2026 Bulgarian First League season start

The opening week of the 2026‑27 Bulgarian First League saw contrasting fortunes for the two Plovdiv clubs. Botev Plovdiv began with a 4‑0 pre‑season victory over Beroe, spotlighting new signings such as Brian‑Anton Hain, Samuel Kalu and Chidera Okoh, while coach Stanislav Genchev praised the fan atmosphere ahead of the upcoming league clash with Lokomotiv Sofia.

A week later Lokomotiv Plovdiv suffered a 0‑1 league defeat to Ludogorets, a loss that underscored a personnel crisis after no new signings, the retirement of captain Dimitar Iliev and the departure of forward Joël Cvarc. President Khristo Krusharski and coach Dušan Kosic, who recently renewed his contract, were left to lean on younger squad members.

Ludogorets appointed Thomas Reis as senior coach; his debut yielded a narrow win and he stressed the need for defensive and attacking improvements.

In the league’s second round, Lokomotiv Plovdiv secured a 2‑1 victory over Septemvri Sofia at the “Lauta” stadium. Julien Lami opened the scoring in the fifth minute, Alexander Jamov equalised before halftime, and Katlin Itu netted the winner in the 88th minute after a VAR review. The win, arriving on the club’s 100‑year anniversary, gave Lokomotiv three points and highlighted their continued progress after a near‑relegation two seasons ago.