Bulgarian Football Union launches Pro Cup tournament

The Bulgarian Football Union (BFS) is launching a new football tournament called the Pro Cup, featuring eight teams from the previous season's standings. The competition includes Levski, CSKA 1948, CSKA, Arda, Cherno More, Botev Plovdiv, Lokomotiv Plovdiv, and Botev Vratsa. Botev Vratsa enters the competition following Ludogorets' decision to withdraw.

The tournament features a prize fund of 720,000 euros, which will be distributed based on matches played. The championship winner will also receive a trophy commissioned from a specialized English firm.

Under the tournament regulations, teams are ranked by their average attendance from the previous season to determine seeding. The quarter-finals will pair the first-placed team against the eighth, the second against the seventh, the third against the sixth, and the fourth against the fifth. Home-field advantage for the quarter-finals and semi-finals is awarded to the team with higher average attendance. Matches that end in a draw will proceed directly to penalty shootouts.

While participating clubs receive advertising time and ticket revenue for early rounds, they are responsible for organizational costs. The BFS will manage the final, with revenues being used to support solidarity funds for Second League teams.