Bulgarian goalkeeping legend Borisslav Mihaylov was chosen Friday to replace Ivan Slavkov atop of the Bulgarian Football Union (BFU).

With Slavkov's ousting, an entire era in the nation's sport administration was thrown in the archives. Ivan Slavkov had headed the BFU for at least ten years, and was believed to have unshakable dominance in local sport affairs.

His until-now deputy Borisslav Mihaylov won with the support of the Bulgarian "golden generation" - the players who were the world's fourth football force in 1994. Yordan Lechkov, now mayor of the town of Sliven, and Emil Kostadinov were among his associates en route to the BFU highest seat.

After voting results were announced, Slavkov shook hands with his successor and left the house. His only comment was that he was happy that namely Mihaylov would succeed him.

A total of 344 BFU members voted Friday, 194 of those backed Mihaylov.

The third candidate for the post - the president of the Professional Football League Valentin Mihov - had withdrawn his own nomination shortly before the voting.

Ivan Slavkov lost a great deal of his international standing after last summer's hidden camera scandal. He was secretly videotaped in a BBC television program indicating that IOC members were willing to accept bribes to secure their votes for London's bid to host the 2012 Olympics.

Because of the scandal, Slavkov was voted out of the International Olympic Committee the past summer, after being a member since 1987.

Borisslav Mihaylov's first task as BFU President was to appoint the new members of the executive council.

His choice were Yordan Lechkov, Mihail Kasabov, Nassko Sirakov, Vesselin Balevski, Andrey Ikonomov, Stefan Ormandzhiev, Emil Kostadinov, Krassimir Georgiev, Ivan Lekov, Nikolay Tsvetin and Hristo Portochanov.

Parliament member Kamen Kostadinov, oil trade mogul Plamen Bobokov and Yordan Hristoskov, head of the National Insurance Institute, also enter the council.

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