CSKA (Sofia), Levski (Sofia), Lokomotiv (Plovdiv), and Litex (Lovech) disappointed the fans with their performance during their first leg games in the European club tournaments.
CSKA had the toughest task of all the Bulgarian teams. Last year's champions had to face current Champions League winners Liverpool FC on August 10 in the third qualifying round of the competition.
It was a highly anticipated game, but only 17000 supporters turned out at Vassil Levski stadium in Sofia to see the visitors grab a comfortable 3:1 away win.
Fernando Morientes was twice on target as the English team moved to the brink of qualification for the Champions League group stage.
The Spanish international scored a fine header midway through the first half and then made it 3:1 in the second half to give Liverpool control of this tie ahead of the second game at Anfield, which is to be played on August 23.
Djibril Cissй had opened the scoring in the 25th minute, Morientes made it 2:0 only six minutes later, but CSKA bounced back with a close range header from Velizar Dimitrov on the stroke of half time.
Both teams started the game in a rather cautious fashion, but after the 20-minute mark Liverpool took charge of the possession of the ball, and got to the lead with one of their first goal scoring chances.
Steven Gerrard received a pass from Garcia and slipped the ball to Cisse, who advanced into the box and beat goalkeeper Eugeni Hmaruk with a low shot from a tight angle.
Skipper Gerrard assisted for the second goal as well. His free kick cross from the right  flank was met by the head of Morientes, who had little trouble putting the ball in the back of CSKA net for a second time in six minutes.
Another Liverpool goal seemed imminent at this point, but it was the home side that managed to overcome the psychological shock of conceding two goals in quick succession. Just a minute before half time Murad Hidiued got away from the defence on the left flank and sent in an inviting cross to Velizar Dimitrov, who headed the ball past goalkeeper Jose Reina to make it 1:2 at the interval.
CSKA had some good chances at the beginning of the second half, but in the 58th minute it was all over for them. Gerrard, Cisse and Morientes exchanged passes in the penalty area and the Spaniard had all the time in the world to turn and shoot the ball through Hmaruk's legs from only about five metres out.
Both teams had their chances later on, but it remained 1:3 at full time and Liverpool left Sofia with a comfortable advantage ahead of the second game in England.
Levski traveled to Slovenia to face local Publikum (Celje) in their opening match in Europe, the first leg of the second qualifying round of the UEFA Cup.
The game turned out to be one of the most disappointing performances in the history of Levski. The visitors made several unbelievable misses and were punished in the 68th minute by Beresnjak, who scored the only goal of the night, tapping in a close range shot after a cross from the right flank.
Levski tried to respond, but their attacks were chaotic and disorganised, so they left themselves a lot to do for the return game in Sofia next week.
Litex was the only Bulgarian team to win its first leg game of the second qualifying round of the UEFA Cup. Playing at home to Croatian NK Rijeka, the team from Lovech had to struggle for 83 minutes, when Zhivko Zhelev's header spared the blushes and gave his side a 1:0 advantage before the second leg.
In the same competition Lokomotiv (Plovdiv) lost 1:2 away to Serbian OFK (Belgrade). The Bulgarian team was trailing 0:2 at half-time, but Martin Kamburov's goal in the 55th minute increased Lokomotiv's chances of winning the tie. The goal scorer and Lokomotiv's best player Kamburov was sent off in the 74th minute and will miss the second game in Plovdiv.