Bulgaria FA boss quits amid racial chants targeted at English black players during a Euro-2020-qualifier fixture at Vasil Levski Stadium in Sofia – Bulgaria’s capital city – on Tuesday.
MagRush | October 16, 2019
The UEFA European Championship 2020 (EURO) qualification match between the Bulgarian and English (senior) national teams nearly descended into chaos at Sofia on Monday night.
Hordes of Bulgarian hooligans directed monkey chants to English black players and “Nazi salutes” during the first half of the game.
The match officials halted the game on two occasions after Tyrone Mings, England defender, alerted them and they [officials] warned that the Euro-2020-qualifier contest was in peril of being abandoned. It is reported that there was a standoff before kick off.
The Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov intervention forced Bulgarian Football Union President Borislav Mihaylov to step down on Tuesday from his job.
The state of Bulgarian football is believed to have tanked during his more than a decade tenure. Monday’s vile racial chants were the last straw that broke the camel’s back. For his part, Mihaylov said Bulgarian fans abhorrent behaviour was behind his decision to quit in utter disgrace.
England’s Raheem Sterling, who scored a brace on the night, and Mings, on his first call up, were the subjects of racial abusive slurs during the encounter.
CNN Sport Contributor Darren Lewis told Don Riddell, CNN Anchor, October 10, 2019 that:
“The leadership in Bulgaria are unable to get a grip on the issue [of racism]… There is no black representation at the top of their game just as there isn’t at the top of Uefa….”
Lewis emphasized the need for education as a long view and in the meantime “stringent punishment will make people sit up and notice.”
The Bulgarians are notorious for these kind of diabolic acts. Predictably, parts of their stadium in Sofia were mothballed and the attendance was patchy; indicative of potential disruptions from the bigots on the stands.
The match could have easily been called off. England won by a resounding 6-0 when the final whistle sounded. Marcus Rashford and Harry Kane were in the scoresheet, so was Ross Barkley with a brace.
European Football Association (UEFA) has slammed Bulgaria with four charges and England with two respectively.
On Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2019 Sky News reported:
“The European football governing body has charged the Bulgarian Football Union with four offences: racist behaviour including chants and Nazi salutes; the throwing of objects; disruption of the national anthem; and replays on a giant screen.”
England were not spared the UEFA punitive wrath. “Two charges have also been brought against the English FA: disruption of the national anthem and an insufficient number of travelling stewards,” published Sky News.