SOFIA, Bulgaria — The president of a top-flight Bulgarian soccer club and prominent businessman was shot dead early on Wednesday in the city of Plovdiv, police said. Iliyan Filipov, 53, president of the soccer club Botev Plovdiv and owner of a major transport company, was shot dead at around 1:00 a.m. near his home in Bulgaria’s second-largest city. Police received a call about a person injured by gunfire, local police chief Vasil Kostadinov said. When officers arrived at the scene, they confirmed his death and launched an investigation. Pre-trial proceedings have been initiated, and police are examining the crime scene. Authorities have not revealed a possible motive for the killing, nor any official information about suspects. During the 1990s, mafia-style killings of public figures were a common occurrence in Bulgaria, but the latest outburst of violence has shocked the country, amid a heated campaign for presidential elections next month. The Associated Press
