2020–21 Second Professional Football League (Bulgaria)
The 2020–21 Second League was the 65th season of the Second League, the second tier of the Bulgarian football league system, and the 5th season under this name and current league structure. It was delayed by two weeks due to the COVID-19 situation in Bulgaria, which saw footballers from a number of the participating teams testing positive for COVID-19 in July 2020, with Minyor Pernik especially affected. The season began in August 2020.
| Season | 2020–21 |
|---|---|
| Champions | Pirin Blagoevgrad |
| Promoted | Pirin Blagoevgrad Lokomotiv Sofia |
| Relegated | Vitosha Bistritsa (excluded) Kariana (excluded) Lokomotiv GO |
| Top goalscorer | Svetoslav Dikov (23 goals) |
| Biggest home win | Lokomotiv Sofia 6–0 Neftochimic |
| Biggest away win | Neftochimic 0–6 Septemvri Sofia |
| Highest scoring | Hebar Pazardzhik 5–2 Septemvri Sofia Septemvri Sofia 2–5 Lokomotiv Sofia |
← 2019–20 2021–22 → | |
The first game of the season was played on 7 August 2020, between Hebar and Pirin Blagoevgrad, ending in a draw.
On 28 September 2020, Vitosha Bistritsa was excluded from the league, after the club announced on the same day that they will withdraw from the competition due to financial problems. The club also announced that they will fold their senior team, only remaining active at youth level. Following Vitosha's expulsion from the league, the BFU announced that it would annul all of Vitosha's results from the start of the league until 28 September.
The season started with spectators being allowed (albeit at a reduced stadium capacity), but on 27 October 2020, following a worsening of the epidemiological situation in Bulgaria, Minister of Health Kostadin Angelov issued a decree valid from 29 October until 12 November, stipulating that all matches are to be held behind closed doors. On 12 November 2020, the ban regarding the presence of spectators was extended at least until 30 November. Fans were once again allowed from 24 April 2021 onwards, at 30% stadium capacity, with a maximum of 1000 people per stand.
On 7 December 2020, the match between Ludogorets II and Neftochimic was abandoned early in the first half with the score 2:0 in favour of the hosts after a Neftochimic player sustained an injury, reducing his side to 6 men. The guests had started the match with 7 players due to a wage-related boycott from the senior footballers and a ban on players under the age of 18 participating in sports events because of the coronavirus. Ludogorets II were eventually awarded a 5:0 win.
After the first half of the season ended in December, Kariana Erden announced that the team would withdraw from the league, due to personal reasons related to its owners. Kariana's results would not be annulled, though, as per the BFU rules, teams that withdraw from the league during, or after the winter break will not have their results annulled.
On 23 April 2021, Pirin Blagoevgrad were promoted to the First League after a 2–0 away win against Litex Lovech.