Iliyan Filipov, president of Botev Plovdiv, was assassinated at the age of 53

Iliyan Filipov, president of the Bulgarian club Botev Plovdiv and founder of a major transportation company, was murdered overnight between Monday and Tuesday. According to reports by the daily newspaper BGNES, the man was shot and killed in Plovdiv, about 150 km from Sofia. Teams from the Plovdiv Regional Directorate of the Ministry of the Interior and the General Directorate of the National Police are investigating the case.

In June of last year, Filipov had taken over ownership of Botev Plovdiv. At that time, he announced that he had taken on a debt of 6,871,000 lev (approximately 3.5 million euros) accumulated by the previous management and played a key role in the construction of the new stadium.

Here is the statement from Botev Plovdiv: “The club expresses its deepest sorrow over the tragic passing of club president Iliyan Filipov. The management, players, and staff of the club extend their most sincere condolences to his family, loved ones, and friends. Iliyan Filipov will forever remain a part of Botev Plovdiv’s history. His contribution to saving the club in the summer of 2025 and his dedication to the yellow-and-black cause will be remembered by all members of our great family.”

“His name will be etched in gold for future generations thanks to the successful reconstruction of the ‘Hristo Botev’ Stadium, which became the most modern sports facility in Bulgaria. In this moment of deep sorrow, we all stand together with his family, loved ones, and friends. May his memory be honored!”

The scheduled friendly match between Botev Plovdiv and Septemvri Sofia will not take place, and all matches involving the club’s youth teams have been postponed. The first team will train behind closed doors and will not issue any statements to the media until their next scheduled match on October 10.