Owner of Bulgaria's Biggest Telecom Acquires Levski Football Club

Businessman Spas Rusev has been officially announced as the new owner of Levski PFC, one of Bulgaria's key football teams.

Rusev, 62, has received voluntarily all shares of the trio that ran the club over the past year.

This has been the second transfer of ownership in a bit more than a year after June 2015.

Long-time owner Todor Batkov then passed the club into the hands of three shareholders: Ivo Tonev, Aleksandar Angelov, and Nikolay Ivanov.

Rusev, who bought the leading Bulgarian telecom Vivacom early this year, is quoted by 24 Chasa as saying at a press conference.

He has vowed to avoid interference in the debt-ridden team's professional affairs.

"My task is to ensure the appropriate working conditions for the football players and the club's team," Rusev has argued.

Estimates of Capital Daily suggest Levski Sofia has a total debt of BGN 20 M (approximately EUR 10 M) either to the National Revenue Agency of Bulgaria or to other parties.

Last year, before being acquired by Rusev, Vivacom became the official sponsor of Levski.