Season 2011–12 Goals scored 643 | Dates 6 Aug 2011 – 23 May 2012 Location Bulgaria Matches played 240 | |
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Champions Ludogorets Razgrad(1st title) Top goalscorer Junior MoraesIvan Stoyanov(16 goals each) People also search for 2012–13 A Group, 2010–11 A Group | ||
The 2011–12 A Group was the 88th season of the Bulgarian national top football division, and the 64th of A Group as the top tier football league in the country. The season began on 6 August 2011 and ended on 23 May 2012. Ludogorets Razgrad claimed their maiden title in their debut season, after winning the last round clash against CSKA, which were leading by 2 points prior to the match. Vidima-Rakovski, Kaliakra and Svetkavitsa were relegated.
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Team information
Akademik Sofia and Sliven were directly relegated after finishing in the bottom two places of the table at the end of season 2010/11. Akademik were relegated after one year in the top league of Bulgarian football, while Sliven ended a three-year tenure at the top flight. Furthermore, Pirin (Blagoevgrad) were excluded from A Group due to financial difficulties and demoted to V Group.
The relegated teams were replaced by Botev (Vratsa), champions of West B Group, Ludogorets Razgrad, champions of East B Group and promotion play-off winners Svetkavitsa. Botev returned to A Group after twenty-two years, while Ludogorets Razgrad and Svetkavitsa made their debut on the highest level of Bulgarian football.
There was some controversy regarding the relegation/promotion play-offs at the end of season 2010/11. In the original match-up, 14th-placed Vidima-Rakovski lost 3-0 against B Group play-off winners Chernomorets (Pomorie). However, Chernomorets did not receive an A Group licence, so Vidima-Rakovski were spared from relegation. In order to fill the void, a second play-off match was scheduled between Svetkavitsa, 4th-placed team of East B Group, and Etar (Veliko Tarnovo), 3rd-placed team of West B Group. Svetkavitsa won this match by a score of 3-1.
Stadia and locations
As in the previous year, the league comprises the best thirteen teams of season 2010/11, the champions of the two B Groups and the winners of the promotion play-offs.
- Lokomotiv Sofia play their home matches at Vasil Levski National Stadium as their own ground, Lokomotiv Stadium, had not received approval from the BFU license committee.
Managerial changes
Note: Georgi Ivanov subsequently stepped down and was replaced by Yasen Petrov as caretaker manager at the helm of Levski, with Ilian Iliev set to take over prior to the 2012/2013 season.
League table
Updated to games played on 23 May 2012.
Source: Soccerway
Rules for classification: 1st points; 2nd head-to-head points; 3rd head-to-head goal difference; 4th head-to-head goals scored; 5th head-to-head away goals scored; 6th goal difference; 7th goals scored
1Ludogorets Razgrad won the 2011–12 Bulgarian Cup competition but were qualified for 2012–13 UEFA Champions League via winning the league, hence their Europa League berth was awarded to the cup runners-up, Lokomotiv Plovdiv.
(C) = Champion; (R) = Relegated; (P) = Promoted; (E) = Eliminated; (O) = Play-off winner; (A) = Advances to a further round.
Only applicable when the season is not finished:
(Q) = Qualified to the phase of tournament indicated; (TQ) = Qualified to tournament, but not yet to the particular phase indicated; (RQ) = Qualified to the relegation tournament indicated; (DQ) = Disqualified from tournament.
Results
Updated to games played on 23 May 2012.
Source: Soccerway
1 ^ The home team is listed in the left-hand column.
2 The match between Lokomotiv Sofia and Slavia Sofia was awarded to Slavia by a score of 3–0. The original fixture was not played after police security for the match could not be provided.
Colours: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.