The big news from Bulgaria’s football run-in is simple enough: the title playoffs will start with CSKA Sofia against Levski Sofia, the country’s Eternal Derby.

That was confirmed after the efbet League playoff draw in Sofia on 17 April, with BTA reporting that the two rivals will also meet again in the fifth playoff round. For a league split designed to sharpen the finish, it has not exactly lacked a dramatic opening.

What the draw confirmed

According to BTA, the title group will be contested by:

  • Levski
  • Ludogorets
  • CSKA 1948
  • CSKA Sofia

The second post-split group will decide fifth place, which brings a play-off for a European spot. Those clubs are:

  • Lokomotiv Plovdiv
  • Cherno More Varna
  • Arda
  • Botev Plovdiv

The bottom section will decide relegation. Three teams will go down directly, while one will face a play-off against the Second League runner-up.

BTA said the draw was held at the Hilton in Sofia, with Bulgarian Football Union president Georgi Ivanov and league chief Atanas Karaivanov present.

Why this derby matters

For readers new to Bulgarian football, the label “Eternal Derby” is not local overstatement. CSKA Sofia v Levski Sofia is the country’s biggest domestic fixture and one that carries far more weight than an ordinary league date.

Even without fresh security details in the source report, the scheduling itself tells the story. BTA said the options were heavily constrained by the availability of the Vasil Levski National Stadium and by Sofia’s commitments around the Giro d’Italia. Matches of this sort are planned carefully for obvious policing and crowd-management reasons.

So while the draw is a football story first, it is also a city story. In Sofia, derby days tend to mean tighter organisation around the ground, more police presence and a bit less room for improvisation than Bulgarian football usually enjoys.

Why the fixtures landed where they did

According to BTA, the derby could not be placed in the 33rd round because of the cycling event in Sofia, and not in the 34th round because that is a midweek set of fixtures.

BTA also reported that, under criteria set by the operator of the Vasil Levski National Stadium, the venue cannot host matches after 21 May. That ruled out using the final round window for the second derby.

In other words, the calendar was not drawn on a blank sheet of paper. It was drawn around a list of things the fixture-makers could not do.

CSKA’s crowded month with Ludogorets

The draw has also created a particularly busy stretch between CSKA Sofia and Ludogorets.

According to BTA, the clubs are due to meet:

  • in the Bulgarian Cup semi-final first leg on 21 April
  • in the Bulgarian Cup semi-final second leg on 29 April
  • in the league 32nd round
  • again in the league 36th round on 23 May

That makes four matches in a little over a month.

If you support either side, it is an intense run. If you do not, it is still difficult to ignore. Bulgarian football has produced a closing schedule with very little patience for variety.

The title picture from here

BTA reported that Levski entered the playoff phase 10 points clear at the top.

After the opening derby, Levski are due to host CSKA 1948 in the 32nd round, before another home match against Ludogorets on 9 May.

For CSKA Sofia, the margin for error looks rather smaller. Opening with Levski and then moving quickly into repeated meetings with Ludogorets is about as gentle as being introduced to the run-in by a slammed door.

How Bulgaria’s playoff system differs from the British format

For British readers, this is where Bulgaria works differently from the familiar Premier League model.

In England, the season table simply runs through to the end. In Bulgaria, the 16-team top division splits after the regular season:

  • the top four play for the title
  • the next four play for fifth place and a possible European play-off
  • the bottom eight fight to avoid relegation

That means more repeat meetings between direct rivals and, usually, a sharper final month. It is less straightforward than the British system, but it does tend to produce a more concentrated run-in.

Other notable fixtures

In the race for fifth place, the main attraction is the Plovdiv derby.

According to BTA, Botev Plovdiv and Lokomotiv Plovdiv will meet in the 32nd and 36th rounds. The first is due at Hristo Botev Stadium, with the later meeting at Lauta Park.

BTA also noted that stadium restrictions affected parts of the relegation-group schedule, including arrangements involving clubs from Varna, Dobrich and Stara Zagora.

First playoff round fixtures

BTA listed the opening post-split matches as follows.

Group A

  • CSKA Sofia v Levski
  • Ludogorets v CSKA 1948

Group B

  • Arda v Botev Plovdiv
  • Lokomotiv Plovdiv v Cherno More Varna

Group C

  • Montana v Dobrudzha
  • Spartak Varna v Beroe
  • Lokomotiv Sofia v Septemvri Sofia
  • Slavia Sofia v Botev Vratsa

What British residents in Bulgaria should know

If you are thinking of attending one of the bigger matches, especially in Sofia, the practical advice is fairly plain:

  • check official club websites and league channels for ticket release details
  • wait for confirmed kick-off times rather than assuming dates are fixed
  • expect a visible police presence at high-profile fixtures
  • allow extra time for transport and stadium access on derby days
  • follow any club instructions on entry rules, seating and permitted items

The source report does not set out detailed policing or crowd-control plans, so anything more specific would be guesswork. For that reason, the safest route is the dull but reliable one: follow the official notices, not social media folklore.

A tighter run-in than usual

The broader point is that Bulgaria’s title race now moves into its most watchable phase with the country’s biggest domestic fixture up first.

There are cleaner ways to organise a season, certainly. But from a neutral’s point of view, starting the championship playoffs with CSKA v Levski is not a bad way to concentrate attention.