The 2026–27 First Professional Football League, also known as efbet League for sponsorship reasons, is the 103rd season of the top division of the Bulgarian football league system, the 79th since a league format was adopted for the national competition of A Group as a top tier of the pyramid, and also the 11th season of the First Professional Football League, which decides the Bulgarian champion. The season began on 17 July 2026 and will end on 29 May 2027.
Levski are the defending champions.
Teams
For the first time since 2021–22, 14 teams compete in the league this year (reduced from 16). One team was promoted from the 2025–26 Second League, and another place is for the winner of the promotion/relegation play-off.
The only team to earn promotion from the Second League was Dunav, who mathematically secured the Second League championship after drawing against Fratria on 12 May. Dunav returned to the top level after a 6-year absence.
In the promotion/relegation play-off, Septemvri won against Yantra, thus remaining in the First League.
Additionally, this is the first season since 2008–09 without Beroe, as they were relegated after 17 consecutive years in the top flight.
Promoted from2025–26 Second League Relegated from2025–26 First LeagueDunavBeroeDobrudzhaMontana
Stadiums and locations Team Location Stadium Capacity Arda Kardzhali Arena Arda Botev Plovdiv Plovdiv Stadion Hristo Botev Botev Vratsa Vratsa Stadion Hristo Botev Cherno More Varna Stadion Ticha CSKA 1948 Bistritsa Stadion Bistritsa CSKA Sofia Sofia Stadion Balgarska ArmiaVasil Levski National Stadium Dunav Ruse Gradski stadion Levski Sofia Stadion Georgi Asparuhov Lokomotiv Plovdiv Plovdiv Stadion Lokomotiv Lokomotiv Sofia Sofia Stadion Lokomotiv Ludogorets Razgrad Huvepharma Arena Septemvri Sofia Vasil Levski National Stadium Slavia Sofia Stadion Aleksandar Shalamanov Spartak Varna Varna Stadion Spartak
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 sponsorsMainOther(s)Arda Aleksandar Tunchev Anatoli GospodinovJakoefbetBotev Plovdiv Stanislav Genchev Todor NedelevMacronWinBetBotev Vratsa Todor Simov Daniel GenovErimaWinBetCherno More Ilian Iliev Vasil PanayotovMacronArmeetsCSKA 1948 Ognyan Mladenov Diego MedinaJakoefbetCSKA Sofia Daniel Morales Bruno JordãoMacronWinBetDunav Georgi Chilikov Radoslav ApostolovErimaWinBetLevski Julio Velázquez Kristian DimitrovAdidasPalmsBetLokomotiv Plovdiv Dušan Kosič Parvizdzhon UmarbayevPumaSesameLokomotiv Sofia Lyuboslav Penev Krasimir StanoevMacronMrBitLudogorets Igor Jovićević Anton NedyalkovJakoInbetSeptemvri Simão Freitas Galin IvanovUhlsport8888.bgSlavia Ratko Dostanić Ivan MinchevJoma8888.bgSpartak Varna Vasil Petrov Deyan LozevJakoefbet 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 Team Outgoing Exit date Incoming Incoming date Botev Plovdiv Lachezar Baltanov (interim) End of caretaker spell 27 May 2026Pre-season Stanislav Genchev 27 May 2026 Dunav Georgi Chilikov Resigned 20 May 2026 Emanuel Lukanov 1 June 2026 Lokomotiv Sofia Aleksandar Georgiev (interim) End of caretaker spell 10 June 2026 Lyuboslav Penev 10 June 2026 Septemvri Hristo Arangelov End of contract 11 June 2026 Simão Freitas 15 June 2026 Ludogorets Per-Mathias Høgmo Mutual agreement 1 July 2026 Thomas Reis 12 July 2026 Spartak Varna Gjoko Hadžievski Resigned 29 July 2026 3rd Yasen Petrov 31 July 2026 Spartak Varna Yasen Petrov Resigned 24 August 2026 8th Vasil Petrov (interim) 25 August 2026 CSKA 1948 Aleksandar Aleksandrov Sacked 6 September 2026 4th Ognyan Mladenov 6 September 2026 CSKA Sofia Hristo Yanev Role change 10 September 2026 3rd Daniel Morales (interim) 10 September 2026 Dunav Emanuel Lukanov Mutual agreement 16 September 2026 14th Georgi Chilikov 17 September 2026 Ludogorets Thomas Reis Buyout 17 September 2026 3rd Igor Jovićević 23 September 2026
Regular season League table
Positions by round
Results by round
Results
Rescheduled matches
Round Home team Away team Original date New date Reason 1 Match was postponed by 24 hours after 5 minutes of game time, due to the pitch flooding caused by adverse weather. 5 Match was postponed after an official request by Levski, due to their Champions League play-off match against AEK Athens. 6 Match was postponed after an official request by CSKA Sofia, due to their Europa League play-off match against OFI. 7 Match was postponed by 24 hours after an official request by Levski. 10 Match was postponed after an official request by Levski.
Season statistics Scoring First goal of the season: Georg Stojanovski (Spartak Varna) against CSKA 1948 (17 July 2026)
Top goalscorers
Rank Player Club Goals 1 Joël Zwarts CSKA Sofia 8 2 Asen Chandarov Botev Plovdiv 6 3 Ivaylo Chochev Ludogorets 5 Rwan Cruz Frédéric Maciel CSKA 1948 Ioannis Pittas CSKA Sofia 7 Mamadou Diallo CSKA 1948 4 Birsent Karagaren Arda Armstrong Oko-Flex Levski 10 Cauê Caruso Lokomotiv Sofia 3 Elias Franco CSKA 1948 Santiago Godoy CSKA Sofia Atanas Iliev CSKA 1948 Samuel Kalu Botev Plovdiv Juan Perea Levski Reinaldo Levski Alex Valiño Dunav Ruse Antonio Vutov Arda Kardzhali
Hat-tricks
Clean sheets
Player Rank Goalkeeper Club Cleansheets 1 Svetoslav Vutsov Levski 5 2 Ivan Andonov Slavia 4 Anatoli Gospodinov Arda Fyodor Lapoukhov CSKA Sofia5 Hendrik Bonmann Ludogorets3 Plamen Iliev Spartak Varna Daniel Naumov Botev Plovdiv 8 Vladimir Ivanov Septemvri 2 9 Aleks Bozhev CSKA 1948 1 Bojan Milosavljević Lokomotiv Plovdiv Marin Orlinov Botev Vratsa Lyubomir Vasilev Martin Velichkov Lokomotiv Sofia
Team Most clean sheets: 5 Levski
Discipline
Player Most yellow cards: 5 Ivan Goranov (Botev Vratsa) José Cabarcas (Dunav) Georgi Minchev (Lokomotiv Sofia) Kubrat Onasci (Septemvri) Lucas Ryan (Lokomotiv Plovdiv) Sebastian Wade (Septemvri)
Most red cards: 1 Kyriakos Antoniou (Dunav) Zhivko Atanasov (Cherno More) José Cabarcas (Dunav) Rwan Cruz (Ludogorets) Ivan Goranov (Botev Vratsa) André Hoffmann (CSKA 1948) Cătălin Itu (CSKA Sofia) Julien Lamy (Lokomotiv Plovdiv) Bozhidar Katsarov (Lokomotiv Sofia) Vasco Oliveira (Spartak Varna) Edney Ribeiro (Septemvri) Emerson Rodríguez (Ludogorets)
Team Most yellow cards: 30 Cherno More
Fewest yellow cards: 8 Levski
Most red cards: 2 Dunav Ludogorets
Fewest red cards: 0 Arda Botev Plovdiv Levski Slavia
References