SOFIA: Bulgaria’s Football Union (BFU) has suspended referee Nikolay Yordanov for his performance in Levski Sofia’s 2-1 league win at Litex Lovech on Saturday.
Yordanov, one of the country’s leading officials, has been banned for an unspecified period, the BFU’s refereeing commission said in a statement.
The suspension came after a protest from Litex who said the referee “made a few blatant errors that influenced the outcome of the match” while coach Hristo Stoichkov described the official’s display as “a shame for football.”
Refereeing bans are not uncommon in Bulgaria and several have been suspended this season for making mistakes.
The match in Lovech was also marred by racism after Levski fans displayed one banner showing a swastika and another one marking what would have been Adolf Hitler’s birthday.
Levski, who were fined 30,000 euros ($ 39,200) by UEFA for racism during a Europa League match in September, now face another heavy fine and a possible points deduction.
The Sofia club are second in the table, two points behind leaders Ludogorets, while Litex are fifth.
Ref banned for display in Bulgarian game marred by racism
