The top governing body of the Bulgarian Football Union has upheld the decision of the Union’s disciplinary committee to relegate football club Litex Lovech to the country’s second division for abandoning their derby against Levski Sofia last year.

The ruling of the disciplinary committee had been upheld earlier by the appellate committee of the Bulgarian Football Union.

Wednesday’s decision of the Union’s Executive Committee means that Litex will play in Group B from the start of next season. They retain their position in the Bulgaria Cup semifinals.

The players of Litex Lovech abandoned the game and left the pitch on orders from the team's managers in protest over the referee's decisions shortly before the end of the first half of their match against Levski Sofia last month.