CSKA swap Penevs in Bulgaria

Luboslav Penev has returned to PFC CSKA Sofia to take over from his uncle, Dimitar Penev, after the 63-year-old coach was released in the wake of a Bulgarian Cup quarter-final defeat by PFC Pirin Blagoevgrad.

Shock defeat
CSKA lost 5-3 on penalties to Pirin on Wednesday after a 1-1 draw, with Dimitar Penev – who led Bulgaria to the semi-finals of the 1994 FIFA World Cup – being relieved of his responsibilities on Thursday morning. League titleholders CSKA are also second in the Bulgarian table, a point adrift of PFC Levski Sofia.

Spanish high
Former Bulgaria forward Luboslav Penev is the new man at the helm. The 42-year-old made his name as a player at CSKA under his uncle, winning two championships and three Bulgarian Cups before moving to Spain, where he played for Valencia CF and claimed a domestic double with Club Atlético de Madrid in 1995/96. Penev Jr missed the 1994 World Cup after being diagnosed with testicular cancer.

Solo mission
He returned home to become president of the Bulgarian Football Union in 1999, before resuming his playing career at CSKA in 2000, retiring again in 2002 following a spell at PFC Lokomotiv Plovdiv 1936. The 1988 Bulgarian Player of the Year was hired as national coach Plamen Markov's assistant last year, but this is his first major job as a coach in his own right.