The 2014–15 A Group was the 91st season of the top division of the Bulgarian football league system, and 67th since a league format was adopted for the national competition of A Group as a top tier of the pyramid.
The competition was divided in two phases - Regular season, with every team playing against every other team twice, and Playoffs, with teams divided into Championship group (top six) and Relegation group (bottom six) to determine the champions and the relegated teams, respectively.
Ludogorets Razgrad entered the season as three-time defending champions, and succeeded to retain the title for a 4th consecutive and overall time 2 rounds before the end of the season, after their home win over Lokomotiv Sofia.
Beroe Stara Zagora finished second, while Lokomotiv Sofia claimed the third place.
Marek Dupnitsa and Haskovo survived only one season in A Group and were relegated. This season was controversial, because both CSKA Sofia and Lokomotiv Sofia were relegated to the third tier of Bulgarian football, due to financial problems, which prevented them from obtaining a professional license for the next season. This was the first time that CSKA was relegated from the top flight since 1948, which meant rivals Levski remained the only club to have never been relegated. Lokomotiv on the other hand, was relegated for the first time since 1971.
Competition format The championship is divided in two phases. In the first phase, the Regular season, every team must play two times against each of the other eleven teams on home-away basis for a subtotal of 22 matches.
In the second phase, the Play-offs, the teams are divided in two groups - Championship group (first six) and Relegation group (bottom six). In those two parallel played groups every team has to play two times, again on home-away basis, only against the remaining five teams in the group for a subtotal of 10 matches.
Thus, the season has a total of 32 fixtures.
At the end of the season, the champion earns a place in the 2015/16 UEFA Champions League qualifying rounds, while the next two or three clubs in the final standings in the league table (depending on the winner of the 2014–15 Bulgarian Cup) earn the right to play in 2015/16 UEFA Europa League qualifying rounds. The last two teams in the table (from 11th to 12th place) are directly relegated to B Group for the next season while two clubs from the lower division are promoted.
Teams A total of 12 teams are contesting the league, including the best 10 sides from the previous season, plus two promoted clubs from the lower division B Group.
As finishing in the bottom four places of the table at the end of season 2013–14, Chernomorets Burgas, Neftochimic, Pirin (Gotse Delchev) and Lyubimets 2007 were relegated to B Group and only two teams were promoted from B Group with the objective of decreasing the number of teams from 14 to 12 for the current season. Chernomorets ended a seven year stint in the top tier, while the other three teams were relegated after a single season in the elite.
The relegated teams were replaced by Marek Dupnitsa, the 2013–14 B Group champions and Haskovo, the 2013–14 B Group runner-up. While Marek returns to the top division after six years, Haskovo reaches again the highest class after 21 years.
Stadia and locations Note: Table lists in alphabetical order.
Team Location Stadium Capacity (seating)Beroe Stara Zagora Stara Zagora Stadion Beroe 12,128 Botev Plovdiv Plovdiv Botev 1912 Football Complex 4,000 Cherno More Varna Varna Stadion Ticha 8,250CSKA Sofia Sofia Stadion Balgarska Armia 22,015 Haskovo Haskovo Stadion Haskovo 12,500Levski Sofia Sofia Stadion Georgi Asparuhov 19,000Litex Lovech Lovech Stadion Lovech 8,100Lokomotiv Plovdiv Plovdiv Stadion Lokomotiv 10,000 Lokomotiv Sofia Sofia Lokomotiv Stadium 22,000 Ludogorets Razgrad Ludogorets Arena 6,500Marek Dupnitsa Dupnitsa Stadion Bonchuk 16,050Slavia Sofia Sofia Stadion Slavia 15,992
