- Title: Bulgarian soccer chief resigns after racist incidents at England match
- Date: 15th October 2019
- Summary: SOFIA, BULGARIA (SEPTEMBER 23, 2010) (REUTERS) (CONVERTED 4:3 MATERIAL) ***WARNING: CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** PRESIDENT OF THE BULGARIAN FOOTBALL UNION (BFU) BORISLAV MIHAYLOV WELCOMING BULGARIA'S THEN NEW SOCCER COACH LOTHAR MATTHAEUS (2 SHOTS)
- Embargoed: 29th October 2019 12:51
- Keywords: Borislav Mihaylov Boyko Borissov Bulgaria soccer Euro 2020 qualifier
- Location: SOFIA, BULGARIA / FILE
- City: SOFIA, BULGARIA / FILE
- Country: Bulgaria
- Topics: Soccer,Sport
- Reuters ID: LVA001B17L7I7
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: The president of the Bulgarian Football Union (BFU) Borislav Mihaylov stepped down on Tuesday (October 15) after the prime minister urged him to quit following racist abuse from Bulgarian fans towards black English players during their Euro 2020 qualifier.
Prime Minister Boyko Borissov called for former goalkeeper Mihaylov to step down after Monday's (October 14) match was temporarily halted by the referee to tackle abuse from the crowd.
"I don't want in any way the government, represented by the Ministry of Sport, to be related to this president of the football union," Borissov had said earlier on Tuesday.
Shortly afterwards, the BFU said in a statement:
"Today, the president of the Bulgarian Football Union Borislav Mihailov submitted his resignation, which will be presented to the members of the Executive Committee at the meeting on Friday."
"His position is a consequence of recent tensions: an environment that is detrimental to Bulgarian football and the Bulgarian Football Union."
The BFU announcement came only a couple of hours after a BFU spokesman said that Mihaylov would not resign because the state had no right to interfere in football.
"The football union cannot be held responsible for the hooliganism of a group of people," BFU's spokesman Hristo Zapryanov had said earlier.
Racist abuse cast a blight over the match at the Vasil Levski national stadium as the game was twice halted by the referee after monkey noises and chants from the crowd were aimed at black English players.
A group of black-clad Bulgarian fans, some of whom were making right-wing salutes, were moved from an area behind the dugout at the stadium with home team captain Ivelin Popov appealing to the supporters in a heated discussion at halftime.
Borissov added that he felt the incidents in Sofia were "hugely blown out of proportion" and were caused by "a bunch of retards doing Hitlerist gestures". He said that "the state's reaction towards the perpetrators was immediate" and that "Bulgaria is the most tolerant country".
(Production: Maria Vasilyeva, Mike Brock) - Copyright Holder: FILE REUTERS (CAN SELL)
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2019. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
