Referee Vladimir Velev was kicked and punched by the goalkeeper of Lokomotiv Gorna Oryahovitsa's under-18 side after a match against Natsional (Sofia), which the hosts lost 3-0. The attack happened today, 10 October, and a video of it has been shared on Facebook.
The blows came after the final whistle, in front of the other players. The game was in round 7 of the Elite Group for players under 18.
The video shows a player in a yellow kit running at the referee from behind and knocking him down. According to the description under the video, the referee was kicked in the head, fell on the grass and was then punched. It is not known who landed all of the later blows, or whether Velev was injured.
Tension had been building on the pitch since the second half. At 2-0, the hosts asked for a penalty, but the referee did not give it. Lokomotiv's head coach was sent off and the team captain got a red card. After Natsional's third goal from open play, another home player was sent off.
The authors of the post say football has a huge shortage of intelligence, good manners, empathy, respect and mutual help. They call on coaches to ask themselves why they play the game, why they work as coaches and what kind of children they are raising. In their view, the environment must be cleaned up and the rules should become "Krum's laws", with the harshest disciplinary penalties. The post drew a wide public response and calls for uncompromising punishment.
The disciplinary committee of the Bulgarian Football Union (BFU) has not yet made an official decision, and the case has yet to be assessed. The video and the referee's report will be the main evidence. There has been no report that Velev sought medical help or filed a complaint.
Attacks on referees in Bulgarian football have led to long bans. In 2012, a Minyor 1934 (Rudnik) player got a one-year ban for chasing a referee in a regional league match in the Burgas area.