Botev Plovdiv Owner Iliyan Filipov Shot Dead

Iliyan Filipov, the president and majority owner of Bulgarian football club Botev Plovdiv and a co-owner of transport and construction company PIMK, was shot and killed at a property in Plovdiv around 1 a.m. on Wednesday. Prosecutors and police opened a murder investigation, examining multiple possible motives and collecting evidence as security checks were expanded. Bulgarian media later reported that a former employee had been arrested in Sofia in connection with the killing; authorities had not publicly established a motive. Filipov had helped rescue Botev Plovdiv from financial trouble and supported redevelopment of its stadium, and the club canceled a planned friendly match and expressed condolences.