Ludogorets won in the mud in “Nadezhda,” but the truth is one – football lost. The pitch at Lokomotiv Stadium looked more like a plowed potato field than a football ground meeting the standards of the Bulgarian top division. In the autumn, we played two matches on the same field against Septemvri, but this time the cup overflowed, because all clubs were shamelessly deceived.
On January 9, in the presence of all clubs, Bulgarian Football Union (BFU) president Georgi Ivanov committed to sending a stadium inspection commission with a clear goal – matches to be played on quality pitches, to protect the health of footballers, and to uphold fair play. None of the clubs objected to the idea. On the contrary, we accepted it with hope. Unfortunately, the old maxim was once again confirmed – when you don’t want work to be done, you create a commission. As a result, the commission went, established that the pitch in the Nadezhda district was unfit and… the match was played anyway! Under the “watchful eye” of the Licensing Commission. That same “watchful eye” of the Licensing Commission conveniently remained wide shut while reading the experts’ recommendations that the match should be moved to another stadium. This decision is not just a mistake – it is scandalous, unprofessional, and directly endangered the health of the players of both teams.
The behavior and decisions of this commission call into question its professionalism and impartiality. We believe that systematic compromises have led to the situation where only a few pitches are currently fit for play. The Licensing Commission systematically turns a blind eye to numerous irregularities at stadiums in Bulgaria – problems that hinder the work of officials and the media and create additional risks for the health of players and fans. All just to please someone. But would that someone cover the losses in the event of an injury to an expensive footballer? For this reason, we are calling for the resignation of the entire commission and its manager. If by Monday the resignations are not submitted, or if it turns out that the commission’s decisions were made under orders from the higher levels, from president Georgi Ivanov, we will seek support from the other clubs (which we have already received) to convene a new electoral congress for the president of the BFU.
PFC Ludogorets states categorically: We will no longer accept lies and compromises regarding the quality of pitches, the safety of players and spectators, and the principles of fair play. We will insist on real, not fake, reforms. We will seek the support of the other clubs and will use all legitimate means to ensure that such matches on muddy fields are no longer played. Because this is an insult to investors who are trying to keep Bulgarian football afloat and spare no expense to improve sports infrastructure. It is also an insult to the television broadcaster, from which we constantly demand more money for TV rights, only for viewers to watch such “spectacles.” It is high time to put an end to the systematic compromises toward owners who skulk around while at the same time claiming to develop elite football, while dragging the game into the mud. With the money from solidarity payments, secured by Ludogorets’ successful participation in Europe, they cover salaries and not a single lev goes toward pitches or infrastructure.
And in conclusion, we will give you an example of how football authorities proceed in Spain. The example is from yesterday, when the match between Rayo Vallecano and Oviedo was postponed with the reason given as “Poor pitch.”
