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CSKA Sofia coach Luboslav Penev has resigned, saying he is frustrated by the club owners' decision to reinstate nine players who were suspended after late-night drinking sessions.

"I'm informing you officially that today ... I resign as CSKA coach," the 43-year-old said in a statement addressed to club bosses.

"My decision is dictated by the recent events at the club."

Penev imposed the ban after Sunday's 2-0 league defeat by Litex Lovech, saying the players were "ruining the atmosphere", but club owners Dimitar Borisov and Ivo Ivanov reinstated four players the following day and the rest on Thursday.

Penev's resignation comes after CSKA, the most successful Bulgarian club with 31 league titles, suffered two league defeats in a row to surrender top spot in the standings.

He said he had made his decision a day before Thursday's 3-1 away loss to Swiss club Basel in the Europa League but did not announce it immediately "to protect players from additional pressure".

Penev became a crowd favourite during his playing days at CSKA by forming a formidable strike partnership with Hristo Stoichkov and Emil Kostadinov, scoring 80 goals in 101 matches.

He took charge in March when he replaced his uncle Dimitar Penev, the coach who steered the national team to the 1994 World Cup semi-finals in the United States.

Reuters