Plovdiv municipal triangle of Plovdiv, including Maritsa municipality and Rodopi municipality. Population of Plovdiv: At the first census after the Liberation of Bulgaria in 1880 with 24,053 citizens, Plovdiv is the second largest city behind Ruse, which had 26,163 citizens then, and ahead of the capital Sofia, which had 20,501 citizens then. As of the 1887 census, Plovdiv was the largest city in the country for several years with 33,032 inhabitants compared to 30,428 for Sofia. According to the 1946 census, Plovdiv was the second largest city with 126,563 inhabitants compared to 487,000 for the capital. In its ethnic character Plovdiv
PFC Lokomotiv Plovdiv can be defined as that of "Sportclub Plovdiv" (being the fan-based team), and of club of the railway workers (being the team funded by the union). In the spring of 1922 the sport club "Karadzha" is founded administratively by the consolidation of some casual football teams in one of the districts of the city of Plovdiv so that the players can compete in the Championship of Plovdiv. Two years later, in 1924, the sport club "Atletik" is formed in the same district of Plovdiv as Karadzha. On 26 July 1926 the two sport clubs from the same district, Karadzha and