Plovdiv seek home comforts

By Stoyan Georgiev

Their success may have been missed elsewhere in Europe as more illustrious leagues drew to a conclusion, but when PFC Lokomotiv Plovdiv won 3-2 against PFC Slavia Sofia on 8 May, few in Bulgaria could have ignored the significance of the result.

First title
That win saw the club take the Bulgarian title for the first time in their 68-year existence and, eight days later, on 16 May, 40,000 citizens of Bulgaria's second city came to celebrate the club's only major triumph since they won the now defunct Soviet Army Cup in 1983.

Common factor
The club's current coach, 43-year-old Edouard Eranossian, was proud to have been involved in both of the club's greatest triumphs - he was a player in 1983 - but he faces a rather more tricky task if he is to lead his side to European glory this season, with his side trailing 2-0 after the first leg of their UEFA Champions League second qualifying round tie against Club Brugge KV.

Low expectations
As his side prepare for the home leg of their tie - which will be held at PFC Naftex Burgas' home stadium, due to disrepair at their own Lauta stadium - Eranossian was setting his sights low. "We want to play good attacking football," he said. "It will be the same for the return leg."

Close to oblivion
Considering that Lokomotiv could easily have disappeared in the last decade but for a merger with PFC Levski Kustendil, it is hardly surprising that their ambitions are modest. Certainly there was something of a sense of disbelief in Bulgaria when such a modest side overcame the Sofia giants to take the title.

Winning run
However, after wins in their first six games of the season, Eranossian said he knew something was afoot. "After the first five or six games we saw our chance - it was now or never," he told uefa.com. "The lads responded well. We played some good attacking football and we deserved our first ever league title."

EURO contenders
After lifting the title in the summer, Eranossian travelled to Portugal to watch two of his players - defenders Vladimir Ivanov and Kiril Kotev - in action at UEFA EURO 2004™, and to take another look at his major summer signing, goalkeeper Stoyan Kolev, who rejoined Lokomotiv from PFC CSKA Sofia.

Keeping hold
After winning the title, the coach had been keen to add to his squad, saying: "The real work starts now. We must reinforce." However, in the event, his main achievement in the summer has been to keep hold of his best players, with only F.Y.R. Macedonian Vance Trajanov having left the club to join DSC Arminia Bielefeld.

Kamburov remains
And arguably the best of those players is Martin Kamburov, the Bulgarian league's top scorer last season, who was an odd omission from Plamen Markov's squad for Portugal. Markov's successor - national team legend Hristo Stoitchkov - has been quick to call him up for his first friendly games in charge.

Late goals
Such faith in the striker can only be good news for Eranossian, whose side may have considered themselves unlucky to lose in Bruges last week, having managed to keep their hosts at bay for long spells before Croatian striker Boško Balaban scored twice in the last 20 minutes to win the game.

Up against it
However, the coach knows his side are up against it. "We will need a miracle to go through," he said. "Brugge are very solid. But we will play our style and will attack from the first whistle."