Ludogorets Arena: PFC Ludogorets
By Tsonpen (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons
Located in the North-East of Razgrad, Ludogrets Arena (currently Huvepharma Arena due to sponsorship) has been home to PFC Ludogorets since the club was formed in 2001. It underwent a complete reconstruction from the ground up in 2011, however, so technically the stadium as it is now has only been the club’s home ground since then. Up to two months before the newly revamped stadium was due to open it was still called Stadion Dyanko Stefanov, but the council allowed the change of name to signify the fact that it was an entirely new ground.
As a relatively new team, PFC Ludogorets have been quite clever with the design of the stadium. Aware that they would initially have quite a small fanbase, the ground was designed with the ability to increase its capacity as the team grew in stature and gained more respect in the Bulgarian league. Because the stadium will only really need to expand as the club qualifies for European competition, the financing of the stadium will be self-sufficient.
Stats
| Ludogorets Arena Stats | |
|---|---|
| Year Opened | 2011 |
| Capacity | 10254 |
| Average Attendance | 1507 |
| Record Attendance | 8763 (Ludogrets v Levski Sofia) |
| Pitch Size | 105 x 68 (7140) |
| Former Name | Dyanko Stefanov Stadium |
| Owner | Municipality of Razgrad |
| Sponsor | Huvepharma |
| Clubs Hosted | Ludogorets Razgrad, Ludogorets Razgrad II, Bulgaria national under-21 football team |
| First Fixture | Ludogrets v Lokomotiv (Plovdiv) (06/08/2011) |
| PFC Ludogorets Razgrad Stats | |
|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2001 |
| Nickname | Orlite (The Eagles) |
| Club Mascot | Fortuna |
| Rivals | Levski Sofia |
| Kit | Green (Home) / Turqoise (Away) / Pink (Third) |
| Training Ground | Sport Center Ludogorets |
| Shirt Sponsor | efbet |
| Team Owner | Kiril Domuschiev |
| Record Goalscorer | Claudiu Keșerü (139) |
| Record Appearances | Svetoslav Dyakov (350) |
Ludogorets Arena Photos
By Juju13620 (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0]
By ludogorets.com [CC BY-SA 2.5]
By http://www.ludogorets.com/en/ (http://www.ludogorets.com/en/sport-center/) [CC BY-SA 4.0]
Ludogorets Arena Seating Plan and Where to Sit
There are 650 seats in the Central Tribune with 2308 in Sector B, 1631 in Sector A/A1, 2266 in Sector G, and 3616 in Sector V. This has already grown since the stadium first opened but it remains a small, intimate affair that follows the ‘English Style’ in its design. That means that there are stands on each side of the pitch, rather than a bowl of continuous seating more common with ‘European Style’ stadiums. Visiting supporters are housed in Sector G behind one of the goals.
PFC Ludogorets Razgrad Ticket Prices
Tickets for Ludogorets matches are actually very cheap indeed. A single Bulgarian Lev is worth just shy of 50p, so when you read the prices you can pretty much halve them when exchanging them into pounds. A seat in the Central Tribune will cost around 15 Lev (around £6.40), Sectors A and B will cost about 10 Lev each (about £4.20) and Sector V will set you back in the region of 8 Lev (around £3.80).
How To Get PFC Ludogorets Razgrad Tickets
The best way to get tickets is to head to the Nest of Eagles Sports centre where you can not only buy your tickets but also get advice on where the best places are to sit in the ground.
Where to Buy
Getting To Ludogorets Arena
Bulgaria is becoming a more and more popular tourist destination with each passing year. That doesn’t mean that it’s easy to get to, of course, but your options are constantly increasing. Here are some of the better ones:
Train – It would take you about two days to get from London St. Pancras to Razgrad. Should you choose to take the train you’ll stop in Dusseldorf, Wein, Budapest and Sofia before arriving at your destination. Given that there isn’t a train station close to the ground you might want to consider an alternative route…
Bus – Razgrad lacks the same sort of excellent bus service that other cities are able to boast. For that reason you might want to consider jumping a taxi or walking.
