SFC Etar Veliko Tarnovo

History

Foundation and Amateur League (2013–2016)

The club was founded as OFC Etar Veliko Tarnovo in 2013 with the license of FC Botev Debelets. In their first season they finished in 5th position in V Group.

In January 2016, Boncho Genchev became the new manager of the team which was in 3rd place at the halfway point in the season, only two points behind the 1st place team. The selection included Lyubomir Genchev coming from A Group team Montana, Stefan Hristov from Spartak Pleven and the leading goalscorer in the first part of 2015–16 season in B Group, Petar Dimitrov. The team eventually won all its matches, winning the league and being promoted to B Group.

Professional Football (2016–present)

On 9 June 2016 Etar were officially approved for the new 2nd division — Second League, with the club changing its abbreviation to "SFC Etar". Ferario Spasov remains in his position as manager and with a good selection team made promotion to First League. Etar were promoted as champions of the 2016–17 Second League, sealing their title on the final day of the season with a 2–2 away draw against Nesebar, coupled with Septemvri Sofia's 2–0 away defeat to Oborishte.

Etar's first season into the elite was difficult. The team finished 13th in the regular phase, with only four wins. This placed Etar as one of the candidates for relegation. In the relegation phase, Etar finished last in their group and had to play playoff/play out matches in order to remain in the elite. In the first round, Etar beat Pirin Blagoevgrad 3-1 aggregate and advanced to the second round. There, the violets faced Dunav Ruse. Two strong matches resulted in a 4-1 aggregate win, and Etar secured their status as a member of the top tier.

On 4 January 2018 Krasimir Balakov was announced as the new manager in the club with Stanislav Genchev, Iliyan Kiryakov and Kaloyan Chakarov as first team coaches.

After 4 seasons in the First League, Etar was relegated to the Second League at the end of the 2020-21 season. Back into the second tier, Etar managed to finish in fourth place during the 2021–22 season, qualifying for promotion playoffs. Etar, however, lost against Botev Vratsa and did not manage to return to the First League immediately. Next season (2022–23), Etar managed to finish in second place, securing promotion to the First League after two years of absence.

League positions

ImageSize = width:1600 height:60 PlotArea = left:10 right:10 bottom:30 top:10 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:yyyy DateFormat = dd/mm/yyyy Period = from:01/07/1956 till:01/07/2026 ScaleMajor = unit:year increment:2 start:1957 Colors = id:bl1 value:rgb(0.5,0.8,0.5) id:bl2 value:rgb(0.9,0.9,0.3) id:rs value:rgb(0.8,0.6,0.6) id:rn value:rgb(0.9,0.1,0.1)

