FC Botev Plovdiv owner Iliyan Filipov is shot dead at his home in Bulgaria as police pursue all leads

From the Newshound archive · first published 30 September 2026.

Iliyan Filipov, majority shareholder of FC Botev Plovdiv and the man behind one of Bulgaria's biggest transport and logistics firms, PIMK, was shot dead at approximately 1am local time at a Plovdiv property he owned. Following the killing, police closed off the city's main entry and exit routes. Plovdiv District Prosecutor Vanya Hristeva confirmed that officers are leaving no investigative avenue unexplored.

Plovdiv lies around 90 miles southeast of the Bulgarian capital Sofia.

Filipov was both a prominent businessman and the president of a top-flight Bulgarian football club.