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=== 2000s ===
After the first two roundsfixtures in the spring of 2000, [[Dimitar Penev]] was relieved as coach because of the consecutive losses and in his place was appointed [[Georgi Dimitrov (footballer)|Georgi Dimitrov]]{{disambiguation needed|date=September 2012}} – Dzheki, who was later replaced by [[Spas Dzhevizov]]. After a 1:1 draw with [[PFC Pirin Blagoevgrad (1922)|Pirin]] at [[Bulgarian Army Stadium]], Dzhevizov handed in his resignation and [[Alexander Stankov]] took his place. Even though at times CSKA had fallen as far as 9 points behind the leaders [[Levski Sofia|Levski]], the club shortened the difference to only 2 points before the decisive match for the title at [[Georgi Asparuhov Stadium]]. CSKA dominated Levski for most of the match, as [[Dimitar Berbatov]] made several serious misses, but a last-minute goal from [[Georgi Ivanov (footballer born 1976)|Georgi Ivanov]] secured the title for Levski. In the summer of 2000, Italian coach [[Enrico Catuzzi]] was employed as head coach, who did manage to revive the team. But even though theThe Army Men played attractive games under his leadership, Catuzzi handed over the coach position in the winter, citing family problems. [[Alexander Stankov]] was appointed as coach again, but was replaced by Catuzzi again after two losses from [[PFC Litex Lovech|Litex]] for the cup and the championship. The Reds finished second, seven points behind Levski.
For the new [[A PFG 2001–02|2001–02]] season, coach was [[Asparuh Nikodimov]]. He was fired during the winter break as CSKA rested 2 points behind [[Levski Sofia|Levski]] and was replaced by another Italian, [[Luigi Simoni]]. Simoni failed to make CSKA champions as the club finished third and lost the [[Bulgarian Cup]] final to Levski. Simoni left at the end of the season.
In the summer of 2002, [[Stoycho Mladenov]] was appointed as coach. With him, the team set a record with 13 consecutive wins in 13 matches in the Bulgarian Championship and CSKA became champions for the first time since 1997. However, Mladenov was fired the following season after losing to [[Galatasaray S.K. (football team)|Galatasaray]] in the preliminary rounds of the [[2003–04 UEFA Champions League]] and after giving a less than impressive performance in the first round of the [[UEFA Cup]], where the club lost on penalty kicks to [[FC Torpedo Moscow]]. Immediately after, two of the new arrivals, [[Léo Lima|Leo Lima]] and [[Rodrigo de Souza Cardoso|Rodrigo Sousa]], bought for 3 million dollars the year before, left the club on the grounds that they had not received two monthly salaries. [[FIFA]] decided that they had the right to leave and that CSKA had to pay them and return the players to their former club of [[CR Vasco da Gama|Vasco da Gama]]. Alexander Stankov was temporarily appointed as coach until the winter break, when [[Ferario Spasov]] officially took over the position. In the end of 2004, Spasov was replaced by Serbian coach [[Miodrag Ješić]], despite the team's first place in the domestic championship. Despite problems with the selection, CSKA won their record thirtieth domestic title in 2005.
For the [[2005–06 UEFA Champions League]], after eliminating [[KF Tirana]] in the second preliminary round, CSKA were paired against reigning European champions [[Liverpool F.C.]]. The club lost 1–3 in the first match in [[Sofia]], but surprisingly won the second leg by 1–0 at the [[Anfield Road]].<small><ref>[http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=51536 CSKA Claim Amazing 1–0 over Liverpool] ''Novinite.com'' 23 August 2005. Retrieved 2 April 2010.</ref><ref>[http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=51537 Liverpool: CSKA Turned into Real Struggle] ''Novinite.com'' 23 August 2005. Retrieved 2 April 2010.</ref></small> For the [[UEFA Cup]], the Reds eliminated [[Bayer Leverkusen]] (with [[Dimitar Berbatov]] in the team) with two 1:0 wins and entered the group stage, where they finished fifth with 3 points from 4 matches and were eliminated. At the winter break of the [[A PFG 2005-06|2005–06]] season, the team was first with 7 points ahead of Levski in the standings. During the spring, CSKA lost the 7-point advantage and finished second with 3 points behind [[Levski Sofia|Levski]]. Club president [[Vassil Bozhkov]] blamed Serbian coach [[Miodrag Ješić]] for the failure to capture the title and fired him, while some supporters blamed Bozhkov instead. [[Plamen Markov]] was appointed in Ješić's place. Bozhkov then announced that he would restrict the finances of the club and that during the upcoming season CSKA will not be aiming at the title. In December 2006, Bozhkov sold the club to Indian steel tycoon and owner of [[Kremikovtzi AD]], [[Pramod Mittal]], brother of [[ArcelorMittal]]'s [[Lakshmi Mittal]]. Former Bulgarian politician Alexander Tomov became president of the club and assured the supporters that CSKA would, in fact, be aiming at both the championship and the cup. After two draws in the beginning of the spring half of [[A PFG 2006–07|2006–07]], CSKA found themselves 6 points behind Levski. As a result, coach Plamen Markov was replaced by [[Stoycho Mladenov]], who returned to the club after three and a half years. CSKA finished second.
In the beginning of the [[A PFG 2007–08|2007–08]] season, CSKA bought players for more than 2 million euro. The team was unluckily eliminated from the [[UEFA cup]] in the first round by French side [[Toulouse FC]] after a 96th-minute goal from [[André-Pierre Gignac]] in the second leg for 1:1. CSKA was also eliminated from the [[Bulgarian Cup]] at the 1/16th finals by [[Lokomotiv Plovdiv]]. The match was engulfed in a scandal because of three CSKA players who at the time were on loan at Lokomotiv ([[Stoyko Sakaliev]], [[Aleksandar Branekov]], and [[Ivan Ivanov (footballer)|Ivan Ivanov]]). The players had clauses in their contracts restricting them from playing matches against CSKA, but Lokomotiv's management used the players anyway. At the end of the season, theThe Army Men secured the title in advance, finishing 16 points ahead of second-placed rivals [[Levski Sofia|Levski]] without losing a game from 30 championship matches. On 5 May 2008, the club marked its 60th anniversary with big celebrations organized by the management. An alley of fame was built, comprising the names of the most successful current and former players of CSKA. On 24 May 2008, an exhibition game was played between the current squad and a mixed team of Bulgarian and foreign football stars. The mixed team was coached by former German international [[Lothar Matthäus]], who was a special guest for the anniversary celebrations. The match ended 6:6.
==== The 2008 crisis ====
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