New-look CSKA hope to hold off rivals

All change
Since clinching the A PFG crown undefeated in April, CSKA have experienced a summer of gloom. Denied a licence to compete in the UEFA Champions League, CSKA have lost a host of players – Bulgarian internationals Velizar Dimitrov and Alexander Tunchev, midfielders Georgi Iliev, Yordan Yurokov and Emil Gargorov, Romanian international Florentin Petre, Montenegro defender Nikola Vujadinović, Panama forward José Luis Garcés and goalkeepers Ivailo Petrov and Ilko Pirgov. Last season's leading scorer Nei is expected to join Wisła Kraków. Coach Stoycho Mladenov has also departed, though his replacement Dimitar Penev brings a ray of light.

Penev arrival
A club legend as a player, Penev has achieved similarly talismanic status as a coach, winning three league titles and four Bulgarian Cups in two spells with CSKA. He also led Bulgaria to the 1994 FIFA World Cup semi-finals. Penev, 63, has given a chance to teenagers Martin Toshev, Alexander Tonev and Nikolai Chipev alongside the loyal Todor Yanchev and Yordan Todorov, and last week's 1-0 Bulgarian Super Cup win against PFC Litex Lovech offers hope that they can mount a championship challenge.

Levski challenge
The Army Men's problems have, however, made PFC Levski Sofia favourites to regain the title under Velislav Vutsov, whose arrival late in 2007/08 brought stability to a grim campaign. Although midfielder Daniel Borimirov has retired to become Levksi sporting director and defender Igor Tomašić joined Maccabi Tel-Aviv FC, the club have recruited strongly – re-signing fans' favourite Georgi Ivanov for a fourth stint in attack and landing last season's A PFG top marksman Georgi Hristov from PFC Botev Plovdiv.

Litex hope
Only once since 1999/2000 has the title left Sofia (for 2004 champions PFC Lokomotiv Plovdiv 1936). The team who were supreme in the two seasons before the millennium, Litex, aim to be contenders under former Levski coach Stanimir Stoilov, who took the capital club into the UEFA Champions League in 2006. Litex's fellow UEFA Cup entrants PFC Lokomotiv Sofia also have a new trainer, Dragomir Okuka, and are targeting a third consecutive top-three finish. Nor are coaching changes confined to the frontrunners. Slobodan Stašević has succeeded Radoslav Zdravkov at PFC Spartak Varna. Nadji Sensoi has taken over at Belasitsa Petrich, Kostadin Angelov is the new man at Botev Plovdiv, while newcomers PFC Lokomotiv Mezdra have appointed Vitorio Pavlov. OFC Sliven 2000, chaired by Yordan Letchkov, and PFC Minior Pernik are the other promoted sides.