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2016–17 First Professional Football League (Bulgaria)

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.[8] The fixtures were announced on 8 July 2016.[9]

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.[10] 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.[11]

Tiebreakers

In case of a tie on points between two or more clubs, tiebreakers are applied in the following order:[12]

  1. Number of wins;
  2. Goal difference;
  3. Goals pro;
  4. Goals away;
  5. Fewer red cards;
  6. Fewest yellow cards;
  7. 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.[13] The following stadiums below have either obtained a license under UEFA's category ranking or fulfill the licensing criteria.

2016–17 First Professional Football League (Bulgaria) is located in Bulgaria
Sofia
Sofia
Beroe Vereya
Dunav
Cherno More
Ludogorets
Lokomotiv
Neftochimic
Botev Lokomotiv
Pirin
Montana
class=notpageimage|
Location of teams in 2016–17 First League
2016–17 First Professional Football League (Bulgaria) is located in Sofia
CSKA
CSKA
Levski
Slavia
class=notpageimage|
Sofia 2016–17 First League football clubs

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.[23]

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

a.^ Initially interim, made permanent 19 January 2017.[62]
b.^ Initially interim, made permanent 16 December 2016.[63]
c.^ Initially interim, made permanent 16 November 2016.[64]
d.^ Initially interim, made permanent 3 January 2017.[65]

Regular season

League table

Source: Bulgarian Football Union, 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.[66]
Notes:
  1. ^ a b Botev Plovdiv ahead of Beroe on head-to-head record; Beroe–Botev Plovdiv 3–4, Botev Plovdiv–Beroe 2–0.

Results

Source: bulgarian-football.com
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Positions by round

Source: en.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.[72]
(C) Champions; (O) Play-off winners
Notes:
  1. ^ a b On 29 May 2017 a UEFA letter to the Bulgarian Football Union declared that CSKA Sofia were not allowed to compete in European tournaments for the following two seasons as they were considered to have been re-formed as a new club and thus did not pass the "three-year rule".[67] As this decision was appealed by CSKA Sofia, the Bulgarian Football Union granted a license to them subject to legal proceedings.[68][69][70] A few hours prior to the Europa League first qualifying round draw, UEFA replaced them by Dunav Ruse, the fourth-placed team of the league.[71]

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.[72]
(O) Play-off winners; (R) Relegated
Notes:
  1. ^ Botev Plovdiv qualified for the Europa League first qualifying round by winning the 2016–17 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.[72]
(R) Relegated

European play-offs

Bracket

European play-off quarter-finals

Botev 1912 Football Complex, Plovdiv
Attendance: 1,700
Referee: Angel Angelov (Sofia)
Beroe, Stara Zagora
Attendance: 850
Referee: Dragomir Draganov (Varna)
Hristo Botev, Blagoevgrad
Attendance: 650
Referee: Stanislav Stavrov (Veliko Tarnovo)
Trace Arena, Stara Zagora
Attendance: 180
Referee: Vladimir Valkov (Plovdiv)

European play-off semi-finals

Trace Arena, Stara Zagora
Botev 1912 Football Complex, Plovdiv

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

Vivacom Arena - Georgi Asparuhov Stadium, Sofia
Attendance: 2,000
Referee: Stefan Apostolov (Simitli)

Relegation play-offs

Bracket

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

First round

Gradski, Lovech
Attendance: 50
Referee: Georgi Kabakov (Plovdiv)
Lazur, Burgas
Attendance: 370
Referee: Stefan Apostolov (Simitli)
Lokomotiv, Gorna Oryahovitsa
Attendance: 2,500
Referee: Nikola Popov (Sofia)
Vasil Levski National Stadium, Sofia
Attendance: 90
Referee: Ivaylo Stoyanov (Petrich)

Second round

Lazur, Burgas
Attendance: 700
Referee: Dragomir Draganov (Varna)
Vasil Levski National Stadium, Sofia
Attendance: 130
Referee: Nikola Popov (Sofia)
Gradski, Lovech
Attendance: 170
Referee: Georgi Dimitrov (Sofia)
Lokomotiv, Gorna Oryahovitsa
Attendance: 800
Referee: Ivaylo Stoyanov (Petrich)

Lokomotiv Gorna Oryahovitsa are relegated to the Second League.

Third round

Trace Arena, Stara Zagora
Attendance: 350
Referee: Stanislav Todorov (Shumen)
Lokomotiv, Plovdiv
Attendance: 200
Referee: Nikola Popov (Sofia)

Neftochimic and Montana are relegated to the Second League.

Season statistics

Scoring

Top scorers

As of matches played on 31 May 2017[73]
Notes
  1. ^ Including 12 goals for Botev Plovdiv.

Hat-tricks

Note

4 Player scored 4 goals

Clean sheets

As of matches played on 31 May 2017[73]
Notes
  1. ^ Including 5 clean sheets for Beroe.

Transfers

References

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External links