The 1956 A Group refers to the 32nd season of the Bulgarian A Football Group, which was at the time the highest professional football (soccer) league in Bulgaria. The A Group, formally known as the Republican Football Group "A" (Републиканска футболна група "А"), was established in 1948 and served as the premier national championship for football clubs in the country.
The 1956 season commenced in March and concluded in November of that year. It featured 12 teams competing in a double round-robin format, meaning each team played every other team twice—once at home and once away—for a total of 22 matches per team. The league operated under the Bulgarian Football Union (Български футболен съюз).
Key Outcomes of the 1956 A Group Season:
- Champion: CDNA Sofia (ЦДНА София), which is now known as CSKA Sofia, won their 6th national title. They finished the season with 34 points.
- Runner-up: Dinamo Sofia (Динамо София), which is now known as Levski Sofia, secured second place with 31 points.
- Third Place: Udarnik Sofia (Ударник София), which is now known as Slavia Sofia, finished third with 29 points.
- Top Scorer: The joint top scorers for the season were Pavel Vladimirov of Udarnik Sofia and Dobromir Tashkov of Minyor Pernik, each netting 9 goals.
- Relegation: Due to a planned restructuring aimed at reducing the number of teams in the top flight for the subsequent season, three teams were relegated at the end of the 1956 season: Lokomotiv Plovdiv, Spartak Pleven, and Torpedo Ruse.
The 1956 season was indicative of an era in Bulgarian football often dominated by clubs with strong institutional backing, particularly military and police clubs. CDNA Sofia's victory solidified their position as a leading force in Bulgarian football during the mid-20th century. While the European Cup (now UEFA Champions League) had only recently been established, the A Group served as the domestic pathway for potential Bulgarian representation in continental competitions.