First Professional Football League
FIFA Region
UEFA
Season
2019-2020
Location
Bulgaria
Abbreviation
BUL1

Summary

The First Professional Football League (BUL1) is the top professional league in the Bulgarian football system. At completion of the 2019-2020 regular season, the top 6 teams participate in the BUL1 Championship Group phase. Championship Group results determine how the teams qualify for the following non-league play:

  • 2020-2021 UEFA Champions League - 1st Qualifying Round:
    • 1st place 2019-2020 BUL1 Championship Group team
  • 2020-2021 UEFA Europa League - 1st Qualifying Round:
    • 2nd place 2019-2020 BUL1 Championship Group teams
    • Winner of 2019-2020 BUL1 UEFA Europa League Playoffs

The winner of the 2019-2020 Bulgarian Cup, typically a BUL1 team, also receives a berth in the 2nd Qualifying Round of the 2020-2021 UEFA Europa League.

Leagues Pyramid - Bulgaria

Abbrev League # of Teams
BUL1 First Professional Football League 14
BUL2 Second Professional Football League 18
BUL3 Third Amatuer Football League 63

Competition Structure

Season

# of Teams

Regular
12 Jul 2019 - 14 Jun 2020
Champ/Releg Rounds
19 Jun 2020 - 12 Jul 2020
UEFAEL Playoffs
7 Jul 2020 - 19 Jul 2020
14: BUL1 (12 minimum), BUL2 (2 maximum)

Season Format

The 2019-2020 BUL1 consists of a double round robin format where each BUL1 team plays Home-Away matches with the other 13 BUL1 teams, for a total of 26 regular season matches. At the end of regular season, the top 6 teams play in the Championship Round, while the bottom 8 teams play in the Relegation Round. In the Championship round, each team plays Home/Away matches against the other 5 teams for 10 more matches (36 total). In the Relegation Round, the 8 teams are split into 2 groups of 4 where they play Home/Away matches against the other 3 teams in their group for 6 more matches (32 total league matches). Table ranking ties are broken by (1) head-to-head points, (2) head-to-head goal difference, (3) head-to-head goals scored, (4) head-to-head away goals scored (if only 2 teams), (5) goal difference, (6) total goals scored, (7) Fairplay ranking, then (8) a draw.

Playoffs

Upon completion of the 2019-2020 BUL1 Championship and Relegation Rounds, the 1st and 2nd place teams in each Relegation Round group play in the UEFA Europa League Playoffs. The winner of this playoff plays 1 match against the 3rd place team from the Championship Round.

Relegation

At the end of the 2019-2020 BUL1 Relegation Round, the 3rd and 4th place team in each group enter into a Relegation Playoff with the 2nd and 3rd place teams from BUL2. 3 winning teams from the Relegation Playoff are promoted to the 2020-2021 BUL1 and the 3 losing teams will be relegated to BUL2.


More Info...


UEFAEL Playoffs - Final

DateHome Status RoadVenue
Sun - 19 Jul 2020

UEFAEL Playoffs - 2nd Round

DateHome Status RoadVenue
AggregatePFC Cherno More Varna  01 PFC Botev Plovdiv  

UEFAEL Playoffs - 1st Round

DateHome Status RoadVenue
Tue - 7 Jul 2020
 PFC Botev Plovdiv 10 SFC Etar Veliko TarnovoSporten kompleks Botev 1912

Relegation Playoffs - Round 1

DateHome Status RoadVenue
AggregateFC Dunav Ruse (BUL1) 16 PFC Montana (BUL2) 
17.07.20FC Dunav Ruse 14 PFC MontanaSlavia Stadium
 PFC Montana is promoted to BUL1 
18.07.20FC Tsarsko Selo Sofia 20 PFC Septemvri SofiaBalgarska Armia Stadium
 FC Tsarsko Selo Sofia remains in BUL1 

