Emblematic Football Field to Be Blown Up in Sofia

The "A" sector of the emblematic football field "Georgi Asparuhov" in Sofia will be demolished in a controlled explosion Sunday afternoon.

Over 300 kilos of explosives will be used in the operation, which is scheduled for 4:30 pm.

The football field is used for the host games and training practices of one of the top football teams in Sofia and in Bulgaria – Football Club "Levski."

The explosion will take about 10 to 15 minutes, but there will be significant dust and debris. Police will secure the premises and access of people is banned. Adjacent buildings have been secured as well.

The most recent reconstruction of the football field was launched in June 2006. In the following years a new information board was mounted; the grass cover was replaced; new heating and draining systems were built, and sectors "G" and "B" were repaired in the spring and summer of 2011.

In October 2011, the CEO of "Levski," Ivo Tonev, announced plans for complete overhaul of the field. According to them, only the field itself and a small part of the benches will be preserved.

The field in the Sofia district "Gerena" is the third field of the "Levski" FC. In 1936 – 1949, the team had its own field, called "Levski," which was located on part of the current terrain of the National Stadium in downtown Sofia.

After the construction of the National Stadium was lunched, the FC temporarily used the "Yunak" field. In 1952, it moved to a new facility, which is currently the location of the swimming complex "Spartak" in the "Ivan Vazov" district.

The construction of the "Georgi Asparuhov" field in "Gerena" started in 1960. It officially opened on March 10, 1963.