Mysterious murder in Bulgaria: Football club owner shot dead

Iliyan Filipov, a businessman and the majority shareholder of Botev Plovdiv from the Bulgarian top league, was shot dead in the head during the night in Plovdiv. The police launched a widespread murder investigation, blocked the entrances and exits of the city, but no suspects have been arrested so far. The motive for the murder is unknown.

Iliyan Filipov, a Bulgarian businessman, president of Botev Plovdiv and the club's majority shareholder, was shot dead in the head early this morning (between Tuesday and Wednesday) in the city of Plovdiv. This was reported by local media and Reuters news agency. According to reports, Filipov was shot around 1:00 AM at a property he owned in the city. Emergency teams called to the scene were forced to pronounce him dead. The Bulgarian Interior Ministry stated that a report was received of a person shot in a residential neighborhood in Plovdiv, and an investigation has been opened on suspicion of murder. At this stage, no suspects have been arrested, and authorities are examining all possible leads. Following the incident, large police forces were deployed across the area, with the main entrances and exits of Plovdiv, Bulgaria's second-largest city, blocked as part of the manhunt for the shooters. The district prosecutor of Plovdiv, Vanya Hristeva, said investigators are working "actively to check all possible lines of inquiry," but as of now, no further details have been released about the identity of the suspects or the possible motive for the murder. Filipov was one of the influential figures in Bulgarian football. Alongside his role as president and controlling owner of Botev Plovdiv, he headed the logistics company PIMK, considered one of the largest transport companies in Bulgaria and one of the most prominent in the field in Europe. Additionally, he was involved in the project to build the Hristo Botev Stadium, which serves as the club's home ground. The investigation continues, and at this stage, authorities have not yet stated whether there is suspicion of a criminal, business, or other motive behind the murder.