List of Bulgarian football champions
Bulgarian football champions mean those that won the highest league in Bulgarian football, which since
The first national football competition in Bulgaria was established in 1924 by the Bulgarian National Sport Federation and was named
The championship had many changes in its format during the years, mainly in the number of legs played in each round and the number of teams that qualified from the regional divisions. In seasons 1937–38, 1938–39 and 1939–40 the championship was reorganised to a 10 club National Football Division but it proved to be an unsuccessful decision and from season 1940–41 the division was reverted to a knockout tournament.
After 1944 it was replaced by the Republic Championship. It was organised for only four years between 1945 and 1948. The championship was a knockout tournament featuring clubs that had finished at the top of six regional divisions. These divisions were round-robin tournaments that included football clubs from different geographic areas.
CSKA Sofia have won 31 titles, the most of any club. CSKA's rivals Levski Sofia are second with 26. Ludogorets Razgrad are third; the team is currently in a streak of 12 consecutive titles, which is a record in Bulgarian football. The previous record for consecutive titles was held by CSKA Sofia with nine consecutive titles from 1954 until 1962. Slavia Sofia is in fourth place, with seven titles, six of which were won before the Second World War.
State Championship (1924–1944)
| Season | Champions (titles) | Runner-up | Third place |
|---|---|---|---|
1924
|
Not finished | ||
1925
|
Vladislav Varna (1)
|
Levski Sofia | – |
1926
|
Vladislav Varna (2)
|
Slavia Sofia | – |
| 1927 | Not held | ||
1928
|
Slavia Sofia (1) | Vladislav Varna
|
– |
1929
|
Botev Plovdiv (1)
|
Levski Sofia | – |
1930
|
Slavia Sofia (2) | Vladislav Varna
|
– |
1931
|
Atletik-Slava 23 (1) | Spartak Varna
|
– |
1932
|
Spartak Varna (1)
|
Slavia Sofia | – |
1933
|
Levski Sofia (1) | Spartak Varna
|
– |
1934
|
Vladislav Varna (3)
|
Slavia Sofia | – |
1935
|
Sportklub Sofia (1) | Ticha Varna
|
– |
1936
|
Slavia Sofia (3) | Ticha Varna
|
– |
1937
|
Levski Sofia (2) | Levski Ruse | – |
1937–38
|
Ticha Varna (1)
|
Vladislav Varna
|
Shipka Sofia |
1938–39
|
Slavia Sofia (4) | Vladislav Varna
|
Ticha Varna
|
1939–40
|
Lokomotiv Sofia (1)
|
Levski Sofia | Slavia Sofia |
1941
|
Slavia Sofia (5) | Lokomotiv Sofia
|
– |
1942
|
Levski Sofia (3) | Makedonia Skopie | – |
1943
|
Slavia Sofia (6) | Levski Sofia | – |
1944
|
Not finished | ||
Republic Championship (1945–1948)
- Key
| Double winners – i.e. League and Bulgarian Cup winners. |
| Season | Champions (titles) | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|
1945
|
Lokomotiv Sofia (2)
|
Sportist Sofia |
1946
|
Levski Sofia (4) | Lokomotiv Sofia
|
1947
|
Levski Sofia (5) | Lokomotiv Sofia
|
1948
|
CSKA Sofia (1) | Levski Sofia |
A Grupa (1948–2016)/ First League (2016–present)
- Key
| League champions also won the Bulgarian Cup, i.e. they completed the domestic Double. | |
| * | League champions also won the Bulgarian Cup and Bulgarian Supercup, i.e. they completed the domestic Treble. |
Performances
Performance by club
- Bold indicates clubs currently playing in the top division.
- Italics indicates clubs that no longer exist.
| Club | Winners | Runners-up | Winning seasons |
|---|---|---|---|
| CSKA Sofia | 31
|
28
|
2007–08
|
| Levski Sofia | 26
|
32
|
2008–09
|
| Ludogorets Razgrad | 12
|
–
|
|
| Slavia Sofia | 7
|
10
|
1995–96
|
| Cherno More Varna | 4
|
6
|
1937–38
|
Lokomotiv Sofia
|
4
|
6
|
1977–78
|
| Litex Lovech | 4
|
1
|
2010–11
|
| Botev Plovdiv | 2
|
2
|
1966–67
|
| Spartak Varna | 1
|
2
|
1932
|
| Lokomotiv Plovdiv | 1
|
2
|
2003–04
|
| Spartak Plovdiv | 1
|
1
|
1962–63
|
| Beroe Stara Zagora | 1
|
1
|
1985–86
|
| Atletik-Slava 23 | 1
|
–
|
1931
|
| Sportklub Sofia | 1
|
–
|
1935
|
| Etar Veliko Tarnovo | 1
|
–
|
1990–91
|
Notes:
- CSKA Sofia titles include those won as Septemvri pri CDNV, CDNA, and CFKA-Sredets.
- Levski Sofia titles include those won as Levski-Spartak and Vitosha, as well as the re-awarded 1984/85 title.
- Ticha Varna(1), as Cherno More is considered their descendant.
- Botev Plovdiv total does not include the Trakia originally awarded 1984/85 title.
- Spartak Varna title has been won as Shipchenski Sokol.
Performance by city
The following table lists the Bulgarian champions by cities.
| City / Town | Title(s) | Winning Club(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Sofia | 70
|
(1) |
| Razgrad | 12
|
Ludogorets (12) |
| Varna | 5
|
Ticha (1), Spartak (1)
|
| Plovdiv | 4
|
Spartak (1)
|
| Lovech | 4
|
Litex (4) |
| Stara Zagora | 1
|
Beroe (1) |
| Veliko Tarnovo | 1
|
Etar (1) |
Notes:
- Italics indicates clubs that no longer exist.
References
- ^ "Всички шампиони на България по футбол от 1924-а година досега" (in Bulgarian). novsport.com. 7 May 2014.