Personnel and sponsoring Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players and Managers may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality. Team Manager Captain Kit manufacturer Shirt sponsorBeroe Stara Zagora Petar Hubchev Ivo Ivanov Joma BEROEBotev Plovdiv Petar Penchev Ivan Tsvetkov Uhlsport VivacomCherno More Varna Nikola Spasov Kiril Kotev Tommy ArmeetsCSKA Sofia Luboslav Penev Valentin Iliev Legea EfbetHaskovo Stamen Belchev Ivan Skerlev Flair —Levski Sofia Stoycho Stoev Vladimir Gadzhev Joma EfbetLitex Lovech Krasimir Balakov Strahil Popov adidas Prima, EfbetLokomotiv Plovdiv Hristo Kolev Stanislav Malamov Joma ProfiLinkLokomotiv Sofia Dimitar Vasev Aleksandar Branekov Joma Casa Boyana, EfbetLudogorets Razgrad Georgi Dermendzhiev Svetoslav Dyakov Macron eCasino.bgMarek Dupnitsa Tencho Tenev Milen Lahchev Jumper ActavisSlavia Sofia Ivan Kolev Georgi Petkov Joma Asset Insurance, Efbet
Managerial changes TeamOutgoing managerManner of departureDate of vacancyPosition in tableIncoming managerDate of appointment Cherno More Georgi Ivanov Resignation 18 May 2014 Pre-season Aleksandar Stankov 2 June 2014 Levski Sofia Elin Topuzakov 18 May 2014 Pepe Murcia 5 June 2014 Marek Dupnitsa Ivaylo Pargov 18 May 2014 Anton Velkov 5 June 2014 Lokomotiv Plovdiv Aleksandar Stankov Mutual consent 19 May 2014 Emil Velev 12 June 2014 Litex Lovech Miodrag Ješić End of contract 19 May 2014 Krasimir Balakov 27 May 2014 Botev Plovdiv Stanimir Stoilov Mutual consent 4 June 2014 Lyuboslav Penev 6 June 2014 Botev Plovdiv Lyuboslav Penev Mutual consent 7 July 2014 Velislav Vutsov 14 July 2014 Lokomotiv Plovdiv Emil Velev Mutual consent 8 July 2014 Nedelcho Matushev 9 July 2014 Ludogorets Razgrad Stoycho Stoev Sacked 31 July 2014 10th Georgi Dermendzhiev 1 August 2014 Levski Sofia Pepe Murcia Sacked 4 August 2014 6th Georgi Ivanov 4 August 2014 Cherno More Aleksandar Stankov Sacked 18 August 2014 12th Nikola Spasov 18 August 2014 Slavia Sofia Milen Radukanov Resigned 31 August 2014 11th Ivan Kolev 1 September 2014 Haskovo Dimcho Nenov Resigned 20 September 2014 12th Emil Velev 6 October 2014 Lokomotiv Plovdiv Nedelcho Matushev Resigned 29 September 2014 11th Hristo Kolev 1 October 2014 Marek Dupnitsa Anton Velkov Resigned 5 October 2014 9th Tencho Tenev 10 October 2014 Botev Plovdiv Velislav Vutsov Sacked 3 December 2014 7th Petar Penchev 4 December 2014 Levski Sofia Georgi Ivanov Resigned 6 December 2014 6th Stoycho Stoev 22 December 2014 Haskovo Emil Velev Resigned 18 March 2015 12th Stamen Belchev 27 March 2015 CSKA Sofia Stoycho Mladenov Resigned 20 March 2015 2nd Galin Ivanov 24 March 2015 CSKA Sofia Galin Ivanov Early end of caretaker spell (majority shareholders' decision) 27 April 2015 4th Luboslav Penev 28 April 2015
First phase The first 22 Rounds comprise the first phase of the season, also called the Regular season. In the first phase, every team plays each other team twice on a home-away basis till all the teams have played two matches against each other. The table standings at the end of the Regular season determine the group in which each team is going to play in the Play-offs.
League table
Results Each team played against every other team for a total of 22 matches.
Round by round
Second phase
After the first 22 Rounds comprising the Regular season, the teams are divided into two groups of six determined by their standings in the table at the end of the Regular season. The second phase is also referred to as the Play-offs. The teams in each group of the Play-offs again play on a home-away basis but only with the teams in their respective group. Hence, the total number of games each team has to play in this phase is 10 (twice with each of the other five teams in the group).
