Relatives, friends, fans and Botev Plovdiv legends filled the ceremony hall at Sever funeral park in Plovdiv for the farewell to murdered businessman Iliyan Filipov. The service began at 11:00. The former club owner was 53.

Botev's first team also came. Head coach Stanislav Genchev and fan favourite Todor Nedelev declined to comment to reporters.

Organised supporters of the "Canaries" and some club legends paid tribute to the former owner. Ivelin Popov, Aleksandar Aleksandrov-Krivia and Nikolay Kirov, a former Botev coach, were also there.

A single bullet to the head killed Filipov at about 01:00 on the night of 30 September, after the Bulgaria v Estonia Nations League match at the Kolezha stadium.

A former employee of Filipov has been detained over the killing. According to case files, the likely motive is unsettled money matters linked to bets in the so-called "black lottery".

The businessman's interests covered more than 60 linked companies. His main firm for the past 20 years or so was PIMK OOD. Outside Plovdiv, he became known last year, when he saved Botev from looming financial collapse.

Filipov is the seventh football boss killed in Plovdiv. The others were Georgi Iliev, Nikolay Popov-Martenitsata, Petar Petrov-Pesho Pateritsata, Georgi Kalapatirov-Italianetsa, Aleksandar Tasev-Ostapa and Georgi Prodanov.