senior youth team Then he caught the attention of coach Ivan Vutsov and became the first of the upcoming “golden” generation of Levski who debuted for the men in the 1979/80 season after which he was sent to play for other teams under the leadership of coach Sasho Kostov he scored 9 goals and helped the team achieve its best ranking - 8th place in “A” group Sirakov became the legend that we all know today and together with players such as Emil Spasov Borislav Mihaylov and Bozhidar Iskrenov he emerged as the big star in what is considered one of the strongest Levski teams of all time They helped the “blues“ win the Bulgarian championship title three times (1983/84 the Bulgarian Cup once (1986) and the Soviet Army Cup three times (1983/84 Sirakov also became the top scorer of the championship in the 1986/87 and 1987/88 seasons The 1986/87 campaign was particularly memorable Then Sirakov scored 36 goals in 27 matches and won the “bronze boot“ which was donated to the “Levski“ museum The striker's performance during this period also earned him a transfer to the Spanish Zaragoza in the summer of 1988 He quickly became one of the favorites of Serbian coach Radomir Antic and for his entire stay at “La Romareda“ he scored 10 goals in 41 matches He became the top scorer of the “A“ group with 26 goals but the “blues“ remained in second place in the standings after which he returned to “Guerena“ which again made him the top scorer of the championship he was a major contributor to the “blues“ title Sirakov immortalized himself in “blue“ history after scoring four goals against CSKA in the historic 7:1 victory This was also his last campaign for Levski after which he played for Botev Plovdiv and Slavia For “blues“ he recorded 264 matches and 209 goals which makes him #1 in the club's all-time ranking holding the leading position in both goals in the championship and the Bulgarian Cup Participant of the 1986 World Championships in Mexico (goal against Italy) and 1994 in the USA (goal against Argentina) Participant of the 1996 European Championship in England In 1998 he was appointed executive director of Levski As head of “Gerena“ has 5 titles (1999/2000 1/4 final in the UEFA Cup tournament in the 2005/06 season and participation in the group stage of the Champions League in the 2006/07 season he returned as the majority owner of the club in perhaps the most difficult period both financially and from a sporting and technical point of view he added another Bulgarian Cup to the trophy cabinet as the manager PFC Levski congratulates Nasko Sirakov on the holiday and wishes him health personal and professional success and many future unforgettable moments with his beloved team," the club statement says