PFC Lokomotiv Plovdiv teams are the most supported ones in the second largest city in Bulgaria. Botev is one the country's oldest teams, whereas Lokomotiv grew popular in the 70s. Traditionally, Lokomotiv drew support from the lower working classes of society whereas Botev drew support form the middle and upper classes, although that no longer applies. Another rivalry Lokomotiv Plovdiv has is with one of Bulgaria's most successful football clubs - CSKA Sofia. The rivalry has a geopolitical nuance, first because of the historical competition between the cities of Plovdiv and Sofia as cultural, political and economical centres, and second because of the
Plovdiv institution outside the United States, the American College of Sofia, was founded in Plovdiv in 1860 and later moved to Sofia. On 5 September 2014, Plovdiv was selected as the Bulgarian host of the European Capital of Culture 2019. This happened with the help of the Municipal Foundation "Plovdiv 2019″, a non-government organization, which was established in 2011 by Plovdiv's City Council whose main objectives were to develop and to prepare Plovdiv's bid book for European Capital of Culture in 2019. Plovdiv was given various names throughout its long history. The Odrysian capital "Odryssa" () is suggested to have been