PlotData= bar:Position width:16 color:white align:center from:01/07/1956 till:01/07/1957 shift:(0,-4) text:4 from:01/07/1957 till:01/07/1958 shift:(0,-4) text:6 from:01/07/1958 till:01/07/1959 shift:(0,-4) text:3 from:01/07/1959 till:01/07/1960 shift:(0,-4) text:9 from:01/07/1960 till:01/07/1961 shift:(0,-4) text:6 from:01/07/1961 till:01/07/1962 shift:(0,-4) text:9 from:01/07/1962 till:01/07/1963 shift:(0,-4) text:4 from:01/07/1963 till:01/07/1964 shift:(0,-4) text:5 from:01/07/1964 till:01/07/1965 shift:(0,-4) text:3 from:01/07/1965 till:01/07/1966 shift:(0,-4) text:4 from:01/07/1966 till:01/07/1967 shift:(0,-4) text:12 from:01/07/1967 till:01/07/1968 shift:(0,-4) text:7 from:01/07/1968 till:01/07/1969 shift:(0,-4) text:1 from:01/07/1958 till:01/07/1969 color:white shift:(0,14) text: "B Group" from:01/07/1969 till:01/07/1970 shift:(0,-4) text:6 from:01/07/1970 till:01/07/1971 shift:(0,-4) text:12 from:01/07/1971 till:01/07/1972 shift:(0,-4) text:12 from:01/07/1972 till:01/07/1973 shift:(0,-4) text:16 from:01/07/1973 till:01/07/1974 shift:(0,-4) text:4 from:01/07/1974 till:01/07/1975 shift:(0,-4) text:15 from:01/07/1969 till:01/07/1975 color:green shift:(0,14) text: "A Group" from:01/07/1975 till:01/07/1976 shift:(0,-4) text:2 from:01/07/1976 till:01/07/1977 shift:(0,-4) text:2 from:01/07/1977 till:01/07/1978 shift:(0,-4) text:3 from:01/07/1978 till:01/07/1979 shift:(0,-4) text:1 from:01/07/1975 till:01/07/1979 color:white shift:(0,14) text: "B Group" from:01/07/1979 till:01/07/1980 shift:(0,-4) text:15 from:01/07/1979 till:01/07/1980 color:green shift:(0,14) text: "A" from:01/07/1980 till:01/07/1981 shift:(0,-4) text:1 from:01/07/1980 till:01/07/1981 color:white shift:(0,14) text: "B" from:01/07/1981 till:01/07/1982 shift:(0,-4) text:10 from:01/07/1982 till:01/07/1983 shift:(0,-4) text:8 from:01/07/1983 till:01/07/1984 shift:(0,-4) text:10 from:01/07/1984 till:01/07/1985 shift:(0,-4) text:8 from:01/07/1985 till:01/07/1986 shift:(0,-4) text:10 from:01/07/1986 till:01/07/1987 shift:(0,-4) text:7 from:01/07/1987 till:01/07/1988 shift:(0,-4) text:9 from:01/07/1988 till:01/07/1989 shift:(0,-4) text:3 from:01/07/1989 till:01/07/1990 shift:(0,-4) text:3 from:01/07/1990 till:01/07/1991 shift:(0,-4) text:1 from:01/07/1991 till:01/07/1992 shift:(0,-4) text:5 from:01/07/1992 till:01/07/1993 shift:(0,-4) text:6 from:01/07/1993 till:01/07/1994 shift:(0,-4) text:6 from:01/07/1994 till:01/07/1995 shift:(0,-4) text:9 from:01/07/1995 till:01/07/1996 shift:(0,-4) text:12 from:01/07/1996 till:01/07/1997 shift:(0,-4) text:13 from:01/07/1997 till:01/07/1998 shift:(0,-4) text:16 from:01/07/1981 till:01/07/1998 color:green shift:(0,14) text: "A Group" from:01/07/1998 till:01/07/1999 shift:(0,-4) text:12 from:01/07/1999 till:01/07/2000 shift:(0,-4) text:13 from:01/07/1998 till:01/07/2000 color:white shift:(0,14) text: "B Group" from:01/07/2000 till:01/07/2001 shift:(0,-4) text:3 from:01/07/2001 till:01/07/2002 shift:(0,-4) text:10 from:01/07/2002 till:01/07/2003 shift:(0,-4) text:1 from:01/07/2000 till:01/07/2003 color:red shift:(0,14) text: "V Group" from:01/07/2003 till:01/07/2004 shift:(0,-4) text:8 from:01/07/2004 till:01/07/2005 shift:(0,-4) text:11 from:01/07/2005 till:01/07/2006 shift:(0,-4) text:8 from:01/07/2006 till:01/07/2007 shift:(0,-4) text:6 from:01/07/2007 till:01/07/2008 shift:(0,-4) text:7 from:01/07/2008 till:01/07/2009 shift:(0,-4) text:13 from:01/07/2009 till:01/07/2010 shift:(0,-4) text:5 from:01/07/2010 till:01/07/2011 shift:(0,-4) text:3 from:01/07/2011 till:01/07/2012 shift:(0,-4) text:1 from:01/07/2003 till:01/07/2012 color:white shift:(0,14) text: "B Group" from:01/07/2012 till:01/07/2013 shift:(0,-4) text:16 from:01/07/2012 till:01/07/2013 color:green shift:(0,14) text: "A Group" from:01/07/2013 till:01/07/2014 shift:(0,-4) text:5 from:01/07/2014 till:01/07/2015 shift:(0,-4) text:2 from:01/07/2015 till:01/07/2016 shift:(0,-4) text:1 from:01/07/2013 till:01/07/2016 color:red shift:(0,14) text: "V Group" from:01/07/2016 till:01/07/2017 shift:(0,-4) text:1 from:01/07/2016 till:01/07/2017 color:white shift:(0,14) text: "2nd" from:01/07/2017 till:01/07/2018 shift:(0,-4) text:11 from:01/07/2018 till:01/07/2019 shift:(0,-4) text:7 from:01/07/2019 till:01/07/2020 shift:(0,-4) text:10 from:01/07/2020 till:01/07/2021 shift:(0,-4) text:14 from:01/07/2017 till:01/07/2021 color:green shift:(0,14) text: "1st League" from:01/07/2021 till:01/07/2022 shift:(0,-4) text:4 from:01/07/2022 till:01/07/2023 shift:(0,-4) text:2 from:01/07/2021 till:01/07/2023 color:white shift:(0,14) text: "2nd" from:01/07/2023 till:01/07/2024 shift:(0,-4) text:16 from:01/07/2023 till:01/07/2024 color:green shift:(0,14) text: "1st" from:01/07/2024 till:01/07/2025 shift:(0,-4) text:7 from:01/07/2025 till:01/07/2026 shift:(0,-4) text: from:01/07/2024 till:01/07/2026 color:white shift:(0,14) text: "2nd"

