| Season | 2000–01 |
|---|---|
| Dates | 4 August 2000 – 27 May 2001 |
| Champions | Levski Sofia (22nd title) |
| Relegated | Botev Plovdiv,Minyor |
| Champions League | Levski |
| UEFA Cup | CSKA Litex Lovech |
| Matches | 182 |
| Goals | 552 (3.03 per match) |
| Top goalscorer | Georgi Ivanov (21 goals) |
2001–02 → | |
The2000–01 A Group was the 53rd season of theA Football Group, the top Bulgarian professional league for association football clubs, since its establishment in 1948.
The league was contested by the top 12 teams from the 1999–2000 season as well asCherno More Varna andHebar Pazardzhik, who joined as the promoted clubs from the 1999–2000 B Group.
Defending championsLevski Sofia won their 22nd Bulgarian league title overall.Botev Plovdiv andMinyor Pernik were relegated at the end of the season by finishing in the last two places.
Fourteen teams competed in the league – the top twelve teams from the previous season and the two teams promoted from theB Group. The promoted teams wereCherno More Varna (returning to the top flight after a six-year absence) andHebar Pazardzhik (returning after an eight-year absence). They replacedDobrudzha Dobrich,Belasitsa Petrich,Pirin Blagoevgrad andShumen.
| Team | Location | Stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beroe | Stara Zagora | Beroe | 22,500 |
| Botev | Plovdiv | Hristo Botev | 22,000 |
| Cherno More | Varna | Ticha | 8,250 |
| Chernomorets | Burgas | Chernomorets | 22,000 |
| CSKA | Sofia | Balgarska Armia | 22,015 |
| Hebar | Pazardzhik | Georgi Benkovski | 13,128 |
| Levski | Sofia | Georgi Asparuhov | 29,200 |
| Lovech | Lovech | Gradski | 7,050 |
| Lokomotiv | Sofia | Lokomotiv | 22,000 |
| Minyor | Pernik | Minyor | 20,000 |
| Neftochimic | Burgas | Lazur | 18,037 |
| Slavia | Sofia | Slavia | 32,000 |
| Spartak | Varna | Spartak | 7,500 |
| Velbazhd | Kyustendil | Osogovo | 13,000 |
| Team | Manager | Captain | Kit manufacturer | Shirt sponsor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beroe | AKSA[2] | |||
| Botev Plovdiv | Vitosha AD | |||
| Cherno More | VAI Holding | |||
| Chernomorets | ||||
| CSKA Sofia | ||||
| Hebar | ||||
| Levski Sofia | Mobiltel | |||
| Lokomotiv Sofia | Delta-G | |||
| Lovech | Litex Commerce | |||
| Minyor | ||||
| Neftochimic | Petrol AD | |||
| Slavia Sofia | Sofiyski Imoti | |||
| Spartak Varna | ||||
| Velbazhd | VIS-2 |
| Team | Outgoing manager | Manner of departure | Date of vacancy | Position in table | Incoming manager | Date of appointment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Botev Plovdiv | Mutual consent | 1 June 2000 | Pre-season | 26 June 2000 | ||
| Lovech | Sacked | 10 June 2000 | Pre-season | 1 July 2000 | ||
| Levski Sofia | Sacked | 15 June 2000[3] | Pre-season | 7 July 2000[4] | ||
| CSKA Sofia | End of caretaker tenure | 23 June 2000 | Pre-season | 24 June 2000[5] | ||
| Beroe | Mutual consent | June 2000 | Pre-season | June 2000 | ||
| Slavia | Mutual consent | June 2000 | Pre-season | June 2000 | ||
| Cherno More | Mutual consent | June 2000 | Pre-season | June 2000 | ||
| Velbazhd | Mutual consent | 26 June 2000 | Pre-season | 26 June 2000[6] | ||
| Neftochimic | Mutual consent | 30 June 2000 | Pre-season | 1 July 2000[7] | ||
| Neftochimic | Sacked | 6 August 2000 | 13th | 6 August 2000 | ||
| Beroe | Sacked | 14 August 2000 | 12th | 14 August 2000 | ||
| Lokomotiv Sofia | Sacked | 29 August 2000 | 8th | 29 August 2000[8] | ||
| Levski Sofia | Sacked | 30 August 2000[9] | 2nd | 30 August 2000 | ||
| Levski Sofia | End of caretaker tenure | 2 October 2000 | 1st | 2 October 2000 | ||
| Lovech | Sacked | 21 October 2000 | 6th | 21 October 2000[10] | ||
| Slavia Sofia | Mutual consent | 27 November 2000 | 10th | 27 November 2000[11] | ||
| CSKA Sofia | Mutual consent | 19 December 2000 | 2nd | 20 December 2000 | ||
| CSKA Sofia | Mutual consent | 3 March 2001 | 2nd | 4 March 2001 | ||
| Beroe | Sacked | 20 March 2001 | ? | 20 March 2001 | ||
| Lokomotiv Sofia | Sacked | 29 April 2001 | ? | 29 April 2001 |
