Second Professional Football League (Bulgaria)

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Second Professional Football League
Втора Професионална Футболна Λига
Founded1950; 74 years ago (1950)
CountryBulgaria
Divisions1
Number of teams18
Level on pyramid2
Promotion toFirst League
Relegation toThird League
Domestic cup(s)Bulgarian Cup
Bulgarian Supercup
Current championsCSKA 1948 Sofia II (1st title)
(2022–23)
Most championshipsBeroe Stara Zagora
(9 titles)
TV partnersNova Broadcasting Group
Websitehttp://old.fpleague.bg/index2.php
Current: 2023–24 season

The Bulgarian Second Professional Football League (Bulgarian: Втора професионална футболна лига, romanizedVtora Profesionalna Futbolna Liga), also known as Second League (Bulgarian: Втора Лига) or Vtora liga, is the second level of the Bulgarian football league system, below First League and above the Third League. Sixteen teams take part in the league, each playing twice against all the other, once home and once away. Most matches are played on Saturdays and Sundays. The league is administered by the Bulgarian Professional Football League.

In 2016, the B Group's name was rebranded to Second Professional Football League.[1]

Competition format[edit]

A team receives 3 points for a win and 1 point for a draw. No points are awarded for a loss.

Promotion and relegation positions[edit]

For 2021–22 Season :

2023–24 clubs[edit]

Team City Stadium Capacity
Bdin Vidin Georgi Benkovski 15,000
Belasitsa Petrich Tsar Samuil 12,000
Chernomorets Balchik Balchik Balchik 2,600
Chernomorets Burgas Burgas Lazur Stadium 18,037
CSKA 1948 II Sofia Bistritsa 2,500
Dobrudzha Dobrich Druzhba 12,500
Dunav Ruse Gradski 13,000
Litex Lovech Gradski 8,100
Ludogorets II Razgrad Eagles' Nest 2,000
Marek Dupnitsa Bonchuk 16,000
Maritsa Plovdiv Maritsa 5,000
Montana Montana Ogosta 6,000
Septemvri Sofia DIT 2,000
Spartak Pleven Pleven Pleven 22,000
Spartak Varna Varna Stadion Spartak 6,000
Sportist Svoge Chavdar Tsvetkov 3,500
Strumska Slava Radomir Gradski 3,500
Yantra Gabrovo Hristo Botev 14,000

History[edit]

Former B Group logo

B Republican Football Group[edit]

The B group was established in 1950 when the league was divided in two groups - North and South, in each group participating 10 teams. The first champions of the B Republican Football Group are Torpedo (Ruse) (North) and Spartak (Sofia) (South).

In season 1951 the group is only one - B Republican Football Group with 12 teams. The regulations are - in A Group are going the top team in the final standings from Sofia and the top two teams from the province (teams that aren't from Sofia).

In the next season 1952 the group is formed by 14 teams and from season 1953 the league is divided into five groups - Sofia B Group, North-West B Group, South-West B Group, North-East B Group and South-East B Group.

Second Professional Football Group[edit]

In the next seasons the league had many changes. In 2000 the Bulgarian Football Union changed the name of the division. The league is formed by 18 teams, not like previous seasons - 16 teams. To reduce the teams to 16 again in the next season the last six teams that finish in the final standings in the league were directly relegated.

First Professional Football League[edit]

Before the start of season 2001/2002 the league was again renamed. The championship started with 13 teams, because Lokomotiv (Plovdiv) and Belasitsa (Petrich) united with two teams from A Group - Lokomotiv with PFC Velbazhd Kyustendil and Belasitsa with PFC Hebar Pazardzhik. That meant, that this was the end of professional football in the towns of Kyustendil and Pazardzhik.

B Professional Football Group[edit]

Returning to the traditions of the B Republican Football Group was the creating of the B Professional Football Group. 16 teams participated in the league, each playing twice against all the other, once home and once away, with no play-offs.

Before the start of season 2005/2006 the Bulgarian Football Union decided to divide B Group in two groups - West B Group and East B Group with 14 teams in each group. Every team plays 13 matches as home team and 13 matches as away team. The two champions of the groups were directly promoted to A Group and the two teams that finished in second place in their group played a play-off for winning the final third place for promotion in A Group. On May 19, 2008 the two groups were extended to 16 teams. For season 2010/2011 the two groups were reduced again with 12 teams in each.

But just before the start of season 2011/2012 the number of teams in the two groups was again reduced - 10 teams in both West B Group and East B Group, with the winners of the groups directly promoting to A Group. The two teams that finished in second place in their group enter in a play-off for winning a place at the final play-off for promotion/relegation with the team that finished 14th in A Group.

Further changes were made before the start of season 2012/2013. The former format of B Group with the two groups (West and East) was replaced by a single division, formed by fourteen teams.

Second League[edit]

Former champions (from season 2005–06)[edit]

The following table presents the former champions of B Group (until season 2011–12 it had separate champions about the zones East and West).[2]

Season Champion(s) Top goalscorer
2005–06 Spartak Varna (East) Rilski Sportist Samokov (West)
2006–07 Chernomorets Burgas (East) Pirin Blagoevgrad (West)
2007–08 Sliven (East) Lokomotiv Mezdra (West)
2008–09 Beroe Stara Zagora (East) Montana (West)
2009–10 Kaliakra Kavarna (East) Vidima-Rakovski Sevlievo (West)
2010–11 Ludogorets Razgrad (East) Botev Vratsa (West)
2011–12 Etar 1924 (East) Pirin Gotse Delchev (West)
2012–13 Neftochimic Burgas Blagoy Nakov (16 goals)
Pirin Blagoevgrad
2013–14 Marek Dupnitsa Atanas Chipilov (13 goals)
Bansko
2014–15 Montana Yanaki Smirnov (23 goals)
Lokomotiv GO
2015–16 Dunav Ruse Vasil Kaloyanov and Tihomir Kanev (13 goals)
Sozopol / Lokomotiv GO
2016–17 Etar Veliko Tarnovo Dimitar Georgiev (18 goals)
Lokomotiv 1929 Sofia
2017–18 Botev Vratsa Svetoslav Dikov (25 goals)
Tsarsko Selo Sofia
2018–19 Tsarsko Selo Sofia Georgi Minchev (29 goals)
Tsarsko Selo Sofia
2019–20 CSKA 1948 Sofia Andon Gushterov (26 goals)
CSKA 1948 Sofia
2020–21 Pirin Blagoevgrad Svetoslav Dikov (17 goals)
Lokomotiv 1929 Sofia
2021–22 Septemvri Sofia Mariyan Tonev (19 goals)
Maritsa Plovdiv
2022–23 CSKA 1948 Sofia II Yordan Dimitrov and Valentin Yoskov (15 goals)
Dunav Ruse / CSKA 1948 Sofia II

References[edit]

  1. ^ Официално 14-те отбора в родния елит, новият формат и новото име на първенството
  2. ^ "Bulgarian football - B Group". bulgarian-football.com. Archived from the original on 20 August 2010. Retrieved 4 June 2010.