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2017–18 First Professional Football League (Bulgaria)

The 2017–18 First Professional Football League was the 94th season of the top division of the Bulgarian football league system, the 70th since a league format was adopted for the national competition of A Group as a top tier of the pyramid and also the 2nd season of the First Professional Football League, which decides the Bulgarian champion. The season is the second 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.[7] The fixture list was released on 22 June 2017.[8]

On 29 April 2018, four rounds before the end of the championship, Ludogorets Razgrad managed to secure the title for a seventh consecutive and overall time.

Teams

A total of 14 teams would be contesting the league. Etar were promoted as champions of the 2016–17 Second League, sealing their title on the final day of the season with a 2–2 away draw against Nesebar, coupled with Septemvri Sofia's 0–2 away defeat to Oborishte.[9] The promoted club replaced Lokomotiv Gorna Oryahovitsa, who suffered an immediate return to the second tier after elimination in the relegation play-offs by Montana.

Septemvri Sofia, runners-up of the 2016–17 Second League, won the play-off against Montana and return to the top flight after an 18-year absence, for the first time since the 1998–99 season. Montana return to the second tier after two seasons in the top flight.

Vitosha Bistritsa, who finished 3rd in the 2016–17 Second League, defeated Neftochimic in the play-off and won promotion to the top division for the first time in their history. Neftochimic spent only one season in the First League.

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.[10] The following stadiums below have either obtained a license under UEFA's category ranking or fulfill the licensing criteria.

2017–18 First Professional Football League (Bulgaria) is located in Bulgaria
Sofia
Sofia
Beroe Vereya
Dunav
Cherno More
Etar
Etar
Ludogorets
Botev Lokomotiv
Pirin
Vitosha
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Location of teams in 2017–18 First League
2017–18 First Professional Football League (Bulgaria) is located in Sofia
CSKA
CSKA
Levski
Septemvri
Slavia
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Sofia 2017–18 First League football clubs

a.^ Cherno More played their first home match at Kavarna Stadium in Kavarna due to ongoing renovation works at their Ticha Stadium.[18]
b.^ Etar played their first two home matches at Lovech Stadium in Lovech due to ongoing renovation works at their Ivaylo Stadium.[19]
c.^ Septemvri Sofia will play at the Vasil Levski National Stadium because their Dragalevtsi Stadium is not licensed for First League.[20]
d.^ Slavia Sofia obtained permission from the Bulgarian Football Union to use their own stadium and will play their matches at the Vasil Levski National Stadium only when floodlights are necessary.[21]

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.

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

1.^ No license for First League.

Regular season

League table

Source: Soccerway
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Head-to-head points; 3) Head-to-head goal difference; 4) Head-to-head goals scored; 5) Head-to-head away goals scored (only if two teams); 6) Goal difference; 7) Goals scored; 8) Fairplay ranking; 9) Draw.[53]
Notes:
  1. ^ a b Septemvri Sofia ahead of Lokomotiv Plovdiv on head-to-head record; Septemvri Sofia–Lokomotiv Plovdiv 3-1, Lokomotiv Plovdiv–Septemvri Sofia 1-0.
  2. ^ a b Dunav Ruse ahead of Etar on head-to-head record; Dunav Ruse–Etar 0–0, Etar–Dunav Ruse 0–2.

Results

Source: bulgarian-football.com
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.
For upcoming matches, an "a" indicates there is an article about the rivalry between the two participants.

Positions by round

Source: bulgarian-football.com

Results by round

Source: bulgarian-football.com
W = Win; D = Draw; L = Loss

Championship round

Points and goals will carry over in full from regular season.

Source: Soccerway
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Head-to-head points; 3) Head-to-head goal difference; 4) Head-to-head goals scored; 5) Head-to-head away goals scored (only if two teams); 6) Goal difference; 7) Goals scored; 8) Fairplay ranking; 9) Draw.[54]
(C) Champions; (O) Play-off winners

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.

Source: bulgarian-football.com

Relegation round

Points and goals will carry over in full from regular season.

Group A

Source: Soccerway
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Head-to-head points; 3) Head-to-head goal difference; 4) Head-to-head goals scored; 5) Head-to-head away goals scored (only if two teams); 6) Goal difference; 7) Goals scored; 8) Fairplay ranking; 9) Draw.[54]
(O) Play-off winners; (R) Relegated
Notes:
  1. ^ Slavia Sofia qualified for the Europa League first qualifying round by winning the 2017–18 Bulgarian Cup.

Group B

Source: Soccerway
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Head-to-head points; 3) Head-to-head goal difference; 4) Head-to-head goals scored; 5) Head-to-head away goals scored (only if two teams); 6) Goal difference; 7) Goals scored; 8) Fairplay ranking; 9) Draw.[54]
(O) Play-off winners

European play-offs

Bracket

European play-off quarter-finals

Ticha, Varna
Attendance: 770
Referee: Volen Chinkov (Sofia)
Vasil Levski, Sofia
Attendance: 200
Referee: Stefan Apostolov (Simitli)
Lokomotiv, Plovdiv
Attendance: 790
Referee: Ivaylo Stoyanov (Petrich)
Vasil Levski, Sofia
Attendance: 350
Referee: Stanislav Todorov (Shumen)

European play-off semi-finals

Ticha, Varna
Attendance: 1,250
Referee: Nikolay Yordanov (Sofia)
Lokomotiv, Plovdiv
Attendance: 970
Referee: Nikola Popov (Sofia)

European play-off final

Vivacom Arena - Georgi Asparuhov, Sofia
Attendance: 4,030
Referee: Georgi Kabakov (Plovdiv)

Relegation play-offs

Bracket

Winners of matches 3, 5 and 6 will play in the top division next season

First round

Bistritsa Stadium, Bistritsa
Attendance: 290
Referee: Stanislav Todorov (Shumen)
Gradski, Ruse
Attendance: 1,500
Referee: Ivaylo Stoyanov (Petrich)
Ivaylo, Veliko Tarnovo
Attendance: 1,500
Referee: Georgi Kabakov (Plovdiv)
Hristo Botev, Blagoevgrad
Attendance: 1,680
Referee: Nikola Popov (Sofia)

Second round

Ivaylo, Veliko Tarnovo
Attendance: 1,450
Referee: Vladimir Valkov (Plovdiv)
Gradski, Ruse
Attendance: 2,500
Referee: Stefan Apostolov (Simitli)
Bistritsa Stadium, Bistritsa
Attendance: 180
Referee: Angel Bayaltsaliev (Sofia)
Hristo Botev, Blagoevgrad
Attendance: 480
Referee: Stanislav Todorov (Shumen)

Pirin Blagoevgrad are relegated to the Second League.

Third round

Botev 1912 Football Complex, Plovdiv
Attendance: 410
Referee: Nikolay Yordanov (Sofia)
Lokomotiv, Plovdiv
Attendance: 550
Referee: Nikola Popov (Sofia)

Season statistics

Top scorers

As of match(es) played on 25 May 2018[55]
Notes
  1. ^ Including 1 goal for Ludogorets Razgrad.
  2. ^ Including 6 goals for Pirin Blagoevgrad.
  3. ^ Including 6 goals for Dunav Ruse.
  4. ^ Including 2 goals for Vereya.
  5. ^ Including 3 goals for Vereya.

Hat-tricks

Clean sheets

As of match(es) played on 25 May 2018[63]
Notes
  1. ^ Including 7 clean sheets for Pirin Blagoevgrad.
  2. ^ Including 6 clean sheets for Vereya.

Transfers

References

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External links