The 2016–17 First Professional Football League is the 93rd season of the top division of the Bulgarian football league system, the 69th since a league format was adopted for the national competition of A Group as a top tier of the pyramid and also the inaugural season of the First Professional Football League, which decides the Bulgarian champion. The season is the first with a new league structure and strict financial criteria where 14 clubs play each other home and away, until the league is split up in championship and relegation playoffs. The new league structure, inspired by the ones used by the Belgian First Division A and Danish Superliga, was approved by the Bulgarian Football Union on 6 June 2016. The fixtures were announced on 8 July 2016.
On 5 May 2017, five rounds before the end of the championship, after winning the away match with Lokomotiv Plovdiv, Ludogorets Razgrad managed to secure the title for a sixth consecutive and overall time. Ludogorets finished 16 points ahead of CSKA Sofia. Levski Sofia finished third.
Competition format Starting from the 2016–17 season, a new league format was approved by the Bulgarian Football Union, in an attempt to improve each participating club's competitiveness, match attendance and performance in the league, alongside strict financial criteria. It involves 14 teams playing in two phases, a regular season and playoffs. The first phase includes each club competing against every other team twice in a double round-robin system, on a home-away basis at a total of 26 games per team, also played in 26 fixtures. Seven matches are played in every fixture at a total of 182 games during the first phase. In the second phase, the top six teams form a European qualifying table, while the bottom eight teams participate in a relegation group. The winner of the top group is declared as Champions of Bulgaria and is awarded with the title.
International qualification The six top teams compete against each other on a home-away basis. Three matches are played in every fixture of the top six, with the results and points after the regular season also included. At the end of the stage, every team will have played a total of 36 games. The winner of the group is declared as Champions of Bulgaria and automatically secures participation in the 2017-18 UEFA Champions League second qualifying round. The team that ranks second is awarded with a place in the UEFA Europa League qualifying rounds. The third team in the final standings would participate in a play-off match against a representative team from the bottom eight. Depending on the winner of the Bulgarian Cup final, a possible fourth team from the first six may compete in a play-off match for an UEFA Europa League spot instead of the third ranked team.
Note: If the Bulgarian Cup winner has secured its qualification for the European tournaments for the next season through results from Parva Liga, then the place in the UEFA Europa League play-off is awarded to the fourth ranked team in the final standings.
Relegation The teams in the bottom eight are split in two sub-groups of four teams, Group A and Group B, depending on their final position after the regular season standings. The teams that enter Group A are the 7th, 10th, 11th and the 14th, and the teams that participate in Group B are the 8th, 9th, 12th and the 13th. Every participant plays twice against the other three teams in their group on a home-away basis. The teams from the bottom eight also compete with the results from the regular season. After the group stages, every team will have played a total number of 32 games. Depending on their final position in Group A and Group B, two sections will be formed, one for a play-off spot in next season's European competitions and one to avoid relegation. The first two teams from each group continue in the semi-finals, and the last two teams of each group continue to the semi-finals for a relegation match. After this phase, one team is directly relegated to the Second League and the remaining two teams will compete in two relegation matches against the second and the third ranked clubs from the Second League.
Tiebreakers In case of a tie on points between two or more clubs, tiebreakers are applied in the following order:
Number of wins; Goal difference; Goals pro; Goals away; Fewer red cards; Fewest yellow cards; Draw
Teams Prior to the start of the season, the Bulgarian Football Union announced that every Bulgarian professional football club's application would be considered for the upcoming season, as long as it fulfills the financial criteria. A total of 14 teams would be contesting the league, including the 9 sides from the previous season, plus five promoted clubs from the lower B Group, which would be issued a license by the Bulgarian Football Union. The five approved applications from the lower division were the B Group's last year champions Dunav Ruse, alongside Lokomotiv GO, Neftochimic, Vereya and CSKA Sofia respectively.
