September 22 – Forty-six players and coaches from the first (efbet League) and second (Mr Bit Second League) divisions of Bulgarian football have been found guilty of betting on matches within those leagues during the 2024/25 season. This is the largest number of players being sanctioned for betting on domestic league matches in Bulgarian football history.
The Bulgarian National Television (BNT) reports that the investigation was conducted by the National Police Directorat, taking a year to complete. It was based on information provided by the National Revenue Agency (NRA) and with the cooperation of the Bulgarian Football Union (BFU).
According to documents from a closed session of the Disciplinary Commission, the 46 individuals were fined under Article 46, paragraph 5 of the Disciplinary Regulations of BFU. The punishment is a fine of 10,000 leva (approximately €5,000) and a suspension from all football activities until the fine is paid.
BNT’s report indicates that most of those penalized are players and coaches from the Mr Bit Second League. The investigation did not find any instances of individuals betting on matches involving their own teams.
The sanctioning was imposed after a Disciplinary Commission meeting on September 16, though appeals can be made with a submission deadline of Tuesday, September 23.
The National Revenue Agency announced that a press conference with all participating institutions will be held later this week to provide more details about the investigation.
Contact the writer of this story, Aleksander Krassimirov, at [email protected]