Summary
The First Professional Football League (BUL1) is the top professional league in the Bulgarian football system. At completion of the 2021-2022 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:
- 2022-2023 UEFA Champions League - 1st Qualifying Round:
- 1st place 2021-2022 BUL1 Championship Group team
- 2022-2023 UEFA Europa Conference League - 2nd Qualifying Round:
- 2nd place 2021-2022 BUL1 Championship Group teams
- winner of 2021-2022 BUL1 UEFA Europa Conference League Playoffs
The winner of the 2021-2022 Bulgarian Cup, typically a BUL1 team, also receives a berth in the 2nd Qualifying Round of the 2022-2023 UEFA Europa Conference League.
Leagues Pyramid - Bulgaria
| Abbrev | League | # of Teams |
|---|---|---|
| BUL1 | efbet League (First Professional Football League) | 14 |
| BUL2 | Second Professional Football League | 20 |
| BUL3 | Third Amatuer Football League | 71 |
Competition Structure
Season | # of Teams | ||
| Regular 23 Jul 2021 - 11 Apr 2022 | Champ/Releg Rounds 15 Apr 2022 - 22 May 2022 | UEFAECL Playoffs 5 May 2021 - 30 May 2022 | 14: BUL1 (12 minimum), BUL2 (2 maximum) |
Season Format
The 2021-2022 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 per team. At the end of regular season, the top 6 teams play in the Championship group, teams placed 7th through 10th play in the UEFA Europa Conference League (UEFAECL) group, and teams placed 11th through 14th play in the Relegation group. In the Championship round, each team plays Home/Away matches against the other 5 teams for 10 more matches (36 total per team). In the UEFAECL and Relegation groups, the 4 teams play Home/Away matches against the other 3 teams in their group for 6 more matches (32 total per team). 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 2021-2022 BUL1 Championship and UEFAECL Playoffs rounds, the 3rd place Championship team enters into Home/Away highest aggregate goals wins matches against the 1st place UEFAECL Playoffs team.
Relegation
At the end of the 2021-2022 BUL1 Relegation Round, the 3rd and 4th place team are relegated to BUL2, and the 2nd place team enters into a Promotion/Relegation with a BUL2 team.
More Info...
UEFAECL Playoffs - Final
| Date | Home | Status | Road | Venue | ||||
 | 21 | PFC Beroe Stara Zagora | Sporten kompleks Botev 1912 |
Relegation Playoffs
| Date | Home | Status | Road | Venue | ||||
 | 32 | SFC Etar Veliko Tarnovo (BUL2) | Stadion Aleksandar Shalamanov | |||
| POFC Botev Vratsa remains in BUL1 | ||||||
2nd Stage
| League | Home | Road | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| POS | MP | W - D - L | PTS | CPTS | GF | GA | GD | MP | W - D - L | PTS | GF | GA | GD | MP | W - D - L | PTS | GF | GA | GD | |
