Bulgarian football witnessed once again racism and xenophobic attack on a black player when Ludogorets met Levski Sofia on Tuesday evening at the Nati
Bulgarian football witnessed once again racism and xenophobic attack on a black player when Ludogorets met Levski Sofia on Tuesday evening at the National Stadium Vasil Levski in Sofia.
Ludogorets secured a 1-0 win over Levski Sofia, where Ghanaian forward Bernard Tekpetey scored the only goal in the 70th minute to decide the feisty clash.
Fans of Levski Sofia were heard calling the Ghanaian a monkey with kids, even joining the adults in abusing the Ghanaian.
Ludogorets have released a statement backing Tekpetey and condemning the act by Levski Sofia fans.
Ludogorets’ official statement:
“Last night’s football celebration at Vasil Levski Stadium was overshadowed by yet another racist scandal. Our player Bernard Tekpetey was attacked by Levski fans, including children, with monkey noises and insults, calling him a “monkey.” Subsequently, Tekpetey received a death threat on his personal social media profile, as well as brutal threats that crossed every boundary. In connection with the death threat, the club has officially notified the police and the prosecutor’s office and will fully cooperate to clarify the case and seek accountability.
“At Ludogorets, we will not stop fighting racism. We will initiate a discussion and a meeting between clubs, because this cannot and must not continue any longer. A Ludogorets player has once again become a victim of racism and xenophobia, following the attack against Antoine Baroan after a match with Lokomotiv (Sofia) last year.
“We are категорical that such actions have no place in football or in our society. Racism is unacceptable in sport and is in complete contradiction with its values—respect, equality, and fair play. Bulgarian society must be sensitive, uncompromising, and actively oppose such grotesque phenomena that distance us from the civilised world.
“We stand firmly behind Bernard Tekpetey and all footballers who become victims of discrimination, and we will not allow them to be left alone in the face of this aggression.
Levski Sofia is known as one of the clubs whose fans enjoy being racist, and Bulgarian authorities are investigating the club for the unacceptable behaviour of its fans.
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