The Bulgarian football league system or the Bulgarian football pyramid, is a series of interconnected leagues for club
football in Bulgaria
Football ( bg, футбол, ''futbol'') is the most popular sport in Bulgaria. It was introduced in 1893–1894 by Swiss gymnastics teachers invited to the country. A football (initially called ритнитоп, ''ritnitop'', "kickball") mat ...
. The system has a hierarchical format with promotion and relegation between leagues at different levels, and allows even the smallest club to dream of rising to the very top of the system.
History
The first organised national tournament was founded in 1924. It was called the National championship ( bg, Държавно първенство). The teams taking part in the tournament were separated in different regional divisions and the winners of each division then played for the Championship title via
play-off
The playoffs, play-offs, postseason or finals of a sports league are a competition played after the regular season by the top competitors to determine the league champion or a similar accolade. Depending on the league, the playoffs may be eithe ...
s.
In 1948 A Republican Football Group ( bg, „А“ Републиканска футболна група) was founded, a new national top division. The second level of the football league system - the B Republican Football Group ( bg, „Б“ Републиканска футболна група) was founded two years later. The lower levels of the pyramid - V Republican Football Group ( bg, „В“ Републиканска футболна група) and below - were structured in 1959.
This system (with minor changes during the years) existed until 2000. Then experimentally a new Bulgarian Premier Football League ( bg, Висша лига по футбол) was founded replacing A Football Group. B Football Group was replaced by the new Bulgarian First Football League ( bg, Първа лига по футбол). But these changes lasted for just three years - in 2003 the old A and B Football Groups were restored at the top of the football pyramid.
From 2016 the top level league name was changed to First Professional Football League and B Group name to Second Professional Football League.
Structure
Currently the Bulgarian football league system consists of 55 different divisions forming 5 levels of the pyramid.:
Bulgarian Football Union Information System
, visited on 22.11.2007
References
External links
bulgarian-football.com
- information, results, fixtures and tables from all levels of Bulgarian club football
Bulgarian Football Union Information System
- includes information, results, fixtures and tables from the lower levels of Bulgarian club football (levels 3-5)
{{League systems
Football league systems in Europe