February 17 – Sunday was supposed to be a day of celebration for Lokomotiv Plovdiv, but it ended up becoming a nightmare for the Plovdiv club and Bulgarian football in general.
Before the start of the match against Septemvri Sofia, Lokomotiv Plovdiv organised a special ceremony for the official opening of the renovated Sportclub stand at the Lokomotiv stadium.
The ceremony was attended by the president of the Bulgarian Football Union Georgi Ivanov, the mayor of Plovdiv Kostadin Dimitrov and numerous club legends.
The new stand is the largest in the stadium with a capacity of 4,390 seats, 70% of which are covered.
The financing of the construction activities was provided by the state, and the reconstruction of the stadium continues with the construction of the other main stand.
Lokomotiv Plovdiv’s executive director Toma Tsilev expressed hope that next year, when the club will celebrate their 100th anniversary, the stadium will be fully renovated.
But what started as a day of hope and excitement ended in disaster with violent scenes on the pitch as a group of fans refused to return to their seats.
During the game, a Lokomotiv Plovdiv supporter collapsed in the stands and needed medical attention. The stadium’s medical teams immediately came to his aid and the match was suspended while the injured supporter was given medical attention.
Lokomotiv Plovdiv’s ultras helped the medical teams load the fan into the ambulance that was waiting for him at the stadium. After the fan was resuscitated and escorted to the nearest hospital in Plovdiv, the match delegate Kiril Manolov Lozanov called on the Lokomotiv supporters to return to their seats.
At that moment, the match delegate was attacked by Lokomotiv Plovdiv fans.
He received several punches in the face, and the quick intervention of the stadium stewards prevented a more serious incidents.
The match referee was ready to stop the match, but after the personal insistence of the delegate Kiril Manolov, the match was finished.
Hours after the unprecedented incident in Plovdiv, the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Bulgaria announced that it would initiate a meeting with the Bulgarian Football Union.
“The Ministry of Youth and Sports categorically condemns any manifestations of football hooliganism. The ugly scenes that take place during matches, such as those between Lokomotiv (Plovdiv) and Septemvri today and CSKA and Slavia a week ago, emphasize the need to take strict measures to ensure the safety and security of both spectators in the stands and all participants in sports events,” said the sports ministry.
“Sport instills discipline and builds character, so it is particularly important and urgent to work to create a culture of respect among fans. Only in this way can we enjoy football matches without conflicts, aggression and violence. The Ministry of Youth and Sports will initiate a meeting as soon as possible, together with the Ministry of Interior, the Bulgarian Football Union and all interested parties, in order to take measures to prevent violence in sports.”
At the same time, Lokomotiv Plovdiv also condemned the incident and apologised to the match delegate.
“PFC Lokomotiv Plovdiv expresses regret for the incident that occurred at the very end of the match with Septemvri (Sofia) and apologizes to the match delegate Kiril Lozanov and the football community,” said the club.
“We understand that our supporters acted under strong emotion, driven by concern for the condition of their friend, which led to this unpleasant moment.
“Football is an emotion, and Lokomotiv has always been a club uniting passionate and loyal supporters. We believe that everything that happened today was the result of tension and anxiety, but still, such situations should not be repeated,” club statement continued.
“At the same time, we are aware that an investigation is underway to clarify whether any of the parties was unlawfully provoked. The club’s management is adamant that it will assist in unraveling the case to the core, in order to understand exactly what happened and why this unpleasant incident occurred. We will work together with all parties to prevent future similar incidents, and we call on our fans to always support the team with respect and sportsmanship.”
Contact the writer of this story, Aleksander Krassimirov, at moc.l1740049348labto1740049348ofdlr1740049348owedi1740049348sni@o1740049348fni1740049348