site.btaUPDATED BTA Archive Revisits Gundi and Kotkov 55 Years after Fatal Crash

Fifty-five years ago on Tuesday, Levski footballers Georgi "Gundi" Asparuhov and Nikola "the Kitten" Kotkov were killed in a car crash on a mountain road in Northwestern Bulgaria. The two were travelling to Vratsa for a friendly marking the 50th anniversary of the local Botev Football Club. Shortly after a stopover at a filling station, 52 km from Sofia, in the Vitinya Pass of the Western Balkan Range, around 11:30 a.m. on June 30, 1971, the Alfa Romeo that Asparuhov was driving at about 100 km/h rammed the fuel tank of a heavy ZIL truck and trailer that blocked the route, emerging on the main road from a T-fork, invisible behind a sharp left turn. The car caught fire, and Asparuhov, Kotkov and a hitchhiker they had picked up minutes earlier perished in the flames.

Who Were Gundi and Kotkov

Georgi Asparuhov was born in Sofia on May 4, 1943. During his football career, he played as centre-forward for Botev Plovdiv and Levski Sofia. With Levski, he became champion of Bulgaria three times, in 1965, 1968 and 1970, and won the Soviet Army Cup (which was the national cup at that time) three times, in 1967, 1970 and 1971. In the 1964/1965 season, he scored 27 goals for Levski to become the league's top scorer. He was part of European Cup Winners' Cup quarter-finals twice, in 1963 with Botev Plovdiv and in 1970 with Levski Sofia. He declined transfer offers from Milan, Benfica and Inter.

Starting in 1962, Asparuhov was capped 49 times and scored 19 goals. He played at three World Cup competitions: Chile 1962, England 1966, and Mexico 1970. He is one of only three Bulgarians who have scored against England at Wembley (in 1968). In 1965, he was named Bulgarian Footballer of the Year and Bulgarian Athlete of the Year. That same year, he placed eighth in the Ballon d'Or poll of the French magazine France Football. The Bulgarian Football Federation listed him posthumously as one of Bulgaria's four best centre-forwards for the 1970-1971 season. In 1999, he was posthumously selected Bulgaria's Best Footballer of the 20th Century in a ranking by Noshten Trud newspaper. The Levski Sofia Stadium, a.k.a. Gerena, was named after him in 1990. In 2014, he was posthumously awarded the highest Bulgarian honour - the Order of the Balkan Range, First Class, and was made Honorary Citizen of Sofia.

Nikola Kotkov was born in Sofia on December 9, 1938. During his football career, he played for Lokomotiv Sofia, Slavia Sofia, and Levski Sofia. As a forward, he became champion of Bulgaria with Lokomotiv in 1964 and with Levski in 1970. He won the Soviet Army Cup with Levski twice, in 1970 and 1971. Between 1962 and 1968, he played 26 matches for the Bulgarian national team (including at the World Cup in England in 1966), scoring 12 goals. He was named Bulgarian Footballer of the Year in 1964.

 Last Matches

 In June 1971, BTA's Sports News bulletin covered the last official matches played by Asparuhov and Kotkov in Pernik (Southwestern Bulgaria) and Sofia:

Levski-Spartak Are Soviet Army Cup Finalists

Sofia, June 16 (BTA) - Pernik City Stadium had never held such a large number of spectators in its stands. Interest in the Soviet Army Cup semi-final between Levski-Spartak and Marek was enormous. [. . .]

In the 38th minute, an excellent deep pass by Asparuhov found Veselinov, who reached the byline, crossed, and Panov scored the first goal for Levski-Spartak from a tight angle. Like a film reel, the move was repeated just three minutes later, but this time Veselinov chose to shoot himself and made it 2-0. Marek's resistance collapsed and until the end of the match Levski-Spartak were in full control on the pitch.

[. . .] In the 54th minute, a free kick was taken in front of Mihaylov's goal. The ball was cleared by the defence, and P. Kirilov took it almost from the penalty area, sprinted irresistibly towards Shaldupov and made it 4-0. The scoring run was completed by Kotkov, who came on in the second half. In the 68th minute, he took a free kick with finesse and shaped the final score, 5-0 for Levski-Spartak.

CSKA Septemvriysko Zname Are National Football Champion

Sofia, June 28 (BTA) - The flag was lowered that evening at Vasil Levski Stadium on the 1970/1971 national football championship. The gold medals and the national champion title were won by the players of CSKA Septemvriysko Zname. The silver medals went to Levski-Spartak, and the bronze to Botev Vratsa. [. . .]

Three fine shots stood out in the first half, by Zhechev and Asparuhov, which hit the posts, and by Yankov, whose effort was saved with difficulty by Mihaylov.

After the break, play evened out and the pace dropped. [. . .]

A little later, in the 60th minute, Veselinov opened the scoring with a fine, sharp shot, 1-0 for Levski-Spartak. That score remained unchanged until the end of the match. The good in this match, however, was overshadowed by an unsportsmanlike act. In the 75th minute, Asparuhov took a ball from the centre and headed towards the byline. For no particular reason, he was tripped by Yankov, to which Asparuhov reacted in an unsportsmanlike manner. Shterev showed both players to the dressing room. The two groups of fans who had taken places in the east and west stands also left an extremely poor impression. They chanted insulting phrases, booed the teams and behaved improperly even during the formal closing ceremony. These groups had nothing to do with sport and had no place in the stands. At the formal closing, Bulgarian Football Federation Chairman Danail Nikolov presented the cup and the flag to the new champions, the CSKA Septemvriysko Zname team, with captain Dimitar Penev accepting them. The thousands of spectators applauded the title winners as they made their honorary lap of the pitch. [. . .]

