Bulgarian Football Union Elects New President

In a pivotal moment for Bulgarian football, the Bulgarian Football Union (BFS) convened an extraordinary congress at the Marinela Hotel in Sofia to elect a new president after the resignation of Borislav Mihaylov, who held the position for 18 years. The congress, which commenced at 10:30 a.m., saw the emergence of seven candidates vying for Mihaylov's former position.

Among the contenders are Mihail Kasabov, temporarily appointed as President of the Bulgarian Football Union, Georgi Ivanov, better known as Gonzo, Dimitar Berbatov, Petyo Kostadinov, Manol Ivanov, Georgi Gradev, and Georgi Zahariev. Notably, Dimitar Berbatov, the main opposition candidate, expressed confidence in his bid, marking his second attempt at the presidency after a previous unsuccessful endeavor.

With 493 congress delegates set to be selected from the pool of 525 registered clubs, the stakes were high as each candidate sought to rally support for their vision of the future of Bulgarian football.

The agenda for the meeting outlined critical points of discussion, including:

• Report on the implementation of the BFS Football Development Program for 2022 and 2023.
• Financial statement for 2022 and 2023.
• Consideration of appeals to the General Assembly.
• Voting on the resignation submitted by the President of the BFS.
• Dismissal of the members of the Executive Committee of the BFS.
• Election of the President of the "Bulgarian Football Union" Association.
• Election of members of the Executive Committee of the "Bulgarian Football Union" Association.

The former president Mihaylov, who arrived at the hall amidst reports of recent illness, was slated to open the meeting and present the Executive Committee's report for the past two years.

The atmosphere outside the Marinela Hotel was charged with tension, with a significant presence of law enforcement personnel anticipating any potential disturbances. Notable figures such as Stiliyan Petrov, Martin Petrov, and Nasko Sirakov, owner of Levski Sofia, were among those observed entering the venue earlier in the day.

The congress commenced with a welcome address from Servet Yardımcı, UEFA's special envoy, and following him, Nodar Akhalkatsi from FIFA took the stage at the presidium.

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