2014–15 A Group
The 2014–15 A Group was the 91st season of the top division of the
The competition was divided in two phases - Regular season, with every team playing against every other team twice, and Playoffs, with teams divided into Championship group (top six) and Relegation group (bottom six) to determine the champions and the relegated teams, respectively.
Competition format
The championship is divided in two phases.
- In the first phase, the Regular season, every team must play two times against each of the other eleven teams on home-away basis for a subtotal of 22 matches.
- In the second phase, the Play-offs, the teams are divided in two groups - Championship group (first six) and Relegation group (bottom six). In those two parallel played groups every team has to play two times, again on home-away basis, only against the remaining five teams in the group for a subtotal of 10 matches.
Thus, the season has a total of 32 fixtures.
At the end of the season, the champion earns a place in the
Teams
A total of 12 teams are contesting the league, including the best 10 sides from the previous season, plus two promoted clubs from the lower division B Group.
As finishing in the bottom four places of the table at the end of season
The relegated teams were replaced by Marek Dupnitsa, the 2013–14 B Group champions and Haskovo, the 2013–14 B Group runner-up. While Marek returns to the top division after six years, Haskovo reaches again the highest class after 21 years.
Stadia and locations
Note: Table lists in alphabetical order.
| Team | Location | Stadium | Capacity (seating) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beroe Stara Zagora | Stara Zagora | Stadion Beroe
|
12,128 |
Botev Plovdiv
|
Plovdiv | Botev 1912 Football Complex
|
4,000 |
| Cherno More Varna | Varna | Stadion Ticha
|
8,250 |
| CSKA Sofia | Sofia | Stadion Balgarska Armia
|
22,015 |
Haskovo
|
Haskovo | Stadion Haskovo
|
12,500 |
| Levski Sofia | Sofia | Stadion Georgi Asparuhov
|
19,000 |
| Litex Lovech | Lovech | Stadion Lovech
|
8,100 |
| Lokomotiv Plovdiv | Plovdiv | Stadion Lokomotiv
|
10,000 |
Lokomotiv Sofia
|
Sofia | Lokomotiv Stadium
|
22,000 |
| Ludogorets | Razgrad | Ludogorets Arena
|
6,500 |
Marek Dupnitsa
|
Dupnitsa | Stadion Bonchuk
|
16,050 |
| Slavia Sofia | Sofia | Stadion Slavia
|
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
|
Ivo Ivanov
|
Joma | BEROE |
| Botev Plovdiv | Petar Penchev
|
Ivan Tsvetkov
|
Uhlsport | Vivacom |
| Cherno More Varna | Nikola Spasov
|
Kiril Kotev
|
Tommy | Armeets |
| CSKA Sofia | Luboslav Penev
|
Valentin Iliev
|
Legea | Efbet |
| Haskovo | Stamen Belchev
|
Ivan Skerlev
|
Flair | — |
| Levski Sofia | Stoycho Stoev
|
Vladimir Gadzhev
|
Joma | Efbet |
| Litex Lovech | Krasimir Balakov
|
Strahil Popov
|
adidas | Prima , Efbet
|
| Lokomotiv Plovdiv | Hristo Kolev
|
Stanislav Malamov
|
Joma | ProfiLink |
| Lokomotiv Sofia | Dimitar Vasev
|
Aleksandar Branekov
|
Joma | Casa Boyana, Efbet |
| Ludogorets Razgrad | Georgi Dermendzhiev
|
Svetoslav Dyakov
|
Macron | eCasino.bg |
| Marek Dupnitsa | Tencho Tenev
|
Milen Lahchev
|
Jumper | Actavis |
| Slavia Sofia | Ivan Kolev
|
Georgi Petkov
|
Joma | Asset Insurance, Efbet |
Managerial changes