Championship group The top six teams at the end of the Regular season play in the Championship group to determine the champion for the season. Additionally, the teams in this group compete for the Bulgarian spots in UEFA's 2015–16 editions of Champions League and Europa League.
At the end of the Play-offs, the team placed first in the group can compete in the qualifying rounds of 2015–16 UEFA Champions League. The second and the third placed teams earn the right to compete in the qualifying rounds of 2015–16 UEFA Europa League. If the winner of the 2014–15 Bulgarian Cup is one of those top three teams, the fourth placed team in the group also earns a right to participate in the qualifying rounds of the Europa League.
Relegation group The bottom six teams at the end of the Regular season play in the Relegation group to determine which two teams are relegated to B PFG for next season.
At the end of the Play-offs the bottom two teams of this group will be directly relegated.
Season statistics
Top scorers RankScorerClubGoals1 AñeteLevski Sofia 142 Martin KamburovLokomotiv Plovdiv133 Danilo AsprillaLitex Lovech10 Sergiu BușCSKA Sofia10 Radoslav VasilevSlavia Sofia10 Valeri DomovchiyskiLevski Sofia10 Juninho QuixadáLudogorets Razgrad10 Virgil MisidjanLudogorets Razgrad109 Wilmar JordánLitex Lovech9 Lamjed ChehoudiLokomotiv Sofia9 Updated on 26 May 2015
Hat-tricks Player For Against Result Date Beroe Stara Zagora Marek Dupnitsa 4–0 Slavia Sofia Levski Sofia 3–1 Añete Levski Sofia Lokomotiv Plovdiv 5–0 Lokomotiv Plovdiv Marek Dupnitsa 4–1 Litex Lovech Ludogorets Razgrad 4–2 Levski Sofia Marek Dupnitsa 6–0 Updated on 26 May 2015
Awards
Weekly awards
Player of the Round RoundPlayer of the RoundPlayerClubRound 1 Doncho Atanasov FC HaskovoRound 2 Anton Karachanakov CSKA SofiaRound 3 Michel Platini Slavia SofiaRound 4 Junior Mapuku Beroe Stara ZagoraRound 5 Vladimir Gadzhev Levski SofiaRound 6 Round 7 Sergiu Buș CSKA SofiaRound 8 Ventsislav Hristov Beroe Stara ZagoraRound 9Round 10 Miguel Bedoya Levski SofiaRound 11 Toni Silva CSKA SofiaRound 12 Martin Kamburov Lokomotiv PlovdivRound 13 Sergiu Buș CSKA SofiaRound 14 Elias Beroe Stara ZagoraRound 15 Anton Karachanakov CSKA SofiaRound 16 Anton Karachanakov CSKA SofiaRound 17 Radoslav Vasilev Slavia SofiaRound 18Round 19Round 20Round 21Round 22Round 23Round 24Round 25Round 26Round 27Round 28Round 29Round 30Round 31Round 32
Monthly awards
Player of the Month MonthPlayer of the MonthPlayerClubJuly Anton Karachanakov CSKA SofiaAugustSeptember Sergiu Buș CSKA SofiaOctober Sergiu Buș CSKA SofiaNovemberDecember JanuaryFebruaryMarchApril Añete Levski SofiaMay
Transfers List of Bulgarian football transfers summer 2014 List of Bulgarian football transfers winter 2014–15
Attendances
# Club Average Highest 1 Beroe 4,069 8,700 2 CSKA Sofia 3,881 13,900 3 Ludogorets 3,422 6,500 4 Botev 2,169 3,500 5 Lokomotiv Plovdiv 1,988 5,600 6 Haskovo 1,819 6,000 7 Cherno More 1,711 4,700 8 Levski 1,628 8,900 9 Lovech 1,264 4,200 10 Marek 1,049 2,600 11 Lokomotiv Sofia 914 5,800 12 Slavia Sofia 496 3,600
Source:
References