History

In 1924 Sofia municipality granted empty, not built up area, on the right side of Perlovska River, before Eagle’s Bridge. The terrain in that time was on the verge of the city and it was a dung-hill where the Sofia municipality threw the garbage of the citizens. On that place there had been built a stadium, with volunteer labour mainly and resources and under the project of architect Zafir Abrashev who was the chief executer of the building in that time.

The playground for a long time was one of the most used ones in the capital. It was with a coarse cinder terrain, track-and-field athletics track and tribunes for about 10 000 spectators and it was the place not only for performance of the most matches for the capital and the national championship but also for almost all national track-and-field athletics championships.

In 1949 they took a decision for building new stadium in the centre of the capital. Architect Tenyo Dundakov offered architecture of Vassil Levski stadium in 1953. This stadium, with its size and its conception of the time, had been a facility for 75-80 hundred spectators’ seats and it was more convenient for football meetings.

Nowadays there is located Vassil Levski National Stadium.

Indisputable is the necessity of modernization of the stadium which has not been repaired in the last 30 years.

To the commencement of the reconstruction and the thorough repairs, Vassil Levski National Stadium functioned as stadium-playground that fulfilled the standards for such but it did not suit the requirements of UEFA for bigger space between the rows (80 cm) instead of the space till that time (70 cm). (Pictures of the stadium before the reconstruction – to the end of 1996)

In 1997 there was an idea for changing the stadium seats and a cosmetic repairs but no one thought of an entire reconstruction. The execution and the engineering project must have been considered with the recommendation of UEFA for requirements which international sport facilities had to meet.

In the middle of 1998 the president in the time of the Committee of youth, physical education and sport started the planned reconstruction. On that time the stadium was in the biggest trade company of CYPES and National Sport Base (NSB).

The repairs, however, was not a cosmetic one but it turned into a reconstruction. The activity around the reconstruction did not advance. The slow down was for the insufficient resources allowed by CYPES and for the lack of project documentation. This enforced new general account which included project, repairs, investor’s, and complex architect-building and technical supervision.

In the middle of 1999 the supervisory and investor’s supervision of the University of Architecture, building and geodesies withdrew and alarmed that the site has been building without anti-earthquake assurance.        

In the beginning of the year 2000 it appeared that the decision of the stadium repairs is incorrect and a work team had been appointed. New amendments in the Sport law had been provided. It had been suggested the Committee of Youth, Physical Education and Sport (CYPES) to turn into State Youth and Sport Agency (SYSA).

In the end of May 2000 the site had been closed, the repairs work stopped and the project activity frozen.

With a Decision of the Commission a project realization conformed to UEFA requirements started. This project aimed to put the sport complex to work (and the football stadium, too) for football matches. The project was conformed also to the requirements noted in the instruction passed by Council of Ministers’ Decree № 173 in the year of 2000.

In July, 2000 the Committee of Youth, Physical Education and Sport (CYPES) turned into State Youth and Sport Agency (SYSA).

The repairs stopped, there were no perspective of finalization till the end of September. It was necessary to change the electric panel, the water-supply installation, to construct security and sound-screen system…

In December, 2000 Vassil Levski stadium was not already among the possessions of National Sport Base and it was directly under the sway of SYSA with chairman in 2001 – Vasil Ivanov – Luchano.

The reconstruction was in action again in 2001 under the direction of Georgi Linkov.

On October 11, 2002 the National Assembly elected Vasil Ivanov – Luchano for Minster of the Ministry of Youth and Sport.

By Decree 254 in November 7, 2002 the State Agency of Youth and Sport had been closed down and it became Ministry of Youth and Sport with Regulations system approved by the National Assembly 

Vassil Levski National Stadium is completed at last, although the end of its repairs was unseen for five years.

On September 15 and 16, 2002 in Sofia UEFA representatives Claudio Negroni and Enrico Walker arrived and personally saw the condition of Vassil Levski National Stadium. The two experts were absolutely pleased with the team work which succeeded to put the repairs to an end and to open the door to the international match Bulgaria – Croatia in November 12, 2002.

‘We are acquainted with the condition of Vassil Levski National Stadium. We know that 3000 seats with backs are placed there and the stadium can be used freely for matches and for 5000 spectators’ – said the two UEFA emissaries.

In the period of 2002-2003 they had finalized the repairs including vertical plan outside the stadium cup, parking lots and the approaches to the main Sofia arteries.

Vassil Levski National Stadium is entirely completed. Its capacity is 43 500 seats together with the boxes. With UEFA instruction 10 % of them are for guest propaganda groups.

August 16, 2005. State Agency of Youth and Sport (SAYS) had been founded in accordance with an Instruction by the National Assembly of the Bulgarian Republic and with Council Ministers’ Decree. It is legal entity and master of first-rate of the budget credits to the Council of Ministers.

The Parliament nominated for a chairperson of SYSA Vesela Nikolova Lecheva, world shooting champion and a deputy from Bulgarian Coalition.

SYSA became successor of all assets and liabilities, rights and responsibilities of the former Ministry of Youth and Sport. The Agency guarantees the independence of the politics in the sport sphere, social tourism and in respect of the youth.

The chairperson of SYSA Mrs. Vesela Lecheva will receive help from three vice-deputies and she is the first-rate master of the budget resources.