Dunav return after a 25-year absence from the top flight, Lokomotiv Gorna Oryahovitsa return after a 21-year absence, Neftochimic return after a two-year absence, Vereya made its debut in the top flight, while CSKA Sofia return after a one-year absence, having played in the third tier the previous season, but managing to administratively promote back to the elite.
Stadia and locations
Note: From the 2016–17 season onwards, all participating clubs are required to have electric floodlights and adequate pitch conditions under the BFU and TV broadcaster's new licensing criteria. The following stadiums below have either obtained a license under UEFA's category ranking or fulfill the licensing criteria.
Team Location Stadium Capacity (seating)Beroe Stara Zagora Beroe 12,128Botev Plovdiv Botev 1912 Football Complex 4,000Cherno More Varna Stadion Kavarna, Kavarna 5,000CSKA Sofia Balgarska Armia 18,495Dunav Ruse Gradski 12,400Levski Sofia Vivacom Arena - Georgi Asparuhov 25,000Lokomotiv Gorna Oryahovitsa Lokomotiv 10,500Lokomotiv Plovdiv Lokomotiv 13,000Ludogorets Razgrad Ludogorets Arena 8,808Montana Montana Gradski 6,000Neftochimic Burgas Lazur 18,037Pirin Blagoevgrad Hristo Botev 7,000Slavia Sofia Vasil Levski National Stadium 43,230Vereya Stara Zagora Trace Arena 3,500
Note: On June 15, 2016, the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Bulgaria granted 3 mln. BGN in total for stadium renovations to the following three clubs – Cherno More, Dunav and Lokomotiv GO.
Personnel and sponsorship 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 sponsor AdditionalBeroe Ferario Spasov Ivo Ivanov Uhlsport — RefanBotev Plovdiv Nikolay Kirov Lachezar Baltanov Joma efbet —CSKA Sofia Stamen Belchev Bozhidar Chorbadzhiyski Adidas Mtel WinBetCherno More Georgi Ivanov Georgi Iliev Uhlsport Armeets —Dunav Ruse Veselin Velikov Diyan Dimov Joma — —Levski Sofia Nikolay Mitov Veselin Minev Joma Vivacom Strabag, efbet, SpetemaLokomotiv Gorna Oryahovitsa Aleksandar Dimitrov Atanas Fidanin Krasiko efbet Prity, Enel, Go GrillLokomotiv Plovdiv Voyn Voynov Martin Kamburov Uhlsport efbet —Ludogorets Razgrad Georgi Dermendzhiev Svetoslav Dyakov Macron bet365 Vivacom, SpetemaMontana Atanas Atanasov Ivan Mihov Jako efbet —Neftochimic Hristo Yanev Lyubomir Bozhinov Krasiko Masterhaus —Pirin Blagoevgrad Milen Radukanov Yuliyan Popev Erreà — —Slavia Sofia Zlatomir Zagorčić Georgi Petkov Joma bet365 —Vereya Aleksandar Tomash Elias Erreà Trace Group Spetema
Note: Individual clubs may wear jerseys with advertising. However, only one sponsorship is permitted per jersey for official tournaments organised by UEFA in addition to that of the kit manufacturer (exceptions are made for non-profit organisations). Clubs in the domestic league can have more than one sponsorship per jersey which can feature on the front of the shirt, incorporated with the main sponsor or in place of it; or on the back, either below the squad number or on the collar area. Shorts also have space available for advertisement.