Death and Funeral

On the day of the crash, the BTA Sports News bulletin carried an obituary for the two footballers, issued by the Interior Ministry, the Central Committee of the Dimitrov Young Communist Union (DYCU), the Central Council of the Bulgarian Union for Physical Culture and Sports (BSFS), the Bulgarian Football Federation (BFF), the Levski-Spartak Physical Culture and Sport Association (PCSA), and Bulgarian Communist Party (BCP) chapters:

Georgi Asparuhov, Nikola Kotkov

Sofia, June 30 (BTA) - Our prominent football players, Merited Masters of Sports and personnel members of the Ministry of Interior, Major Georgi Asparuhov and Major Nikola Kotkov, have perished in the line of duty as a result of a road traffic accident.

Georgi Asparuhov and Nikola Kotkov were distinguished by their hard work, high sports morale, fervent patriotism and dedication. They were true fighters on the sports field, unforgettable comrades, friends, and favourites.

Their numerous appearances as part of the national football team in world, Olympic and numerous domestic and international championships and tournaments are a crowning fulfilment of a duty well done to the motherland.

The lying-in-state will be held on July 2, from 8 to 11 am, at the Levski Stadium in the Poduyane Quarter.

The burial will take place on the same day, at 12 noon, at the Sofia [Central] Cemetery.

The football legends' funeral drew an estimated 550,000 mourners - far more than any such ceremony for a deceased communist functionary and comparable only to the mourning for King Boris III in 1943. Here is the coverage in the BTA bulletin:

Funeral of Asparuhov and Kotkov

Sofia, July 2 (BTA) - The distinguished Bulgarian footballers, long-time players for the national football team and for the Levski-Spartak PCSA, Merited Masters of Sport Georgi Asparuhov and Nikola Kotkov, who died tragically in a car crash on June 30, were buried in the capital city today. Thousands of sports fans from the capital and the country flocked to the Levski Stadium in the Poduyane Quarter to pay tribute to the mortal remains of the two football fans' favourites. Interior Minister Angel Solakov, DKMS Central Committee First Secretary and Chairman of the Committee for Youth and Sport Ivan Panev, deputy ministers and senior Ministry of Interior officials, BSFS Central Council Chairman Trendafil Martinski, Bulgarian Olympic Committee President Vladimir Stoychev, many public figures, merited activists of physical culture, athletes from across the country and others came to honour the memory of the deceased.

Levski-Spartak PCSA Chairman Lyuben Chervenushev delivered a eulogy. He stressed the undeniable contribution of the deceased to the advancement of Bulgarian football, their devotion to sport, their dedication to their homeland, and their civic and socialist valour.

A large memorial rally was held at the Sofia Cemetery. The Deputy Interior Minister, Lieutenant General Mincho Agayn, spoke about the life and services of the two outstanding athletes. "Ministry of Interior employees," he said, "will keep lasting memories of their colleagues' integrity, diligence and perseverance in fulfilling their official assignments. They will also remember the two athletes who did not spare any of their youthful fervour, their strength and their exceptional talent to befittingly represent their club and Bulgarian football".

The Secretary of the BCP Vasil Levski Borough Committee, Maria Ivanova, also delivered an address. She traced the short life path of Asparuhov and Kotkov and spoke of their example as honourable citizens [. . .].

On behalf of the BSFS Central Council and the Bulgarian Football Federation, the Federation's Chairman Danail Nikolov delivered a eulogy. "We will never forget Asparuhov's and Kotkov's significant contribution to the development of Bulgarian football, their diligence, skill, sportsmanship and great patriotism, which will set an example to the young generation," Nikolov said.

The thousands-strong crowd paid its last respects to the unforgettable Bulgarian athletes by observing a minute of silence and kneeling.

The lying-in-state was actually cut short because the organizers panicked lest the crowd would get out of control. The coffins were hastily loaded onto a Soviet-made jeep, taken out of the stadium through a side gate and driven to the cemetery along back streets. Fans formed spontaneously a huge procession that accompanied the vehicle to the graveside.

The unprecedented outpouring of grief for the soccer stars cost Interior Minister Angel Solakov his portfolio. He was ousted in a cabinet reshuffle on July 9 after Communist dictator Todor Zhivkov personally castigated him at a meeting of the BCP Central Committee Politburo: "We appreciate these athletes, they are talented, but what Comrade Solakov did - I don't know whether anybody would take the liberty of doing in any other socialist country without the party and state leadership becoming concerned. [. . .] You issued an administrative order for the entire senior personnel of the Ministry to attend. Why did you hold the funeral at the time when the Soviet cosmonauts were being buried? Why did we have to embitter the Soviet people, on what grounds? We respect all talented people in our country, including the footballers, but we can't tolerate and we won't tolerate any idols to be set up for our youth and people other than the idols set up by the party."

Zhivkov was infuriated because Asparuhov and Kotkov were taken to their final resting place simultaneously with the state funeral in Moscow of three Soviet cosmonauts who had died - also on June 30, when their Soyuz 11 spacecraft depressurized during re-entry. The Bulgarian authorities, though, had much more to worry about. Gundi's immense popularity, his iconic status with ordinary people was seen by the regime as a threat. Asparuhov's widow Velichka even told his team-mate Tsvetan "Metsi" Veselinov: "If Georgi hadn't died in the accident, they would surely have found a way to get rid of him anyway."

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Explanatory Note: The prominent presence of the Interior Ministry in the funeral arrangements is not surprising. Because professional sports nominally did not exist under the Bulgarian communist regime, all athletes were legally classified as amateurs. The State placed football clubs under the patronage of various government ministries. In the case of Levski, this was the Ministry of Interior, and its players were officially employed as police officers with a rank and salary to match. Asparuhov and Kotkov were buried in their police captain uniforms, and they were posthumously promoted to major.