Nickname, shirt and colors

Their main nicknames are the Bolyars and the Violets, the latter in reference to the colour of their home kit, which is often mistaken for purple.

Honours

Domestic

• Second League:
  • Winners (1): 2016–17
• Third League:
  • Winners (1): 2015–16

Players

Current squad

**

For recent transfers, see Transfers summer 2025 and Transfers winter 2025–26.

Foreign players

Up to five non-EU nationals can be registered and given a squad number for the first team in the Bulgarian First Professional League however only three can be used in a match day. Those non-EU nationals with European ancestry can claim citizenship from the nation their ancestors came from. If a player does not have European ancestry he can claim Bulgarian citizenship after playing in Bulgaria for 5 years.

EU Nationals

EU Nationals (Dual citizenship)

Non-EU Nationals

Reserve team

Etar II () is a Bulgarian football team based in Veliko Tarnovo. It is the reserve team of Etar Veliko Tarnovo, and currently plays in Third League, the third level of Bulgarian football.

Current squad

Notable players

Had international caps for their respective countries, held any club record, or had more than 100 league appearances. Players whose name is listed in bold represented their countries.

;Bulgaria

• Bulgaria Georgi Aleksandrov
• Bulgaria Georgi Angelov
• Bulgaria Preslav Borukov
• Bulgaria Ivaylo Dimitrov
• Bulgaria Plamen Galabov
• Bulgaria Stanislav Genchev
• Bulgaria Zdravko Iliev
• Bulgaria Hristo Ivanov
• Bulgaria Ivan Ivanov
• Bulgaria Mariyan Ivanov
• Bulgaria Svetoslav Kovachev
• Bulgaria Veselin Minev
• Bulgaria Daniel Mladenov
• Bulgaria Georgi Pashov
• Bulgaria Yani Pehlivanov
• Bulgaria Ivan Petkov
• Bulgaria Georgi Sarmov
• Bulgaria Kolyo Stanev
• Bulgaria Ivan Stoyanov
• Bulgaria Krum Stoyanov
• Bulgaria Ventsislav Vasilev
• Bulgaria Preslav Yordanov

;Europe

• Estonia Artjom Artjunin

;CONCACAF

• Panama José Córdoba
• Panama Romeesh Ivey
• Mexico Josecarlos Van Rankin

;Africa

• Cabo Verde Gilson Varela
• Gabon Gaëtan Missi Mezu
• The Gambia Alasana Manneh
• Senegal Alioune Badará

Goalscoring and appearance records

                                                                                                                                            - 

• PLEASE UPDATE THE TABLES ONLY AFTER THE END OF A MATCH ** -

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Most domestic league goals for the club

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• Players in bold are still playing for Etar.

Past seasons

• Seasons in First League: 5
• Seasons in Second League: 4
• Seasons in V Group (now Third League): 3

Managers

Club officials

Board of directors

Current technical body

References

References

1. "Новият "Етър В. Търново" е вече факт!".
2. "Етър Велико Търново започва на чисто във В група". gong.bg.
3. "Бончо Генчев: Ще върнем Етър в професионалния футбол".
4. "Етър хвърли трансферна бомба – привлече голмайстора на "Б" група".
5. (30 May 2016). "Етър се завърна в професионалния футбол пред хиляди боляри на стадион "Ивайло"".
6. (9 June 2016). "Официaлнo: "Етъp" във Втopa лига".
7. (27 May 2017). "Nesebar vs. Etar 2–2". soccerway.com.
8. (27 May 2017). ""Етър" влезе в елита!".
9. "Революция в Търново: Балъков е новият мениджър на Етър, Генчев остава, Деко е аут".
10. (19 May 2021). ""Етър" е първият изпадащ, "Славия" оцеля". btvnovinite.bg.
11. "Първи отбор".
12. "Съставът на Етър за пролет’2026".
13. (16 July 2019). "Дублиращ отбор".