| Championship | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 1 | Ludogorets Razgrad | 31 | 26 -1-4 | 79 | - | 77 | 25 | 52 | 16 | 15 -0-1 | 45 | 47 | 10 | 37 | 15 | 11 -1-3 | 34 | 30 | 15 | 15 |
| 2 | CSKA Sofia | 31 | 16 -10-5 | 58 | - | 42 | 31 | 11 | 16 | 11 -4-1 | 37 | 24 | 9 | 15 | 15 | 5 -6-4 | 21 | 18 | 22 | -4 |
| 3 | PFC Botev Plovdiv | 31 | 15 -8-8 | 53 | - | 38 | 33 | 5 | 16 | 13 -0-3 | 39 | 28 | 16 | 12 | 15 | 2 -8-5 | 14 | 10 | 17 | -7 |
| 4 | PFC Levski Sofia | 31 | 15 -7-9 | 52 | - | 38 | 27 | 11 | 15 | 8 -3-4 | 27 | 20 | 12 | 8 | 16 | 7 -4-5 | 25 | 18 | 15 | 3 |
| 5 | PFC Cherno More Varna | 31 | 12 -11-8 | 47 | - | 36 | 22 | 14 | 15 | 6 -6-3 | 24 | 18 | 8 | 10 | 16 | 6 -5-5 | 23 | 18 | 14 | 4 |
| 6 | PFC Slavia Sofia | 31 | 9 -10-12 | 37 | - | 35 | 38 | -3 | 15 | 6 -5-4 | 23 | 17 | 13 | 4 | 16 | 3 -5-8 | 14 | 18 | 25 | -7 |
| Relegation | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 1 | FC Lokomotiv 1929 Sofia | 32 | 8 -10-14 | 34 | - | 27 | 46 | -19 | 16 | 8 -4-4 | 28 | 17 | 17 | 0 | 16 | 0 -6-10 | 6 | 10 | 29 | -19 |
| 2 | OFK Pirin Blagoevgrad | 32 | 9 -6-17 | 33 | - | 40 | 53 | -13 | 16 | 6 -3-7 | 21 | 25 | 28 | -3 | 16 | 3 -3-10 | 12 | 15 | 25 | -10 |
| 3 | POFC Botev Vratsa | 32 | 6 -10-16 | 28 | - | 30 | 55 | -25 | 16 | 3 -8-5 | 17 | 12 | 19 | -7 | 16 | 3 -2-11 | 11 | 18 | 36 | -18 |
| 4 | FC Tsarsko Selo Sofia | 32 | 5 -11-16 | 26 | - | 22 | 38 | -16 | 16 | 4 -5-7 | 17 | 15 | 19 | -4 | 16 | 1 -6-9 | 9 | 7 | 19 | -12 |
| UEFAECL Playoffs | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 1 | CSKA 1948 Sofia | 32 | 11 -8-13 | 41 | - | 51 | 45 | 6 | 16 | 8 -4-4 | 28 | 32 | 20 | 12 | 16 | 3 -4-9 | 13 | 19 | 25 | -6 |
| 2 | PFC Beroe Stara Zagora | 32 | 11 -8-13 | 41 | - | 30 | 33 | -3 | 16 | 8 -6-2 | 30 | 15 | 10 | 5 | 16 | 3 -2-11 | 11 | 15 | 23 | -8 |
| 3 | PFC Lokomotiv Plovdiv | 32 | 9 -11-12 | 38 | - | 36 | 43 | -7 | 16 | 6 -7-3 | 25 | 20 | 17 | 3 | 16 | 3 -4-9 | 13 | 16 | 26 | -10 |
| 4 | FK Arda Kardzhali | 32 | 8 -11-13 | 35 | - | 38 | 51 | -13 | 16 | 6 -6-4 | 24 | 26 | 26 | 0 | 16 | 2 -5-9 | 11 | 12 | 25 | -13 |
UEFAECL Playoffs 2022-2023 UEFACL Relegation Playoff 2022-2023 UEFAECL Relegation to BUL2 | ||||||||||||||||||||
1st Stage
| League | Home | Road | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| POS | MP | W - D - L | PTS | CPTS | GF | GA | GD | MP | W - D - L | PTS | GF | GA | GD | MP | W - D - L | PTS | GF | GA | GD | |
| 1 | Ludogorets Razgrad | 26 | 21 -1-4 | 64 | - | 64 | 23 | 41 | 13 | 12 -0-1 | 36 | 37 | 9 | 28 | 13 | 9 -1-3 | 28 | 27 | 14 | 13 |
| 2 | CSKA Sofia | 26 | 15 -7-4 | 52 | - | 39 | 25 | 14 | 13 | 10 -2-1 | 32 | 21 | 8 | 13 | 13 | 5 -5-3 | 20 | 18 | 17 | 1 |