Managerial changes TeamOutgoing managerManner of departureDate of vacancyPosition in tableIncoming managerDate of appointment Beroe Plamen Lipenski End of caretaker tenure 31 May 2016 Pre-season Aleksandar Dimitrov 31 May 2016 Montana Emil Velev Sacked 31 May 2016 Stevica Kuzmanovski 10 June 2016 Vereya Zhivko Zhelev End of contract 31 May 2016 Aleksandar Tomash 10 June 2016 Lokomotiv GO Aleksandar Tomash Sacked 8 June 2016 Angel Chervenkov 8 June 2016 Cherno More Nikola Spasov Mutual consent 10 June 2016 Georgi Ivanov 21 June 2016 Pirin Blagoevgrad Naci Şensoy End of contract 20 June 2016 Stefan Genov 20 June 2016 CSKA Sofia Hristo Yanev Resigned 21 August 2016 3rd Edward Iordănescu 24 August 2016 Botev Plovdiv Nikolay Kostov 23 August 2016 10th Nikolay Mitov 30 August 2016 Nikolay Mitov 30 August 2016 8th Nikolay Kirov 1 September 2016 Neftochimic Dimcho Nenov Sacked 17 September 2016 13th Hristo Yanev 17 September 2016 Lokomotiv GO Angel Chervenkov 28 September 2016 14th Ivan Kolev 28 September 2016 Montana Stevica Kuzmanovski 3 October 2016 13th Atanas Dzhambazki 4 October 2016 Beroe Aleksandar Dimitrov Resigned 17 October 2016 7th Plamen Lipenski (interim) 20 October 2016 Lokomotiv Plovdiv Ilian Iliev 17 October 2016 9th Hristo Kolev (interim) 18 October 2016 Levski Sofia Ljupko Petrović 22 October 2016 1st Elin Topuzakov 24 October 2016 Beroe Plamen Lipenski End of caretaker tenure 26 October 2016 8th Ferario Spasov 26 October 2016 Lokomotiv Plovdiv Hristo Kolev 31 October 2016 7th Eduard Eranosyan 31 October 2016 Slavia Sofia Aleksandr Tarkhanov Signed by Ural Sverdlovsk Oblast 2 November 2016 10th Vladimir Ivanov 3 November 2016 CSKA Sofia Edward Iordănescu Resigned 27 November 2016 5th Stamen Belchev 27 November 2016 Pirin Blagoevgrad Stefan Genov Signed by CSKA Sofia 9 January 2017 11th Milen Radukanov 13 January 2017 Lokomotiv GO Ivan Kolev Resigned 2 March 2017 13th Milcho Sirmov (interim) 2 March 2017 Levski Sofia Elin Topuzakov Mutual consent 2 March 2017 2nd Nikolay Mitov 2 March 2017 Lokomotiv GO Milcho Sirmov End of caretaker tenure 14 March 2017 13th Aleksandar Dimitrov 14 March 2017 Lokomotiv Plovdiv Eduard Eranosyan Resigned 9 April 2017 5th Stoyan Kolev (interim) 12 April 2017 Montana Atanas Dzhambazki 17 April 2017 4th/Group A Dilyan Ivanov (interim) 17 April 2017 Lokomotiv Plovdiv Stoyan Kolev End of caretaker tenure 19 April 2017 6th Voyn Voynov 19 April 2017 Montana Dilyan Ivanov 24 April 2017 4th/Group A Atanas Atanasov 24 April 2017 Slavia Sofia Vladimir Ivanov Demoted to assistant 11 May 2017 3rd/Group A Zlatomir Zagorčić 11 May 2017 a.Initially interim, made permanent 19 January 2017. b.Initially interim, made permanent 16 December 2016. c.Initially interim, made permanent 16 November 2016. d.Initially interim, made permanent 3 January 2017.
Regular season
League table
Results
Positions by round
Results by round
Championship round Points and goals will carry over in full from regular season.
Positions by round Below the positions per round are shown. As teams did not all start with an equal number of points, the initial pre-playoffs positions are also given.
Relegation round Points and goals will carry over in full from regular season.
Group A
Group B
European play-offs
Bracket
European play-off quarter-finals
European play-off semi-finals
Since Botev Plovdiv qualified for the Europa League first qualifying round by winning the 2016–17 Bulgarian Cup, the semi-finals were not held and Vereya qualified automatically for the play-off final.
European play-off final
Relegation play-offs
Bracket
Winners of matches 3, 5 and 6 will play in the top division next season
First round
Second round
Slavia Sofia qualify for the 2017–18 First League.
Lokomotiv Gorna Oryahovitsa are relegated to the 2017–18 Second League.