| Team | Outgoing manager | Manner of departure | Date of vacancy | Position in table | Incoming manager | Date of appointment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cherno More | Georgi Ivanov
|
Resignation | 18 May 2014 | Pre-season | Aleksandar Stankov
|
2 June 2014 |
| Levski Sofia | Elin Topuzakov
|
18 May 2014 |  Pepe Murcia
|
5 June 2014 | ||
| Marek Dupnitsa | Ivaylo Pargov
|
18 May 2014 | Anton Velkov
|
5 June 2014 | ||
| Lokomotiv Plovdiv | Aleksandar Stankov
|
Mutual consent | 19 May 2014 | Emil Velev
|
12 June 2014 | |
| Litex Lovech |  Miodrag Ješić
|
End of contract | 19 May 2014 | Krasimir Balakov
|
27 May 2014 | |
| Botev Plovdiv | Stanimir Stoilov
|
Mutual consent | 4 June 2014 | Lyuboslav Penev
|
6 June 2014 | |
| Botev Plovdiv | Lyuboslav Penev
|
Mutual consent | 7 July 2014 | Velislav Vutsov
|
14 July 2014 | |
| Lokomotiv Plovdiv | Emil Velev
|
Mutual consent | 8 July 2014 | Nedelcho Matushev
|
9 July 2014 | |
| Ludogorets Razgrad | Stoycho Stoev
|
Sacked | 31 July 2014 | 10th | Georgi Dermendzhiev
|
1 August 2014 |
| Levski Sofia | Pepe Murcia
|
Sacked | 4 August 2014 | 6th | Georgi Ivanov
|
4 August 2014 |
| Cherno More | Aleksandar Stankov
|
Sacked | 18 August 2014 | 12th | Nikola Spasov
|
18 August 2014 |
| Slavia Sofia | Milen Radukanov
|
Resigned | 31 August 2014 | 11th | Ivan Kolev
|
1 September 2014 |
| Haskovo | Dimcho Nenov
|
Resigned | 20 September 2014 | 12th | Emil Velev
|
6 October 2014 |
| Lokomotiv Plovdiv | Nedelcho Matushev
|
Resigned | 29 September 2014 | 11th | Hristo Kolev
|
1 October 2014 |
| Marek Dupnitsa | Anton Velkov
|
Resigned | 5 October 2014 | 9th | Tencho Tenev
|
10 October 2014 |
| Botev Plovdiv | Velislav Vutsov
|
Sacked | 3 December 2014 | 7th | Petar Penchev
|
4 December 2014 |
| Levski Sofia | Georgi Ivanov
|
Resigned | 6 December 2014 | 6th | Stoycho Stoev
|
22 December 2014 |
| Haskovo | Emil Velev
|
Resigned | 18 March 2015[7] | 12th | Stamen Belchev
|
27 March 2015 |
| CSKA Sofia | Stoycho Mladenov
|
Resigned | 20 March 2015[8] | 2nd | Galin Ivanov
|
24 March 2015 |
| CSKA Sofia | Galin Ivanov
|
Early end of caretaker spell (majority shareholders' decision) | 27 April 2015 | 4th | Luboslav Penev
|
28 April 2015[9] |
First phase
The first 22 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 Play-offs.
League table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ludogorets Razgrad | 22 | 14 | 5 | 3 | 46 | 14 | +32 | 47 | Qualification for championship group
|
| 2 | CSKA Sofia | 22 | 13 | 5 | 4 | 39 | 15 | +24 | 44 | |
| 3 | Lokomotiv Sofia
|
22 | 12 | 3 | 7 | 29 | 24 | +5 | 39[a] | |
| 4 | Litex Lovech | 22 | 12 | 3 | 7 | 37 | 24 | +13 | 39[a] | |
| 5 | Beroe Stara Zagora | 22 | 11 | 5 | 6 | 34 | 21 | +13 | 38 | |
| 6 | Botev Plovdiv | 22 | 11 | 3 | 8 | 32 | 26 | +6 | 36 | |
| 7 | Levski Sofia | 22 | 10 | 4 | 8 | 36 | 25 | +11 | 34 | Qualification for relegation group
|
| 8 | Cherno More Varna | 22 | 9 | 4 | 9 | 26 | 24 | +2 | 31 | |
| 9 | Slavia Sofia | 22 | 6 | 5 | 11 | 24 | 30 | −6 | 23 | |
| 10 | Lokomotiv Plovdiv | 22 | 5 | 5 | 12 | 13 | 36 | −23 | 20 | |
| 11 | Marek Dupnitsa | 22 | 3 | 5 | 14 | 8 | 45 | −37 | 14 | |
| 12 | Haskovo | 22 | 2 | 1 | 19 | 12 | 52 | −40 | 7 |
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 22 matches.
Round by round
W = Win; D = Draw; L = Loss