Car – Your best bet is to take Route 49 to бул. България before turning onto Априлско въстание. From there you’ll be able to see the ground or, at the very least, follow signs to it.
By Air – Razgrad doesn’t have an airport of its own, so you’ll flying into one of Bulgaria’s most popular alternatives. Varna Airport, Băneasa International Airport and Henri Coandă International Airport are all about seventy miles from the city.
Taxi – Taxis in Bulgaria aren’t too expensive thanks to the exchange rate, but make sure you either book a private hire or else check beforehand how much the fare will be.
Parking Near Ludogorets Arena
There are three car parks in total at the Ludogorets Arena. There is one for members of the press, one for away supporters and a further one for home fans.
Useful Resources
Ludogorets Arena Hotels
Razgrad is still something of an emerging city, so most of the hotels tend to be B&Bs that we’re reluctant to recommend at this point. Instead we’ll offer a couple of locations near to the airports you’ll almost certainly end up flying into:
If you’d like to see hotels much closer to the stadium click the “more hotels” link at the bottom.
Divesta - £40+
angelo by Vienna House Bucharest - £55+
Phoenicia Grand Hotel - £70+
Pubs and Bars Near Ludogorets Arena
Bulgaria is getting known more and more for its excellent bar scene and the chance to enjoy a drink or two. Here are some nice places to head to for a pre-match pint if you find yourself in Razgrad:
Almost Famous
Bar Soho
No Mercy
Facilities
Ludogorets Arena isn’t one of the world’s most spectacular and impressive stadiums, but it’s one of the newest in Bulgaria. Consequently it is clean and tidy and you’ll find all of the things you’d expect from a top-tier ground including plenty of places to buy food and drinks. There are also comfortable seats and good views from most places in the stadium.
Hospitality
There is a large VIP section in between Sectors A and A1. The full details of the hospitality experiences on offer from the club change depending on the opposition and the competition that the team is taking part in. For more specific information it’s worth getting in touch with the club.
Private Hire
The stadium is equipped with a state-of-the-art conference hall, complete with high-speed internet and the ability to host presentations and, as the name suggests, conferences.
Stadium Tours & Museum
At the time of writing it is not possible to do a tour of the Ludogorets Arena. Obviously it’s more than possible for that to change, so check back here periodically and we’ll let you know if anything’s different.
About PFC Ludogorets Razgrad
Professional football club Ludogorets Razgrad was only formed in 2001. Since then they have gone on to make quite an impact on Bulgarian football, rising to the A Group of the Parva Ligue in 2011 and immediately going on to win a treble. They secured the Bulgarian title, won the Bulgarian Cup and also snagged the Bulgarian Supercup, becoming only the third side to manage that feat after CSKA Sofia and Levski Sofia.
As you would expect, of course, their incredible performance firstly in the Bulgarian league and subsequently in Europe wasn’t all the result of little more than hard work and good tactics. Ludogorets was bought by the businessman Kiril Domuschiev in 2010, with the club immediately making large bids for high-profile players. The first championship was secured in exciting fashion, with a 1-0 win over CSKA Sofia securing them the title in a do-or-die game.
Ludogorets Arena History
Ludogorets were technically formed in 2001, taking part of the name of a team that played in the city from 1945 until 2006. Also falling under the ‘technically’ bracket is the age of the stadium. A ground was actually built on the spot where the Ludogorets Arena currently sits in the middle of the 1950s. This was all but demolished when Domuschiev bought the club out, however, resulting in a new stadium being built in its place. That is the ground that exists now.
The complication over the stadium comes in the form of the club’s participation in European competition. As Ludogorets Arena barely reaches UEFA’s minimum requirements for a stadium to feature in the Champions League or the Europa League the club tend to play their European home games 170 miles away at the stadium of their rivals Levski Sofia. As such some of the stadium’s most famous nights are yet to be hosted.
Future Developments
The club’s consistent participation in European competition may well see the owner decide to develop the stadium to welcome nearly double its current capacity in the coming years. He has also suggested the possibility of moving to an entirely new ground, however, so don’t hold your breath on improvements being made.