”Rubin played a low-down trick on us,” said Levski disappointed chief executive Konstanin Bazhdekov, as quoted in the Russian media.

Bazhdekov also told reporters there was "an agreement in principle" with Rubin.

The Rubin side are dazed and confused. Club spokesman Maksim Lopukhov says Rubin “has never targeted” the players.

”We were surprised to hear about the arrival of these players at the time when the transfer window in Russia is closed,” Lopukhov added.

As Reuters reports, Trud, one of Bulgaria's most popular newspapers, called Levski "a laughing stock" after what it described as "a unique nonsense". At the same time, the club's disgruntled fans turned on the management. "It's a sheer madness and incompetence," Levski supporter Valentin Denev said. "We gave the title away in the most stupid way. They made us look like the idiots of Europe."

In the meantime, a bookmakers’ trickery may be the most logical explanation to this bizarre transfer saga. A number of betting offices are reported to have accepted ‘suspiciously huge’ bets on CSKA victory.