Spartak 2012, new Bulgarian champions!

The Varna-based side edge city rivals VNL (2-1) to clinch first ever national honour in Burgas

The seventh edition of the Bulgarian Beach Soccer League crowned a new national champion, Spartak 2012, who edged city rivals VNL in the final held last weekend in Burgas. A tight 2-1 was enough for Spartak to seize the crown, thus being granted the possibility of taking part in next season’s Euro Winners Cup.

With five members of the National Squad: (Dobromir Gospodinov, Kaloyan Tsvetkov, Kaloyan Dimitrov, Georgi Minkov and Simeon Hristov ? head coach of the Bulgarian National team), Spartak overruled VNL, who also banked on Internationally experienced players (Filip Filipov and Chavdar Petrov), in the final, thus claiming their first honour ever.

Ten teams took part in this season of the Bulgarian National League: Spartak-2012 (Varna), VNL (Varna), Varna boys (Varna), Odesos (Varna), FC Ruse (Ruse), Ticha (Dolni Chiflik), Saint Nikola (Burgas), Akademica (Sofia), Lions (Sofia) and Police Sport Association (Sofia). 

After the two preliminary stages, held in Ruse and Shkorpilovci, Spartak-2012 (Varna), VNL (Varna), Varna boys (Varna), Odesos (Varna), Saint Nikola (Burgas) and Police Sport Association (Sofia) made it to the season decider, held in the country’s second biggest coastal city, Burgas.

Results:

Group A
Varna boys (Varna) 6:12 VNL (Varna)
Odesos (Varna) 4:5 VNL (Varna)
Varna boys (Varna) 6:5 Odesos (Varna)

Group B
Police Sport Association (Sofia) 1:6 Spartak-2012 (Varna)
Spartak-2012 (Varna) 3:1 Saint Nikola (Burgas)
Saint Nikola (Burgas) 5:7 Police Sport Association (Sofia) 

Play-offs
Odesos (Varna) 4:9 Saint Nikola (Burgas) – (Match for the 5th place)
Police Sport Association (Sofia) 4:11 Varna boys (Varna) – (Match for the 3rd)
Spartak-2012 (Varna) 2:1 VNL (Varna) – (Final)

Final standing:
1.    Spartak-2012 – Champion
2.    VNL – Runner-up
3.    Police Sport Association
4.    Varna boys
5.    Saint Nikola
6.    Odesos

Individual awards:
Best scorer ? Filip Filipov – VNL (Varna)
Best goalkeeper ? Dobromir Gospodinov  – Spartak-2012 (Varna)
MVP ? Stoyan Nenov – Saint Nikola (Burgas)