2013–14 A Group
The 2013–14 A Group was the 90th season of the top division of the
For the first time after
Ludogorets Razgrad went into the season as two-time defending champions[6] and managed to retain the title for a third consecutive and overall time, after winning their match with Lokomotiv Plovdiv on 7 May two rounds before the end of the season.[7][8]
Competition format
Season 2013-14 has some changes in the tournament format compared to the previous season. For the first time since
- In the first phase, the Regular season, every team must play two times against each of the other teams on home-away basis for a subtotal of 26 matches.
- In the second phase, the Play-offs, the teams are divided into Championship group (first seven) and Relegation group (bottom seven). In those two parallel played groups every team has to play two times, again on home-away basis, only against the remaining six teams in the group for a subtotal of 12 matches. Since there is an odd number of teams in each group (seven), each round of the Play-offs in a group consists only of three games between six teams, and the odd team does not play in the round. Hence, there are fourteen rounds in the second phase of the season, despite there being only twelve matches for each team of the two groups to play.
Thus, the season has a total of 40 rounds.
At the end of the season, the champion earns a place in the
Teams
A total of fourteen teams are contesting the league, including the best 12 sides from the previous 2012–13 season, plus two promoted clubs from the 2012–13 B Group.
As finishing in the bottom four places of the table at the end of season
The relegated teams were replaced by
Stadia and locations
Note: Table lists in alphabetical order.
Team | Location | Stadium | Capacity (seating) |
---|---|---|---|
Beroe | Stara Zagora | Beroe
|
12,128 |
Botev
|
Plovdiv | Hristo Botev
|
18,000 (13 000) |
Cherno More | Varna | Ticha
|
8,250 |
Chernomorets | Burgas | Lazur
|
18,037 |
CSKA | Sofia | Balgarska Armiya
|
22,015 (11 400) |
Levski | Sofia | Georgi Asparuhov
|
29,200 (19 000) |
Litex | Lovech | Lovech
|
8,100 |
Lokomotiv | Plovdiv | Lokomotiv
|
10,000 |
Lokomotiv | Sofia | Lokomotiv Sofia
|
22,000 (6000) |
Ludogorets | Razgrad | Ludogorets Arena
|
6,000 |
Lyubimets | Lyubimets | Gradski | 4,000 |
Neftochimic 1986 | Burgas | Nesebar
|
7,000 |
Pirin | Gotse Delchev
|
Gradski | 5,000 |
Slavia | Sofia | Ovcha Kupel
|
15,992 |
Personnel and sponsoring
Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players and Managers may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Team | Manager | Captain | Kit manufacturer | Shirt sponsor |
---|---|---|---|---|
Beroe Stara Zagora | Petar Hubchev | Georgi Andonov | Joma | BEROE |
Botev Plovdiv | Stanimir Stoilov | Ivan Tsvetkov | Uhlsport | KTB AD |
Cherno More Varna | Georgi Ivanov
|
Georgi Iliev | Joma | Armeets |
Chernomorets Burgas | Dimitar Dimitrov | Vančo Trajanov | Sportika
|
— |
CSKA Sofia | Stoycho Mladenov | Valentin Iliev | Legea | — |
Levski Sofia | Elin Topuzakov | Stanislav Angelov | Puma
|
M-tel
|
Litex Lovech | Miodrag Ješić | Simeon Slavchev | adidas | Prima
|
Lokomotiv Plovdiv | Aleksandar Stankov
|
Zdravko Lazarov | Uhlsport | — |
Lokomotiv Sofia | Dimitar Vasev | Marquinhos
|
Joma | Casa Boyana |
Ludogorets Razgrad | Stoycho Stoev | Svetoslav Dyakov | adidas | Navibulgar |
Lyubimets 2007 | Krasimir Mechev | Anton Ognyanov | adidas | — |
Neftochimic Burgas | Zlatko Yankov | Stanislav Zhekov | Krasiko | — |
Pirin Gotse Delchev | Kostadin Angelov | Petar Lazarov | Erreà | — |
Slavia Sofia | Milen Radukanov | Georgi Petkov
|
Joma | — |
First phase
The first 26 Rounds comprise the first phase of the season, also called the Regular season. In the first phase, every team plays each other team twice on a home-away basis till all the teams have played two matches against each other. The table standings at the end of the Regular season determine the group in which each team is going to play in the
League table
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Ludogorets Razgrad | 26 | 18 | 4 | 4 | 57 | 14 | +43 | 58 | Qualification for championship group |
2 | Litex Lovech | 26 | 17 | 6 | 3 | 59 | 26 | +33 | 57 | |
3 | CSKA Sofia | 26 | 15 | 6 | 5 | 44 | 14 | +30 | 51 | |
4 | Botev Plovdiv
|
26 | 13 | 7 | 6 | 45 | 21 | +24 | 46 | |
5 | Lokomotiv Plovdiv | 26 | 14 | 3 | 9 | 43 | 31 | +12 | 45 | |
6 | Levski Sofia | 26 | 13 | 5 | 8 | 45 | 24 | +21 | 44 | |
7 | Cherno More | 26 | 12 | 7 | 7 | 31 | 21 | +10 | 43 | |
8 | Beroe | 26 | 11 | 6 | 9 | 32 | 25 | +7 | 39 | Qualification for relegation group |
9 | Slavia Sofia | 26 | 8 | 7 | 11 | 35 | 38 | −3 | 31[a] | |
10 | Lokomotiv Sofia | 26 | 9 | 4 | 13 | 30 | 44 | −14 | 31[a] | |
11 | Chernomorets Burgas | 26 | 6 | 4 | 16 | 30 | 46 | −16 | 22 | |
12 | Lyubimets | 26 | 5 | 3 | 18 | 18 | 66 | −48 | 18 | |
13 | Pirin Gotse Delchev | 26 | 4 | 3 | 19 | 23 | 71 | −48 | 15 | |
14 | Neftochimic 1986 | 26 | 3 | 3 | 20 | 15 | 66 | −51 | 12 |
Rules for classification: 1st points; 2nd head-to-head points; 3rd head-to-head goal difference; 4th head-to-head goals scored; 5th head-to-head away goals scored; 6th season goal difference; 7th season goals scored; 8th "sportsmanship" (R & Y cards); 9th draw
Notes:
Results
Each team played against every other team for a total of 26 matches.
Round by round
W = Win; D = Draw; L = Loss