SOFIA: CSKA Sofia coach Lyuboslav Penev has suspended nine players for disciplinary offences ahead of Thursday's Europa League game against Basel, the club said Tuesday in a statement.

The sanctions come after reports that the nine had recently been spotted drinking in night clubs after midnight in contravention of team disciplinary rules.

The bans follow two consecutive Bulgarian league defeats for CSKA that Penev blamed on his players' late-night partying.

The nine suspended players include five internationals - goalkeeper Ivan Karadzhov, defenders Ivan Ivanov, Kiril Kotev and Pavel Vidanov and midfielder Yordan Todorov - as well as Brazilian Marquinhos, Portugal's David Silva, Todor Timonov and Svetoslav Petrov.

Penev did not specify how long the nine will be kept on the sidelines.