Akademik Sofia

Akademik was founded in the 1947, by Sofia University (the oldest higher education institution in Bulgaria, founded on 1 October 1888) students as a football club. Two years later, Akademik were promoted for the first time to the Bulgarian A Group. The 1950 season in the domestic league was very successful for the team, which finished 3rd in the top division. In the next campaign, Akademik finished fourth and reached the final of Bulgarian Cup, losing 0–1 to CSKA Sofia. In 1952 the club's form dropped, however, and they were relegated to B PFG finishing second to last, before Spartak Varna. Akademik would wait 12 years for another taste of top-level football, when in 1964 the club managed to promote to the A Group again. The 1964–65 season was largely unsuccessful, with the students finishing last, suffering an immediate return to the B Group. The third promotion to A Group in 1969 marked the beginning of Akademik's golden age. From 1969 to 1979, Akademik spent their longest ever period in the top division. In 1974, Akademik won its first international trophy, beating Vardar Skopje 2–0 on aggregate in the final of Balkans Cup. In the 1975–76 season the team finished 3rd in the domestic league and qualified for the first time for the UEFA Cup. At the European level, Akademik defeated Czechoslovak side SK Slavia Prague in the first round before making a memorable appearance in the second round against Italian giants A.C. Milan, winning 4–3 at home on 20 October 1976. However,…

Domestic

A Group: Third place (2): 1950, 1975–76 B Group: Winners (2): 1963–64, 1979–80 Runners-up (1): 2009–10 Bulgarian Cup: Runners-up (1): 1951

European

Balkans Cup Winners (1): 1974 UEFA Cup 1/16 finalist: 1976–77

European cup history