The 2018–19 First Professional Football League was the 95th season of the top division of the Bulgarian football league system, the 71st since a league format was adopted for the national competition of A Group as a top tier of the pyramid and also the 3rd season of the First Professional Football League, which decides the Bulgarian champion. The season began on 20 July 2018 and finished on 30 May 2019. Ludogorets Razgrad became champions for the 8th consecutive time, on the final matchday of the season, with a 4–1 home win over Cherno More Varna.
Teams Fourteen teams are competing in the league – the top thirteen teams from the previous season, and one team promoted from the Second League.
Botev Vratsa were promoted as champions of the 2017–18 Second League. The promoted club replaced Pirin Blagoevgrad, who were relegated after elimination in the relegation play-offs by Vitosha Bistritsa. Botev Vratsa return to the top tier after a 5-year absence, while Pirin Blagoevgrad ended a 3-year stay in the top flight.
Stadia and locations
Team Location Stadium Capacity (seating)Beroe Stara Zagora Beroe 12,128Botev Plovdiv Botev 1912 Football Complex 4,000Botev Vratsa Hristo Botev 12,000Cherno More Varna Ticha 8,250CSKA Sofia Balgarska Armiya 18,495Dunav Ruse Gradski 12,400Etar Veliko Tarnovo Ivaylo 18,000Levski Sofia Vivacom Arena - Georgi Asparuhov 25,000Lokomotiv Plovdiv Lokomotiv 13,000Ludogorets Razgrad Ludogorets Arena 10,422Septemvri Sofia Vasil Levski National Stadium 43,230Slavia Sofia Slavia Vasil Levski National Stadium 25,556 43,230Vereya Stara Zagora Trace Arena 3,500Vitosha Bistritsa Stadion Nikolay Stanislavov 2,500
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 Aleksandar Tomash Martin Kamburov Uhlsport — Refan, Ajax GroupBotev Plovdiv Nikolay Kirov Lachezar Baltanov Uhlsport WinBet —Botev Vratsa Sasho Angelov Ivaylo Mihaylov Joma WinBet Kozloduy NPPCSKA Sofia Dobromir Mitov Nikolay Bodurov adidas A1 Bulgaria WinBet, BaristoCherno More Ilian Iliev Georgi Iliev Uhlsport Armeets —Dunav Lyudmil Kirov Martin Kovachev Joma WinBet SanSiEtar Krasimir Balakov Ivan Stoyanov Joma WinBet —Levski Sofia Georgi Todorov Zhivko Milanov Nike Efbet StrabagLokomotiv Plovdiv Bruno Akrapović Bircent Karagaren Uhlsport Efbet General BrokerLudogorets Stoycho Stoev Svetoslav Dyakov Umbro Efbet Vivacom, SpetemaSeptemvri Sofia Hristo Arangelov Boris Galchev Uhlsport Efbet —Slavia Sofia Zlatomir Zagorčić Georgi Petkov Joma bet365 —Vereya Ivan Vutov Ivo Ivanov Uhlsport Efbet SpetemaVitosha Bistritsa Rosen Kirilov Georgi Amzin Jumper Efbet —
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 Vitosha Bistritsa Kostadin Angelov Promoted to Director of football 30 May 2018 Pre-season Rosen Kirilov 1 June 2018 Vereya Elias Demoted to assistant 4 June 2018 Ivan Kolev 4 June 2018 Ludogorets Dimitar Dimitrov Mutual consent 6 June 2018 Paulo Autuori 6 June 2018 CSKA Sofia Hristo Yanev End of caretaker tenure 7 June 2018 Nestor El Maestro 7 June 2018Levski Sofia Delio Rossi Mutual consent 18 July 2018 Todor Simov (caretaker) 18 July 2018 Todor Simov End of caretaker tenure 31 July 2018 4th Slaviša Stojanovič 31 July 2018Vereya Ivan Kolev Mutual consent 14 August 2018 14th Nebojša Miličić 14 August 2018 Dunav Malin Orachev Mutual consent 17 September 2018 12th Tsvetomir Mladenov (caretaker) 17 September 2018Septemvri Nikolay Mitov Mutual consent 28 September 2018 13th Hristo Arangelov (caretaker) 28 September 2018Dunav Tsvetomir Mladenov End of caretaker tenure 1 October 2018 12th Lyudmil Kirov 1 October 2018Ludogorets Paulo Autuori Mutual consent 9 October 2018 2nd Antoni Zdravkov 9 October 2018Vereya Nebojša Miličić Mutual consent 10 January 2019 14th Oleksandr Sevidov 18 January 2019Levski Sofia Slaviša StojanovičMutual consent21 January 20193rd Georgi Dermendzhiev21 January 2019CSKA Sofia Nestor El MaestroMutual consent7 February 20192nd Lyuboslav Penev8 February 2019Ludogorets Antoni Zdravkov Mutual consent 6 March 2019 1st Stoycho Stoev 6 March 2019Vereya Oleksandr Sevidov Mutual consent 25 March 2019 14th Ivan Vutov 26 March 2019Levski Sofia Georgi DermendzhievMutual consent29 April 20193rd Georgi Todorov (caretaker)29 April 2019CSKA Sofia Lyuboslav PenevResigned3 May 20192nd Dobromir Mitov (caretaker)3 May 2019 1.No license for First League.