| 3 | PFC Botev Plovdiv | 26 | 13 -7-6 | 46 | - | 34 | 28 | 6 | 13 | 11 -0-2 | 33 | 24 | 13 | 11 | 13 | 2 -7-4 | 13 | 10 | 15 | -5 |
| 4 | PFC Cherno More Varna | 26 | 12 -9-5 | 45 | - | 35 | 18 | 17 | 13 | 6 -5-2 | 23 | 18 | 7 | 11 | 13 | 6 -4-3 | 22 | 17 | 11 | 6 |
| 5 | PFC Levski Sofia | 26 | 12 -6-8 | 42 | - | 33 | 25 | 8 | 13 | 7 -3-3 | 24 | 18 | 11 | 7 | 13 | 5 -3-5 | 18 | 15 | 14 | 1 |
| 6 | PFC Slavia Sofia | 26 | 9 -9-8 | 36 | - | 30 | 26 | 4 | 13 | 6 -4-3 | 22 | 15 | 10 | 5 | 13 | 3 -5-5 | 14 | 15 | 16 | -1 |
| 7 | PFC Lokomotiv Plovdiv | 26 | 9 -7-10 | 34 | - | 30 | 35 | -5 | 13 | 6 -4-3 | 22 | 18 | 15 | 3 | 13 | 3 -3-7 | 12 | 12 | 20 | -8 |
| 8 | PFC Beroe Stara Zagora | 26 | 9 -5-12 | 32 | - | 23 | 27 | -4 | 13 | 6 -5-2 | 23 | 11 | 8 | 3 | 13 | 3 -0-10 | 9 | 12 | 19 | -7 |
| 9 | CSKA 1948 Sofia | 26 | 8 -6-12 | 30 | - | 36 | 37 | -1 | 13 | 6 -3-4 | 21 | 24 | 17 | 7 | 13 | 2 -3-8 | 9 | 12 | 20 | -8 |
| 10 | FK Arda Kardzhali | 26 | 7 -8-11 | 29 | - | 27 | 34 | -7 | 13 | 5 -5-3 | 20 | 18 | 16 | 2 | 13 | 2 -3-8 | 9 | 9 | 18 | -9 |
| 11 | OFK Pirin Blagoevgrad | 26 | 7 -6-13 | 27 | - | 34 | 41 | -7 | 13 | 5 -3-5 | 18 | 20 | 20 | 0 | 13 | 2 -3-8 | 9 | 14 | 21 | -7 |
| 12 | FC Lokomotiv 1929 Sofia | 26 | 6 -7-13 | 25 | - | 22 | 42 | -20 | 13 | 6 -3-4 | 21 | 15 | 17 | -2 | 13 | 0 -4-9 | 4 | 7 | 25 | -18 |
| 13 | POFC Botev Vratsa | 26 | 5 -7-14 | 22 | - | 23 | 48 | -25 | 13 | 3 -6-4 | 15 | 11 | 17 | -6 | 13 | 2 -1-10 | 7 | 12 | 31 | -19 |
| 14 | FC Tsarsko Selo Sofia | 26 | 3 -7-16 | 16 | - | 15 | 36 | -21 | 13 | 3 -3-7 | 12 | 10 | 17 | -7 | 13 | 0 -4-9 | 4 | 5 | 19 | -14 |
Championship Round UEFAECL Playoffs Relegation Round | ||||||||||||||||||||
Results
 | 01 | Ludogorets Razgrad | Vivacom Arena - Georgi Asparuhov |
 | 00 | CSKA Sofia | Ticha Stadium |
| 21 | PFC Slavia Sofia | Sporten kompleks Botev 1912 |
 | 35 | POFC Botev Vratsa | Stadion Hristo Botev (Blagoevgrad) |
 | 11 | FC Lokomotiv 1929 Sofia | Tsarsko selo Complex |
 | 11 | CSKA 1948 Sofia | Stadion Lokomotiv (Plovdiv) |
 | 10 | PFC Beroe Stara Zagora | Arena Arda |
| 12 | PFC Levski Sofia | Slavia Stadium |
| 00 | PFC Botev Plovdiv | Balgarska Armia Stadium |
| 10 | OFK Pirin Blagoevgrad | Stadion Vasil Levski |
| 00 | FC Tsarsko Selo Sofia | Stadion Hristo Botev (Vratsa) |
| 10 | PFC Cherno More Varna | Huvepharma Arena |
| 10 | PFC Lokomotiv Plovdiv | Beroe Stadium |
| 51 | FK Arda Kardzhali | Stadion Vasil Levski |
| 30 | OFK Pirin Blagoevgrad | Tsarsko selo Complex |
| 11 | FC Lokomotiv 1929 Sofia | Stadion Hristo Botev (Vratsa) |
| 22 | PFC Beroe Stara Zagora | Stadion Vasil Levski |
| 44 | PFC Lokomotiv Plovdiv | Arena Arda |
| 31 | PFC Slavia Sofia | Balgarska Armia Stadium |
| 01 | PFC Levski Sofia | Ticha Stadium |