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Two qualifying clubs, one in Bulgaria and one in Portugal, have been thrown out of next year's Champions League competition. CSKA Sofia have financial problems and have been denied a license to play in Bulgaria's top division, called Group A, next season. Club president Alexander Tomov, who fans consider the main 'villain' in the drama, has resigned. The chairperson of the official CKSA fan club, Dimitur Angelov, blamed prime minister Sergei Stanishev because 'it is the Government have let CKSA president Tomorov do this thing to CKSA and get the club into debts. Tomorov preferred throwing news conferences almost every day instead of working on CKSA paperwork.' The Bulgarian Football Union said that CKSA had millions in unpaid debts in terms of mandatory social security contributions, but this is denied by the club who said that their auditors have made an error. Whatever the explanation, exclusion from the Champions League will cost the club millions of euros in lost revenue next season.
FC Porto who won the Champions League in 2004 have been excluded from the competition next season because of their part in a match fixing scandal which saw Boavista relegated to the second division. Benfica will take Porto's place. It is thought that as a consequence the club may post losses of €13m next year and will have to sell players to balance the books. The club's participation in the Champions League last season contributed €12.6m to their income, amounting to 16 per cent of total revenues of €81.4m. FC Porto has lost 21 per cent of its value on the Portuguese stock exchange since the beginning of 2008 while Benfica has risen six per cent. Sports daily A Bola noted, 'The collateral damage is incalculable.'
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