2nd Stage

 LeagueHomeRoad
POSMPW - D - LPTSCPTSGFGAGDMPW - D - LPTSGFGAGDMPW - D - LPTSGFGAGD
Championship
1Ludogorets Razgrad 3121 -9-172-5918411613 -3-04240733158 -6-13019118
2PFC CSKA Sofia 3116 -11-459-522230169 -6-133341420157 -5-32618810
3PFC Slavia Sofia 3116 -7-855-423210156 -4-522232211610 -3-33319109
4PFC Levski Sofia 3115 -8-853-503020159 -1-528251312166 -7-32525178
5PFC Lokomotiv Plovdiv 3115 -8-853-533518168 -5-329231112157 -3-52430246
6PFC Beroe Stara Zagora 3116 -1-1449-504371510 -1-431271116166 -0-10182332-9
Relegation - Group A
1PFC Cherno More Varna 2912 -11-647-392712157 -6-227231310145 -5-42016142
2SFC Etar Veliko Tarnovo 297 -10-1231-3448-14155 -6-4211622-6142 -4-8101826-8
3FC Tsarsko Selo Sofia 299 -4-1631-2746-19144 -3-7151624-8155 -1-9161122-11
4FK Vitosha Bistritsa 291 -3-256-1557-42141 -1-1241031-21150 -2-132526-21
Relegation - Group B
1PFC Botev Plovdiv 2910 -6-1336-3234-2157 -3-52419145143 -3-8121320-7
2FK Arda Kardzhali 298 -11-1035-2835-7155 -4-6191419-5143 -7-4161416-2
3POFC Botev Vratsa 296 -8-1526-2650-24143 -5-6141218-6153 -3-9121432-18
4FC Dunav Ruse 295 -7-1722-2555-30142 -4-810922-13153 -3-9121633-17
UEFAEL Playoffs
UEFACL
UEFAEL
Relegation Playoff

1st Stage

 LeagueHomeRoad
POSMPW - D - LPTSCPTSGFGAGDMPW - D - LPTSGFGAGDMPW - D - LPTSGFGAGD
1Ludogorets Razgrad 2618 -8-062-4612341310 -3-03329524138 -5-02917710
2PFC Lokomotiv Plovdiv 2614 -8-450-492326138 -5-02922616136 -3-421271710
3PFC CSKA Sofia 2614 -8-450-411724138 -4-128251015136 -4-3221679
4PFC Levski Sofia 2614 -7-549-431924139 -1-32823914135 -6-221201010
5PFC Slavia Sofia 2613 -6-745-36288135 -3-5182021-1138 -3-2271679
6PFC Beroe Stara Zagora 2614 -1-1143-443410139 -1-32824915135 -0-8152025-5
7PFC Cherno More Varna 2610 -10-640-32248136 -5-22320119134 -5-4171213-1
8FK Arda Kardzhali 267 -10-931-2733-6134 -4-5161317-4133 -6-4151416-2
9PFC Botev Plovdiv 268 -6-1230-2630-4135 -3-51813112133 -3-7121319-6
10SFC Etar Veliko Tarnovo 266 -9-1127-3145-14134 -6-3181521-6132 -3-891624-8
11FC Tsarsko Selo Sofia 267 -4-1525-2442-18134 -3-6151520-5133 -1-910922-13
12POFC Botev Vratsa 265 -7-1422-2146-25133 -4-6131218-6132 -3-89928-19
13FC Dunav Ruse 264 -7-1519-2149-28132 -4-710819-11132 -3-891330-17
14FK Vitosha Bistritsa 261 -3-226-1554-39131 -1-1141030-20130 -2-112524-19
Championship Round
Relegation Round

Results

Sun - 12 Jul 2020
 CSKA Sofia 50 PFC Beroe Stara ZagoraBalgarska Armia Stadium
 PFC Levski Sofia 12 PFC Lokomotiv PlovdivVivacom Arena - Georgi Asparuhov
Thu - 9 Jul 2020
 PFC Lokomotiv Plovdiv 12 CSKA SofiaStadion Lokomotiv (Plovdiv)
Wed - 8 Jul 2020
Sun - 5 Jul 2020
 CSKA Sofia 11 Ludogorets RazgradBalgarska Armia Stadium
 PFC Lokomotiv Plovdiv 02 PFC Beroe Stara ZagoraStadion Lokomotiv (Plovdiv)
Sat - 4 Jul 2020
 PFC Levski Sofia 12 PFC Slavia SofiaVivacom Arena - Georgi Asparuhov
Fri - 3 Jul 2020
 PFC Botev Plovdiv 31 FC Dunav RuseStadion Hristo Botev (Plovdiv)
 POFC Botev Vratsa 00 FK Arda KardzhaliStadion Hristo Botev (Vratsa)
Thu - 2 Jul 2020
Mon - 29 Jun 2020
 FK Arda Kardzhali 10 PFC Botev PlovdivStadion Lokomotiv (Plovdiv)
 FC Dunav Ruse 13 POFC Botev VratsaGradski stadion (Ruse)
Sun - 28 Jun 2020
Sat - 27 Jun 2020
 PFC Slavia Sofia 00 CSKA SofiaSlavia Stadium
 FK Vitosha Bistritsa 01 FC Tsarsko Selo SofiaStadion Vitosha (Bistritsa)
Fri - 26 Jun 2020