'BFU's disciplinary commission decided at their meeting on Friday to strip Todor Kolev of his playing rights for eight games for his ugly foul against Marin Zhelev,' a union official told Reuters by telephone.

The commission has also fined Kolev 7,200 levs ($3,400).

Kolev is the top scorer of the league's second group with 18 goals, four matches before the end of the season,

The player, who served a previous ban for five games, was sent off in the 90th minute of his team's home match against Spartak Varna after headbutting Varna's Zhelev while play was stopped.