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
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
Vereya are relegated to the Second League.
Third round
Septemvri Sofia are relegated to the Second League.
Season statistics Round Goal of the week Club1 Martin Kamburov vs Slavia Beroe2 Martin Raynov vs Ludogorets Beroe3 Martin Kamburov vs Vereya Beroe4 Virgil Misidjan vs Vitosha Bistritsa Ludogorets5 Slavcho Shokolarov vs Dunav Slavia6 Kiril Despodov vs Vereya CSKA Sofia7 Anthony Belmonte vs Beroe Levski Sofia8 Rúben Pinto vs Cherno More CSKA Sofia9 Jerson Cabral vs Vitosha Bistritsa Todor Nedelev vs Ludogorets Levski Sofia Botev Plovdiv10 Yulian Nenov vs Slavia Botev Vratsa11 Stanislav Manolev vs Septemvri CSKA Sofia12 Emil Stoev vs Vereya Botev Vratsa13 Ivan Petkov vs Slavia Etar14 Stanislav Kostov vs Botev Plovdiv Levski Sofia15 Jody Lukoki vs Beroe Ludogorets16 Martin Kamburov vs Vereya Beroe17 Yanis Karabelyov vs CSKA Sofia Slavia18 Todor Nedelev vs Lokomotiv Plovdiv Botev Plovdiv19 Todor Nedelev vs Vitosha Bistritsa Botev Plovdiv20 Martin Kamburov vs Levski Sofia Beroe21 Aristote N'Dongala vs CSKA Sofia Charno More22 Emil Stoev vs CSKA Sofia Botev Vratsa23 Kristian Dobrev vs Vereya Botev Plovdiv24 Davide Mariani vs Slavia Levski Sofia25 Dimitar Iliev vs Dunav Lokomotiv Plovdiv26 Tiago Rodrigues vs Beroe CSKA Sofia27 Kristian Dimitrov vs Levski Sofia Botev Plovdiv28 Stanislav Kostov vs Cherno More Levski Sofia29 Suad Sahiti vs Lokomotiv Plovdiv Septemvri30 Pedro Eugénio vs Cherno More Beroe31 Carlos Ohene vs Levski Sofia Beroe32 Pedro Eugénio vs Ludogorets Beroe33 Paulinho vs Cherno More Levski Sofia34 Zhivko Milanov vs Ludogorets Levski Sofia35 Tiago Rodrigues vs Levski Sofia CSKA Sofia36 Rúben Brígido vs Levski Sofia Beroe
Top scorers
RankPlayerClubGoals1 Stanislav KostovLevski Sofia242 Claudiu KeșerüLudogorets203 Martin KamburovBeroe164 Todor NedelevBotev Plovdiv145 Ali SoweCSKA Sofia11 Daniel MladenovEtar Davide MarianiLevski Sofia Jakub ŚwierczokLudogorets Tsvetelin ChunchukovSlavia Sofia Georgi IlievCherno More Valeri BojinovLevski Sofia
Hat-tricks Player For Against Result Date Chris Gadi Septemvri Sofia Cherno More 5–1 4 August 2018 Claudiu Keșerü Ludogorets Botev Vratsa 4–1 7 October 2018 Claudiu Keșerü Ludogorets Etar 4–1 4 November 2018 Borislav Tsonev Beroe Vereya 6–0 25 November 2018 Todor Nedelev Botev Plovdiv Vitosha Bistritsa 3–0 10 December 2018 Ali Sowe CSKA Sofia Septemvri Sofia 5–1 2 March 2019 Ivan Petkov Etar Vereya 3–0 21 April 2019 Emil Stoev Botev Vratsa Vitosha Bistritsa 5–2 22 April 2019 Jakub Świerczok Ludogorets Cherno More 4–1 24 May 2019
Clean sheets
RankPlayerClubClean sheets1 Vytautas ČerniauskasCSKA Sofia202 Hristo IvanovEtar163 Dušan PernišBeroe144 Daniel KajzerBotev Plovdiv135 Krasimir KostovBotev Vratsa10 RenanLudogorets7 Blagoy MakendzhievDunav Ruse8
Attendances
# Club Average Highest 1 Levski 5,817 14,700 2 CSKA Sofia 5,228 23,000 3 Ludogorets 2,252 7,600 4 Botev 1,946 3,100 5 Cherno More 1,936 6,000 6 Beroe 1,936 6,900 7 Etar 1,751 7,800 8 Botev Vratsa 1,349 5,200 9 Lokomotiv Plovdiv 1,126 3,900 10 Dunav 1,126 3,700 11 Slavia Sofia 541 4,300 12 Vereya 364 1,500 13 Vitosha 349 1,400 14 Septemvri 192 800 Source:
Transfers List of Bulgarian football transfers summer 2018 List of Bulgarian football transfers winter 2018–19
References