First League clubs will be able to request foreign referees for their matches. The new rule is expected to come into force on 1 January 2027, although it could be applied as early as the current season. The decision was made personally by Bulgarian Football Union president Georgi Ivanov, BGNES reported. The proposal is not yet final, however, as it still has to be reviewed and approved by the BFS Executive Committee.
A club that wants its match to be officiated by a foreign refereeing team will have to submit an application at least 30 days before the game. The request alone will not be sufficient. The appointment will also require the consent of the other participating team, ruling out the possibility of one club unilaterally imposing its choice.
The costs for referees from abroad will be covered by the club that submitted the request. This will apply regardless of whether the team is playing at home or away. Thus, financial responsibility will remain entirely with the party that requested the change to the refereeing team.
The change follows a proposal by Georgi Ivanov in September, when he commented on the work of the Refereeing Committee and possible measures in the event of further problems with referees. “If the referees cannot cope, we will indeed resort to this option – using foreign referees.”
At the time, the BFS president also stressed that clubs cannot choose which Bulgarian referee will officiate their matches, as appointments are the responsibility of the Refereeing Committee.
If the Executive Committee approves the proposal, the new mechanism will begin operating in the midst of the 2026/2027 season. At this stage, no specific matches or foreign refereeing teams to be appointed under the procedure have been announced.