The 2021–22 First Professional Football League, also known as efbet League for sponsorship reasons, was the 98th season of the top division of the Bulgarian football league system, the 74th since a league format was adopted for the national competition of A Group as a top tier of the pyramid, and also the 6th season of the First Professional Football League, which decides the Bulgarian champion. Ludogorets Razgrad were the defending champions for the 10th consecutive time. They clinched their 11th title with four games to spare on 17 April 2022, following a 4–1 home win over Slavia Sofia.
Summary This was the last season featuring 14 teams; from next season, the league will expand from 14 to 16 teams, with the 14th placed team from this season being automatically relegated to the Second League, while the first three-placed teams were automatically promoted from the Second League and the 13th placed team from the First League qualified for the relegation play-off, facing the 4th placed team from the second league.
Teams Fourteen teams competed in the league – the top eleven teams from the previous season, the top two teams from the Second League, and the winner of the promotion/relegation play-off between the third-placed team from the 2020–21 Second League and the 12th placed team from the 2020–21 First League.
The first team to earn promotion was Pirin Blagoevgrad, who were promoted after winning 2–0 against Litex Lovech on 23 April 2021. Pirin returned to the top tier after a 3-year absence, having last competed in the highest level during the 2017–18 season. The second team to earn promotion was Lokomotiv Sofia, who were promoted after winning 4–1 against Septemvri Simitli on 13 May 2021. Lokomotiv returned to the top tier after a 6-year absence, having last competed in the highest level during the 2014–15 season.
Botev Vratsa won the promotion/relegation play-off 1–0 against Septemvri Sofia on 28 May 2021, thus remaining in the First League.
Stadia and locations Arda Beroe Botev Plovdiv Botev Vratsa Arena Arda Beroe Futbolen kompleks Botev 1912 Hristo Botev Capacity: 11,114 Capacity: 12,128 Capacity: 4,000 Capacity: 12,000 Cherno More CSKA Sofia Ticha Balgarska Armia Capacity: 8,250 Capacity: 22,995 CSKA 1948 Levski Sofia Bistritsa Vivacom Arena - Georgi Asparuhov Capacity: 2,500 Capacity: 25,000 Lokomotiv Plovdiv Lokomotiv Sofia Lokomotiv Lokomotiv Capacity: 13,220 Capacity: 22,000 Ludogorets Pirin Blagoevgrad Slavia Sofia Tsarsko Selo Huvepharma Arena Hristo Botev Aleksandar Shalamanov Arena Tsarsko Selo Capacity: 10,422 Capacity: 7,500 Capacity: 25,556 Capacity: 1,550
Personnel and kits 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 AdditionalArda Stamen Belchev Ivan Kokonov Nike efbet —Beroe Petar Hubchev Georgi Dinkov Uhlsport efbet Refan, Ajax GroupBotev Plovdiv Azrudin Valentić Todor Nedelev Uhlsport WinBet —Botev Vratsa Gennaro Iezzo Krasimir Kostov Erreà WinBet Kozloduy NPPCherno More Ilian Iliev Daniel Dimov Uhlsport Armeets —CSKA 1948 Nikolay Kirov Daniel Naumov Adidas efbet BachkovoCSKA Sofia Alan Pardew Jurgen Mattheij Adidas WinBet A1, BaristoLevski Sofia Stanimir Stoilov Nikolay Mihaylov Joma Levski e Vechen PalmsBetLokomotiv Plovdiv Aleksandar Tomash Dimitar Iliev Nike WinBet General Broker, Money+Lokomotiv Sofia Ivan Kolev Krasimir Miloshev Joma Betano Casa Boyana, Malizia, Intesa, VIA 2000, Club 33Ludogorets Ante Šimundža Anton Nedyalkov Nike efbet VivacomPirin