Former Bulgarian FA President Borislav Mihaylov will take up his old role after he quit in 2019, as reported by Bulgarian journalist Metodi Shumanov (via Sky Sports).
Former Bulgarian FA President Boris Mihaylov Re-Appoints Himself to Role
Mihaylov to Return as FA President
Mihaylov quit his post as President of the Bulgarian FA after an incident concerning racist abuse against England players in Sofia. It was during a Euro 2020 qualifier in which England put six past Bulgaria.
Following the racism that occurred during the game, causing play to be brought to a halt twice, Prime Minister Boyko Borissov sent orders for Mihaylov to resign immediately.
At the time, Prime Minister Borissov said: “It is unacceptable that Bulgaria – which is one of the most tolerant states in the world and where people of different ethnic and religious background peacefully live together – should be associated with racism.”
Dimitar Berbatov Vows to Oust Mihaylov at Next Election
A spokesperson for the Bulgaria FA said: “At today’s meeting of the Bulgarian FA’s Executive Committee president Borislav Mihaylov has withdrawn his resignation he handed in back in October 2019 and has announced his intention to finish his term he was elected for in 2018.”
It is currently unclear as to how and why Mihaylov has been able to withdraw his resignation and return to his role as President.
There were upcoming elections in place for next year’s President, with Dimitar Berbatov announcing himself as a candidate. Berbatov has reportedly vowed to oust Mihaylov at these next elections.
What’s the Issue with Mihaylov?
President Mihaylov was not the one chanting racist abuse from the stands in Sofia, but his failure to condemn racism in Bulgarian football did not help to discourage the events on the night of England’s Euro 2020 qualifying match in 2019.
Before the match, he accused England manager Gareth Southgate and players including Tammy Abraham of making derogatory and defamatory comments surrounding their concerns about potential racist abuse from fans.
But he even went as far as writing to UEFA calling for England to be punished if the players should walk off the pitch.
There had already been racist abuse from fans in Bulgaria, after UEFA had sanctioned the nation with a two-game partial stadium closure in June 2019.
The events on the night in October 2019 were shameful, with home fans photographed making Nazi salutes in the crowd, and with other fans making monkey gestures.
Tyrone Mings, making his England debut, was just one of the players that received abuse from the crowd.
Now that Mihaylov has returned to his role as President, it places question marks over the future of racism and discrimination in Bulgarian football. Mihaylov simply did not crack down hard enough on racism in Bulgarian football.
At the time UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin said the: “Football family must wage war on the racists.”
To an extent that war was fought out, with resignations and bold statements from all those at the top of the Bulgarian FA and the country itself.
But now it seems that work is being unravelled, unless Mihaylov turns over a new leaf and picks up the fight against racism that he resigned from in 2019.
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