FC Rodopa Smolyan
FC Rodopa (ФК Родопа) is a Bulgarian football club based in Smolyan, which currently plays in the South-East Third League, the third tier of Bulgarian football league system. The team was named after the Rhodope Mountains and plays its home matches at the local Stadion Septemvri. They play in green and white kits.
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| Full name | Football Club Rodopa Smolyan | ||
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| Founded | 1927 | ||
| Ground | Stadion Septemvri | ||
| Capacity | 6 000 | ||
| Chairman |  Petar Mandzhukov | ||
| Manager | Yuliyan Syurdzhiev | ||
| League | South-East Third League | ||
| 2019–20 | South-East Third League, 12th | ||
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Rodopa was founded in 1927, however it was not until 2002 when it played in the A Group for the first time in its history. The team managed to remain four seasons in the top division, before falling down all the way to the fourth tier, where it played until 2019, when promotion to the third tier was achieved.
History
The Beginning
Smolyan has had various football clubs in different periods, the most notable of them being Rodopets (since 1957). FC Rodopa was formed by separating from the local sports association in 1985. However, prior to that Smolyan has football team representation in both B and V groups.
Member of the Bulgarian Elite
The team qualified for the top division for the first time in their history, by winning the Bulgarian B Football Group in the 2002–03 season.
In their first season in the Bulgarian elite, the team managed to finish in 10th place, which was a success for Rodopa, since they avoided relegation. The team achieved 10 wins, 3 draws and 17 losses, which earned them 33 points. They also managed to beat Bulgarian powerhouse PFC Levski Sofia at home.
In their second top-flight season, Rodopa achieved a 12th-place finish, being one point above relegated PFC Vidima-Rakovski Sevlievo.
In their third season in A PFG, Rodopa Smolyan finished 12th, 2 points above relegated Pirin 1922 Blagoevgrad.
In the 2006-07 season, Rodopa did not perform so well, and they were relegated to the B PFG, after finishing 15th.
Lower Leagues
After the 2006–07 season, the team began experiencing serious financial problems, which ultimately led to the team dropping all the way into the fourth tier, where it used to play until 2019, the Regional Amateur Leagues.
Rodopa managed to return to the Bulgarian third league for the 2019–20 season. The team will play in the Southeast Third League, based on the geographic location of their home town, Smolyan. Rodopa finished 12th in the third tier for the 2019–20 season.
Honours
- Tenth place in the "A" group: 2003/04
- First place in the "B" group - 2002/03
- Cup of Amateur Football League: 1997/98
- Seasons in the "A" group, from 2003/04 to 2006/07
- 1/4 Finalist in the National Cup Tournament: at that time its official name is Cup of Bulgaria - 2003/04
Current squad
As of 1 September 2019 Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Former players
- For all Rodopa players with a Wikipedia article see Category:PFC Rodopa Smolyan players.