The BFS Executive Committee has decided at least four Bulgarians to start matches in the First League
From the new football season, each club will be obliged to include at least four Bulgarians in the starting lineup for the Premier League matches. This was announced by the President of the Bulgarian Football Union (BFS) Georgi Ivanov after today’s hearing of the Executive Committee.
All four Bulgarians will have to be among the holders, with no limit to how long they will play or for their age. However, it is a prerequisite in the match group to have five Bulgarians, one of whom is up to 21 years. A club that does not want to comply with these rules must declare this before the start of the season and pay the sum of BGN 400,000, which will be distributed between the rules after the end of the season.
However, who has agreed to play under the new rules but breaks them will lose by 0: 3.
The BFS continues fluctuations for a mandatory rule for Bulgarians among the holders in the First League
Teams will now be able to include seven non -EU racers in the group. Currently, the number allowed is five. However, there is a condition. A contribution to the BFS will be paid for each additional player – BGN 40,000 each.
Another important change is that the First League will be reduced from 16 to 14 teams from the 2026/27 season. Thus, next season, three teams will fall directly from the elite, and one (ranked 13th) will play a barrage with the second of the Second League. A new elite group will be created – up to 18 years old. The champion in it will play in the Youth Champions League.
« The main topic was native players. There is nowhere to give up more. According to statistics, only 32% Bulgarian football players are currently playing. Therefore, the Executive Commission decided in the group of each team for a match of the First League to fall five Bulgarians, and one of them must be up to 21 years. I have not talked to any of the clubs, the goal is to help the national team and Bulgarian football.
We are already digging the bottom, so such measures are taken. It is clear that there will be dissatisfied, but it is the schools. If we cannot find four Bulgarians, we close football and no longer deal with it
Club football should create national competitors. We need to start developing children’s football to create quality players. We try to do the best for Bulgarian players. We may also criticize the clubs, but we also tolerate the society in the loss of the national team. This is our opinion and we stand behind it, « BFS President Georgi Ivanov said at a press conference on the base in Boyana.
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He added that all changes would be entered in the regulatory act. Georgi Ivanov has started the press conference with data on the presentation of the national teams over the years and the percentage of the game time of Bulgarian footballers and their number, with a decline in all graphics over the years. It is clear from the data that the percentage of local players has dropped by 18% to 32%. At least Bulgarian holders had a « Beroe » with 0.58 average per game and the most had « Slavia » with 9.40 average per match.
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The rule in the Second League remains two Bulgarians up to the age of 21 to play at least 45 minutes per game, and in amateur football there should be two to 23 years and one to 21 years of age with 90 minutes.
« Everyone makes predictions, we make a 5-year plan to see how things will work out. If someone tells you that something will certainly happen after a certain time, then it is either lying or not understanding from sports. We are taking steps to develop Bulgarian football players to be at the right level.
When FIFA came to us to analyze us, they told us that in this condition, in the next 5 years we could not expect anything, no ranking of the World Cup, nor the European Championship.
We don’t have a single player in the top 5 championships. For comparison, Serbia has 11 such players. Do you think we can qualify for the World and European Championships in this form? In the next 1-2 years, the national team will be the same, with a plus-minus 1-2 football players who will get up from the young people. Do you think we should continue to do the same as we have done so far and wait for a different result? That is why we have taken these measures that they may not appeal to some clubs. We have drawn a 5-year plan for this thing with the rules in children’s football, third, second and First League, « explained Georgi Ivanov.
