2016–17 First Professional Football League (Bulgaria) facts for kids

The 2016–17 First Professional Football League was the top football league season in Bulgaria. It was the 93rd time this important competition was held. The season ran from July 29, 2016, to June 4, 2017.

Ludogorets Razgrad won the tournament, making it their sixth championship title. A player named Claudiu Keșerü was the top scorer, scoring 22 goals.

How the League Worked

The First Professional Football League in Bulgaria had a special format. It started with a regular season where all teams played each other. After that, the teams were split into different groups.

Regular Season Play

During the regular season, 14 teams competed. Each team played 26 matches. The goal was to earn as many points as possible. A win gave 3 points, a draw 1 point, and a loss 0 points.

The top 6 teams from the regular season moved on to the Championship Round. These teams competed to win the league title. The other 8 teams went into the Relegation Round. These teams played to avoid being sent down to a lower league.

Championship Round

The 6 best teams from the regular season played more matches against each other. Their points from the regular season carried over. This meant that the team with the most points at the end of the regular season had a big advantage.

Ludogorets Razgrad was the strongest team. They finished first in this round and became the champions. They earned a spot in the Champions League, which is a big European competition.

The team that finished fourth, Dunav Ruse, also got a spot in the Europa League. This is another important European club competition.

Relegation Round

The 8 teams that did not make it into the Championship Round played in the Relegation Round. They were divided into two groups, Group A and Group B. Their points from the regular season also carried over.

Teams in these groups played more matches to improve their standing. The goal was to avoid the last spots, which meant being relegated. Relegation means a team moves down to a lower division for the next season.

• In Group A, Montana finished last and was relegated.
• In Group B, Neftochimic Burgas and Lokomotiv Gorna Oryahovitsa finished last and were also relegated.

Some teams from the Relegation Round also had a chance to play in special play-off matches. These matches could lead to a spot in the Europa League or help them stay in the top league. Botev Plovdiv earned a spot in the Europa League through this route.

Top Goal Scorers

Scoring goals is one of the most exciting parts of football! Here are the players who scored the most goals during the 2016–17 season:

• 22 goals
  • Claudiu Keșerü (playing for Ludogorets Razgrad)

• 17 goals
  • Martin Kamburov (playing for Lokomotiv Plovdiv)

• 14 goals
  • Marcelo Nascimento da Costa (playing for Ludogorets Razgrad)

• 13 goals
  • João Paulo da Silva Araújo (playing for Ludogorets Razgrad and Botev Plovdiv)
  • Wanderson Cristaldo Farias (playing for Ludogorets Razgrad)

• 11 goals
  • Todor Nedelev (playing for Botev Plovdiv)
  • Daniel Mladenov (playing for Pirin Blagoevgrad)
  • Junior Mapuku (playing for Beroe Stara Zagora)

See also

In Spanish: Primera Liga de Bulgaria 2016-17 para niños