President Rumen Radev expressed condolences to the family and relatives, as well as to the entire football community in Bulgaria, on the occasion of the passing of the prominent footballer and coach Dimitar Penev, with whom we say goodbye today. This was announced by the press secretariat of the head of state.
Dimitar Penev remains forever in the history of Bulgarian football – with the teams of “Lokomotiv” (Sofia) and CSKA he is a multiple champion and holder of the Bulgarian Cup, and his successes as a coach are associated with some of the most prestigious rankings of our country at club and national level, writes Rumen Radev. His great merits are for the discovery and support of many young talents to take the path of big football, the president recalls.
“In the annals of our sporting history, Dimitar Penev wrote his name with the grandiose success of the national team, which won the bronze medals at the World Cup in the USA in 1994, which an entire nation experienced together with the “glorious Peneva squad”, the head of state also points out. The recognition he received in 1996 as coach number 1 of Bulgaria for the 20th century also remains fully deserved, Rumen Radev recalls.
“With patience and a sense of the subtleties of the football game, but also for the characters of some of the greatest footballers of Bulgaria, Dimitar Penev brought not only the best ranking of our national team, but also united the Bulgarian people, when there was a great need for it”, the head of state also notes.
Dimitar Penev died on Saturday, at the age of 80, the Bulgarian Football Union announced on Saturday. The farewell will take place today, January 5, from 10:00 a.m. at the National Stadium “Vasil Levski”, CSKA announced.
People will be able to say their last goodbye to the legend of Bulgarian football on the track in front of the central tribune and in front of the players' tunnel. The ceremony will be open to all who wish to say their last goodbye to Dimitar Penev. Citizens will enter through Entrance 26 of Sector A, and the exit – through Entrance 1 of the stadium. The central tribune will be open to those present who want to share the last moments with the Strategist for a longer time. In unfavorable weather conditions, the mourning ceremony will take place in the central vestibule of Sector A.