Marek secure top-flight status

By Stoyan Georgiev

PFC Marek Dupnitza's top-flight status has been assured after local businessman Yordan Andreev agreed to take over following the departure of club president Stefan Milushev.

Financial obligations
Milushev's withdrawal had raised fears over Marek's ability to meet their financial obligations. Andreev has appointed Rumen Stoyanov as coach, the 37-year-old having also started last season in charge of first-team affairs.

Super Cup threat
The Bulgarian Super Cup is under threat due to title-holders PFC CSKA Sofia's UEFA Champions League commitments. The season curtain-raiser was scheduled for 30 July, between CSKA Sofia's two second qualifying round ties, but the champions want to reschedule the match against PFC Levski Sofia.

Major reinforcements
CSKA Sofia are preparing for their European campaign with a flurry of summer signings, reinforcing the squad that was one game away from lasting the Premier League season unbeaten.

Hdioued swoop
They secured Moroccan international Mourad Hdioued from PFC Litex Lovech after a protracted transfer saga, seeing off city rivals Levski in the race for the 28-year-old midfielder, who will be joined at CSKA Sofia by three other arrivals.

Foreign flavour
Croatian playmaker Matija Matko, 22, has switched from NK Celik in Bosnia-Herzegovina, with 26-year-old Ivory Coast striker Dah Zadi Guillaume and Serbo-Montenegrin utility man Slavko Matic, 29, also adding an international flavour to Miodrag Jesic's squad.

Cauet says goodbye
Making way are Todor Yanchev and former French international Benoît Cauet, who move to Greece's Kallithea FC and Swiss side FC Sion respectively. Levski, by contrast, have yet to recruit a player, although striker Georgi Chilikov has quelled speculation over his future by signing a new contract.

Litex spree
Litex Lovech have made sweeping changes, however, as they try to close the gap on last season's runaway leaders. Coach Ljupko Petrovic has scoured the domestic market, picking up 19-year-old Kostadin Hazurov from CSKA Sofia and Levski duo Lubomir Lubenov and Stanislav Genchev, along with teenage star Ivan Skerlev of second-division PFC Haskovo.

French arrival
In addition, 28-year-old Jean-Philippe Caillet has landed from French club FC Metz to shore up the defence and Slovenian striker Milivoje Movakovic also joins. UEFA Cup entrants PFC Lokomotiv Plovdiv have built for the future with the acquisition of promising PFC Pirin Blagoevgrad players Vladislav Zlatinov and Hristo Zlatinski.

Bachev in charge
Finally, Georgi Bachev will lead Vihren Sandanski on a temporary basis as player-coach. Bachev, who represented Bulgaria at the 1998 FIFA World Cup, will remain in charge until a permanent replacement for Yordan Bozdanski is found.