Plamen Markov would succeed Dimitar Penev as coach of the Bulgarian national football team, Bulgarian news agency BTA said, quoting information from a member of the Bulgarian Football Union (BFU) Executive Committee.

Markov, former CSKA football club coach, reached an agreement with BFU president Borislav Mihailov, Dnevnik daily said.

Markov was coach to the Bulgarian national football team from 2002 to 2004, when Bulgaria managed to qualify for the 2004 European Football Championship in Portugal. After the poor performance of the team at the Championship, Markov was replaced by Hristo Stoichkov.

Plamen Markov was expected to be officially approved for the position at BFU's Executive Committee next meeting in mid-January 2008, Dnevnik daily said.