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Levski Sofia(C) | 26 | 22 | 3 | 1 | 63 | 13 | +50 | 69 | Qualification forChampions League first qualifying round |
| 2 | CSKA Sofia | 26 | 19 | 5 | 2 | 65 | 16 | +49 | 62 | Qualification forUEFA Cup qualifying round |
| 3 | Velbazhd Kyustendil | 26 | 18 | 3 | 5 | 48 | 29 | +19 | 57 | Relegation toV Group |
| 4 | Lovech | 26 | 17 | 4 | 5 | 70 | 23 | +47 | 55 | Qualification forUEFA Cup qualifying round[a] |
| 5 | Neftochimic Burgas | 26 | 12 | 6 | 8 | 47 | 34 | +13 | 42 | |
| 6 | Slavia Sofia | 26 | 10 | 5 | 11 | 35 | 35 | 0 | 35 | |
| 7 | Spartak Varna | 26 | 10 | 4 | 12 | 38 | 40 | −2 | 34 | Qualification forIntertoto Cup first round |
| 8 | Lokomotiv Sofia | 26 | 9 | 6 | 11 | 37 | 37 | 0 | 33 | |
| 9 | Hebar Pazardzhik | 26 | 7 | 5 | 14 | 38 | 55 | −17 | 26 | Relegation toV Group |
| 10 | Cherno More | 26 | 7 | 5 | 14 | 20 | 49 | −29 | 26 | |
| 11 | Chernomorets Burgas | 26 | 6 | 4 | 16 | 22 | 48 | −26 | 22 | |
| 12 | Beroe(O) | 26 | 6 | 4 | 16 | 21 | 47 | −26 | 22 | Qualification forrelegation play-off |
| 13 | Botev Plovdiv(R) | 26 | 6 | 2 | 18 | 28 | 55 | −27 | 20 | Relegation to2001–02 B Group |
| 14 | Minyor Pernik(R) | 26 | 3 | 4 | 19 | 19 | 71 | −52 | 13 |
| Home \ Away | BSZ | BOT | CHB | CHM | CSK | HEB | LEV | LSO | LOV | MIN | NEF | SLA | SPV | VEL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beroe | 3–1 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 1–2 | 0–0 | 2–0 | 1–2 | 1–2 | 1–2 | |
| Botev Plovdiv | 1–0 | 2–1 | 1–0 | 0–1 | 3–1 | 1–4 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 3–0 | 1–2 | 2–1 | 2–3 | 1–4 | |
| Chernomorets Burgas | 2–0 | 0–0 | 0–1 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 0–2 | 3–0 | 1–1 | 1–3 | 1–0 | 1–2 | |
| Cherno More | 1–2 | 3–2 | 3–0 | 1–4 | 2–1 | 0–3 | 2–2 | 3–2 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 1–3 | |
| CSKA Sofia | 5–0 | 3–0 | 4–0 | 1–0 | 9–2 | 1–1 | 3–0 | 0–0 | 3–0 | 4–0 | 1–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | |
| Hebar Pazardzhik | 3–0 | 3–0 | 5–1 | 2–0 | 2–4 | 0–1 | 2–2 | 1–4 | 3–0 | 2–2 | 3–0 | 2–1 | 1–3 | |
| Levski Sofia | 3–0 | 3–0 | 4–0 | 6–0 | 2–1 | 4–1 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 4–0 | 3–0 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 2–0 | |
| Lokomotiv Sofia | 3–2 | 3–2 | 0–1 | 3–0 | 1–4 | 3–1 | 0–2 | 2–2 | 6–1 | 1–1 | 3–0 | 3–0 | 0–0 | |
| Lovech | 4–0 | 6–0 | 3–0 | 5–0 | 4–1 | 2–0 | 3–4 | 2–0 | 4–1 | 2–0 | 6–1 | 4–0 | 5–0 | |
| Minyor Pernik | 2–0 | 4–3 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–4 | 1–1 | 0–4[a] | 0–1 | 1–4 | 1–4 | 0–3 | 1–2 | 0–0 | |
| Neftochimic Burgas | 4–1 | 2–1 | 3–1 | 4–0 | 0–3[b] | 5–0 | 0–1 | 1–0 | 3–0 | 3–0 | 2–2 | 2–5 | 5–0 | |
| Slavia Sofia | 1–1 | 1–0 | 1–2 | 3–0 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 0–0 | 3–1 | 0–0 | 7–1 | 0–0 | 3–2 | 0–2 | |
| Spartak Varna | 4–1 | 1–0 | 4–3 | 0–0 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 4–0 | 1–2 | 2–0 | 0–3 | |
| Velbazhd Kyustendil | 2–0 | 4–1 | 4–1 | 3–0 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–1 | 3–1 | 1–0 | 3–2 | 2–1 | 0–1 | 2–1 |
| Beroe Stara Zagora | 1–0 | Pirin Blagoevgrad |
|---|---|---|
| Zhelev |
| Goalkeepers | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 25 | (5) | |
| 12 | 1 | (0) | |
| 30 | 1 | (0) | |
| Defenders | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 18 | (0) | |
| 3 | 15 | (2) | |
| 5 | 22 | (0) | |
| 6 | 17 | (2) | |
| 11 | 22 | (3) | |
| 14 | 8 | (0) | |
| 15 | 7 | (0) | |
| 22 | 20 | (1) | |
| 23 | 16 | (2) | |
| 6 | (0) | ||
| 3 | (0) | ||
| Midfielders | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 22 | (0) | |
| 10 | 7 | (0) | |
| 16 | 15 | (2) | |
| 17 | 4 | (0) | |
| 19 | 4 | (0) | |
| 20 | 5 | (0) | |
| 21 | 15 | (5) | |
| 25 | 9 | (0) | |
| 26 | 1 | (0) | |
| 28 | 3 | (1) | |
| 7 | (1) | ||
| 12 | (1) | ||
| 2 | (0) | ||
| Forwards | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | 8 | (0) | |
| 8 | 11 | (2) | |
| 9 | 24 | (21) | |
| 18 | 2 | (1) | |
| 24 | 12 | (1) | |
| 29 | 1 | (0) | |
| 99 | 11 | (4) | |
| 4 | (3) | ||
| Manager | |
|---|---|