Shocking execution! European club owner shot dead outside his home

Bulgarian football has been rocked by a horrific tragedy that has revived memories of the dark criminal era of past decades.

Details: The owner of Bulgarian football club Botev Plovdiv and major transport company PIMK, Iliyan Filipov, was cold-bloodedly shot in the head outside his home. The crime took place at around 1 a.m. It was reported by renowned investigative journalist Romain Molina.

Filipov was considered one of the region’s wealthiest and most influential businessmen, with extensive connections in business circles. Shortly before his death, the entrepreneur sent official warnings to Bulgaria’s Ministry of Internal Affairs regarding informal power networks and shadow groups controlling developments in Plovdiv. Local media have linked the shooting to his professional activities and attempts to expose corruption schemes. Law enforcement agencies have already launched a large-scale investigation into the circumstances of the contract killing.

The incident brought back memories of the grim era of the late 1990s and 2000s, when criminal turf wars claimed the lives of more than ten Bulgarian club presidents. One of the most high-profile incidents of that period was the murder of Georgi Iliev, owner of another Plovdiv club, Lokomotiv, who was shot by a sniper inside a restaurant at a Black Sea resort.

It is worth noting that Botev Plovdiv is Bulgaria’s oldest football club, founded in 1912, a two-time national champion and four-time winner of the Bulgarian Cup.

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