Blagoevgrad Radoslav Mitrevski Nikolay Bodurov Adidas 8888.bg Belogour Properties, AMFEXSlavia Sofia Zlatomir Zagorčić Georgi Petkov Uhlsport bet365 Asset InsuranceTsarsko Selo Stefano Maccoppi Martin Kavdanski Nike WinBet — 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 appointmentBotev Vratsa Veselin Velikov Resigned 8 June 2021 Pre-season Daniel Morales 9 June 2021CSKA Sofia Lyuboslav Penev Resigned 25 July 2021 1st Stoycho Mladenov 26 July 2021CSKA 1948 Todor Kiselichkov Mutual consent 26 July 2021 14th Miroslav Mindev 27 July 2021 Levski Sofia Zhivko Milanov Resigned 20 August 2021 12th Todor Simov (interim) 23 August 2021CSKA 1948 Miroslav Mindev Mutual consent 30 August 2021 14th Nikolay Kirov 3 September 2021Arda Nikolay Kirov Mutual consent 2 September 2021 11th Dimitar Dimitrov 6 September 2021 Levski Sofia Todor Simov (interim) End of interim period 2 September 2021 12th Stanimir Stoilov 2 September 2021Arda Dimitar Dimitrov Mutual consent 8 September 2021 11th Georgi Chilikov 8 September 2021Ludogorets Valdas Dambrauskas Sacked 3 October 2021 3rd Stanislav Genchev (interim) 3 October 2021Tsarsko Selo Antoni Zdravkov Mutual consent 8 October 2021 13th Lyuboslav Penev 13 October 2021Arda Georgi Chilikov Mutual consent 9 November 2021 7th Slavko Matić 12 November 2021Pirin Blagoevgrad Warren Feeney Mutual consent 3 December 2021 13th Radoslav Mitrevski 3 December 2021Arda Slavko Matić Sacked 16 December 2021 9th Stamen Belchev 23 December 2021Ludogorets Stanislav Genchev (interim) End of interim period 3 January 2022 1st Ante Šimundža 3 January 2022Tsarsko Selo Lyuboslav Penev Mutual consent 8 January 2022 14th Andrea Sassarini 28 January 2022Beroe Petar Kolev Mutual consent 19 January 2022 7th Petar Hubchev 19 January 2022Tsarsko Selo Andrea Sassarini Sacked 5 March 2022 14th Stefano Maccoppi 6 March 2022Botev Vratsa Daniel Morales Mutual consent 22 March 2022 13th Ivaylo Dimitrov 23 March 2022Lokomotiv Plovdiv Aleksandar Tunchev Resigned 7 April 2022 8th Aleksandar Tomash 11 April 2022CSKA Sofia Stoycho Mladenov Resigned 14 April 2022 2nd Alan Pardew 14 April 2022Botev Vratsa Ivaylo Dimitrov Mutual consent 26 April 2022 13th Gennaro Iezzo27 April 2022
Regular season League table
Results
Results by round
Championship round Championship round table Points and goals will carry over in full from regular season.
Europa Conference League round Points and goals will carry over in full from regular season.
Europa Conference League round table
Relegation round Points and goals will carry over in full from regular season.
Relegation round table
Europa Conference League play-off
Promotion/relegation play-off
Season statistics Top scorers
Rank Player Club Goals1 Pieros SotiriouLudogorets172 Jordy CaicedoCSKA Sofia163 Ivaylo ChochevCSKA 194813 Dimitar IlievLokomotiv Plovdiv5 Yevheniy SerdyukCherno More126 Dorian BabunskiBotev Vratsa10 Bernard TekpeteyLudogorets8 Georgi MinchevLokomotiv Plovdiv9 OctávioLokomotiv Sofia Galin IvanovCSKA 1948 Tonislav YordanovArda Aleksandar KolevCSKA 1948
Clean sheets
RankGoalkeeperClubCleansheets1 Nikolay MihaylovLevski Sofia152 Ivan DyulgerovCherno More123 Yanko GeorgievPirin Blagoevgrad104 Gustavo BusattoCSKA Sofia9 Svetoslav VutsovSlavia Sofia Daniel NaumovCSKA 19487 Georgi ArgilashkiBotev Plovdiv8 Sergio PadtLudogorets Krasimir KostovBotev Vratsa Aleksandar LyubenovLokomotiv Sofia
