Three Bulgarian teams are set to play in the playoffs for European club competitions, a relatively rare occurrence in recent years. On Wednesday night, Levski Sofia defeated Sabah to advance to the UEFA Conference League playoff round, while Arda Kardzhali also secured its spot by beating Kauno Zalgiris. Meanwhile, Ludogorets Razgrad, eliminated by Ferencvaros in the Champions League qualifiers, will compete in the Europa League playoff round.

Levski Sofia qualified for the Conference League playoff after a 2:0 win over Azerbaijani side Sabah, following a 1:0 victory in the first leg. Radoslav Kirilov opened the scoring five minutes before halftime with a strike from a well-executed free kick, and Mazir Sula sealed the win late in the match. With a 3:0 aggregate score, the “blues” will face Dutch team AZ Alkmaar in the playoff, with the first leg scheduled for August 21 at the Vasil Levski National Stadium. Levski has now kept a clean sheet for six consecutive European matches.

Coach Julio Velasquez started the match without leader Georgi Kostadinov, while Borislav Rupanov led the attack and Everton Bala played behind him. Levski had the first major chance when Kirilov broke through on the left and crossed to Rupanov, whose shot went wide. Sabah gradually pushed forward, with Rahman Dashmadirov firing over the crossbar in the 10th minute and Jesse Sikidika testing goalkeeper Svetoslav Vutsov in the 26th. The breakthrough came in the 40th minute from Kirilov’s strike, followed by Sula’s goal in the 87th minute after a pass from Carlos Ohene.

Arda Kardzhali continued its historic European campaign by eliminating Lithuanian Kauno Zalgiris with a 3:0 aggregate, earning a playoff matchup against Polish side Raków Czestochowa. The home leg ended 2:0, building on a 1:0 first-leg advantage. Early goals by Dimitar Velkovski in the 8th minute and Svetoslav Kovachev in the 12th minute set the tone, while Kauno Zalgiris was reduced to nine men after two red cards, including a rough foul on Serkan Usein and a second booking for Temur Chugadze.

Arda dominated in the first half, with Velkovski’s 30-meter strike opening the score, followed by Kovachev’s long-range effort four minutes later. In the second half, with numerical advantage, Arda created several chances. Ivan Tilev tested the goalkeeper in the 49th minute, Birsent Karagaren forced a save, and Felix Eboa Eboa missed a header from a set piece. David Akintola also fired a diagonal shot late in the game, but the score remained 2:0 for the hosts, confirming their place in the playoffs.

While Ludogorets failed to advance in the Champions League qualifiers, the Bulgarian champions will enter the Europa League playoff round, giving all three teams a guaranteed European campaign this season.

This season marks a notable achievement for Bulgarian clubs, as three teams reach European playoffs simultaneously, signaling strong performances on the continental stage after years of limited success.