Mayor Pencho Milkov honored the legends of Ruse football who defeated the Roma team 50 years ago

Sunday, 05 October 2025

One of the most glorious pages in the history of Bulgarian football – 50 years since the famous victory of “Dunav” over the Italian giants “Roma” – was celebrated today at the City Stadium in Ruse.

Half a century ago – on October 1, 1975 – “Dunav” defeated the guests from the Eternal City 1:0 in Ruse in a rematch of the UEFA Cup tournament. Although the team from Ruse was eliminated after an aggregate score of 1:2, the success against one of the strongest European clubs remains as a vivid symbol of sportsmanship, will and love for the game.

On the occasion of the anniversary, a short ceremony was organized before the start of the match between “Dunav” and “Etar” from the 11th round of the Second League. The event was attended by legendary football players from the golden team of "Dunav" - Ignat Mladenov, Blagoy Dalev, Ivan Vazharov, Todor Todorov, Pavel Malinov, Lyudmil Aleksandrov, Nikola Hristov - team captain, Stoyan Iliev and Valentin Nikolaev, who were applauded loudly by the audience. The Mayor of the Municipality of Ruse Pencho Milkov presented each of them with a diploma. He also presented them with an honorary plaque in recognition of their contribution to the history of Ruse football. The Mayor congratulated the football players and thanked them for making Ruse proud of the victory for 50 years. “You showed what it means to fight until your last breath for the honor of your city and you proved that there are no impossible things, that with hard work, discipline and faith in yourself, even the greatest can be defeated. With every minute on the field, you defended not only the colors of the club, but also the dignity of Ruse. Today, five decades later, your victory continues to live on – in the memories, in the stories, in the hearts of all who are proud of you. That is why your success is an inspiration for generations of Ruse residents who love football and believe in the strength of their home team,” said Milkov.

The unforgettable teammates who are no longer with us were also mentioned with respect – Slavi Damyanov, Alexander Manolov, Ventsislav Lambev and the author of the winning goal – Todor Ivanov, who will forever remain part of the football glory of Ruse.

The ceremony was also attended by Deputy Mayors Dimitar Nedev and Encho Enchev, Director of ME "Sports Properties" Lachezar Ivanov, Regional Governor Dragomir Draganov, Chairman of the Regional Council of the Bulgarian Football Union Dimitar Dimitrov-Kulimans and others. Draganov also presented an honorary plaque to the players and awarded them with diplomas. The Football Club "Dunav" honored each of the players with a commemorative statuette.

On behalf of the Regional Council of the Bulgarian Football Union, Chairman Dimitar Dimitrov-Kulimans honored Sevdalin Petrov and Volodya Surdov for their long-standing contribution to the football refereeing community and their work as delegates of the Bulgarian Football Union.

After the ceremony, the audience at the City Stadium stayed to support their beloved "Dunav" in the derby against "Etar". The football team appeals to their fans to help with the treatment of 26-year-old cancer patient Radoslav Vassilev, who is part of the match security.

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