Hat-tricks Player For Against Result Date Georgi Minchev Lokomotiv Plovdiv CSKA Sofia 3–1 (A) 31 October 2021 Georgi Minchev Lokomotiv Plovdiv Pirin Blagoevgrad 3–2 (A) 27 November 2021 Galin Ivanov CSKA 1948 Arda 6–3 (A) 22 April 2022 Aleksandar Kolev CSKA 1948 Arda 5–1 (H) 13 May 2022 Yuliyan Nenov Botev Vratsa Pirin Blagoevgrad 5–3 (A) 21 May 2022
Goal of the week Week Player Club Goal1 Dimitar Iliev Lokomotiv Plovdiv v. Ludogorets 2 Bernard Tekpetey Ludogorets v. CSKA 1948 3 Spas Delev Arda v. Levski Sofia 4 Krasimir Stanoev Pirin Blagoevgrad v. CSKA 1948 5 Josué Sá Ludogorets v. Lokomotiv Sofia 6 Borislav Tsonev Levski Sofia v. Beroe 7 Georgi Milanov Levski Sofia v. Lokomotiv Plovdiv 8 Valentin Nikolov Lokomotiv Sofia v. Cherno More 9 Georgi Milanov Levski Sofia v. CSKA Sofia 10 No winner11 Bilal Bari Levski Sofia v. Lokomotiv Sofia 12 Alex Santana Ludogorets v. Botev Plovdiv 13 Spas Delev Arda v. CSKA 1948 14 Jurgen Mattheij CSKA Sofia v. CSKA 1948 15 Pablo Álvarez Cherno More v. Botev Plovdiv 16 Leandro Andrade Cherno More v. Beroe 17 Emmanuel Toku Botev Plovdiv v. Botev Vratsa 18 Octávio Lokomotiv Sofia v. Ludogorets 19 Yuliyan Nenov Botev Vratsa v. Lokomotiv Plovdiv 20 Filip Krastev Levski Sofia v. Lokomotiv Plovdiv 21 Radoslav Kirilov Slavia Sofia v. Ludogorets 22 Jack Lahne Botev Plovdiv v. Lokomotiv Plovdiv 23 Mathias Coureur Cherno More v. Arda 24 Todor Nedelev Botev Plovdiv v. CSKA Sofia 25 Welton Felipe Levski Sofia v. Pirin Blagoevgrad 26 Viktor Vasilev Botev Vratsa v. Slavia Sofia 27 Bernard Tekpetey Ludogorets v. Slavia Sofia 28 Brayan Perea Botev Vratsa v. Tsarsko Selo 29 Noah Sonko Sundberg Levski Sofia v. Botev Plovdiv 30 Wenderson Tsunami Levski Sofia v. Cherno More 31 Filip Krastev Levski Sofia v. Slavia Sofia 32 Jack Lahne Botev Plovdiv v. Slavia Sofia Note: The top 3 goals of the week are selected for voting and the winner will be placed here.
Save of the week Week Goalkeeper Club Save1 Georgi Georgiev Cherno More v. Tsarsko Selo 2 Aleksandar Lyubenov Lokomotiv Sofia v. Lokomotiv Plovdiv 3 Aleksandar Lyubenov Lokomotiv Sofia v. CSKA 1948 4 Ilko Pirgov Lokomotiv Plovdiv v. Cherno More 5 Yanko Georgiev Tsarsko Selo v. Arda 6No winner7 Gustavo Busatto Svetoslav Vutsov CSKA SofiaSlavia Sofia v. Slavia Sofia v. CSKA Sofia 8 Daniel Naumov CSKA 1948 v. Levski Sofia 9 Svetoslav Vutsov Slavia Sofia v. Lokomotiv Sofia 10 Kristijan Kahlina Ludogorets v. Levski Sofia 11No winner12 Kristijan Kahlina Ludogorets v. Botev Plovdiv 13 Ivan Dyulgerov Cherno More v. Levski Sofia 14 Georgi Argilashki Botev Plovdiv v. Pirin Blagoevgrad 15 Krasimir Kostov Botev Vratsa v. Levski Sofia 16 Hennadiy Hanyev Beroe v. Cherno More 17 Krasimir Kostov Ivan Dyulgerov Botev VratsaCherno More v. Botev Plovdiv v. Lokomotiv Plovdiv 18 Krasimir Kostov Botev Vratsa v. Beroe 19 Nikolay Mihaylov Levski Sofia v. Beroe 20 Yanko Georgiev Pirin Blagoevgrad v. Lokomotiv Sofia 21 Ivan Dyulgerov Cherno More v. Lokomotiv Sofia 22 Hennadiy Hanyev Nikolay Mihaylov BeroeLevski Sofia v. Arda v. CSKA Sofia 23 Sergio Padt Ludogorets v. Levski Sofia 24 Krasimir Kostov Botev Vratsa v. Pirin Blagoevgrad 25 Ivan Dyulgerov Cherno More v. Botev Vratsa 26 Martin Lukov Arda v. CSKA 1948 27 Daniel Naumov CSKA 1948 v. Beroe 28 Yanko Georgiev Pirin Blagoevgrad v. Lokomotiv Sofia 29 Hennadiy Hanyev Beroe v. CSKA 1948 30 Nikolay Mihaylov Levski Sofia v. Slavia Sofia Note: The top 3 goalkeeper saves of the week are selected for voting by Yordan Gospodinov and the winner will be placed here.
References
Notes