Bulgaria's Petrov Plots England's Downfall

Bulgarian Martin Petrov (R) during a training session of Bulgarian national soccer team in the town of Pravec, Bulgaria on 31 August. Bulgaria will meet England team on 3 September in their UEFA EURO 2012 qualifying match, Group G in London. Photo by EPA/

Bulgarian Bolton winger Martin Petrov has warned that Bulgaria is capable of springing a nasty surprise on the England squad at Wembley on Friday because Fabio Capello "doesn't have a team" despite its very good players.

"Everyone knows that England have names and very good players. If you take every player from the team, they are very good players," Petrov said, as cited by The Telegraph.

"But I don't think they have a team. I don't know why. In the middle and up-front, they have big names, they have a big manager too, but they just don't do it.

"Is it a good time to play England? We don't know yet because there are young players coming into the team who will want to show the manager that they deserve their place and, after their worst World Cup, everyone will want to show it.

"It's a difficult time for England. For us, it's OK. There is pressure for us, too, because we want to qualify, but I think there is more pressure for England because they are the big favourites.

"We also have some very good players, though, and, if we play like a team, stay compact, especially in the first minutes, I think we have a chance."

Bulgaria, positioned 36 places below England at 43 in the Fifa World Rankings, must plot England's downfall without the country's leading player, Dimitar Berbatov.

The Manchester United forward announced his international retirement in May at the age of 29 citing "many different reasons" and Petrov, Berbatov's close friend, does little to dispel the apparent omerta surrounding the decision by insisting it is not a matter for discussion.

"It's better we don't speak, I'm not the family of Berbatov," Petrov said. "I told the Bulgarian journalists I would not discuss this.

"If you have a good name, go to your national team and play badly it's hard for everyone, but especially for him being a Manchester United player.

"He phoned me to say he is going to retire but nothing more. If I asked him... it's personal. Everyone wants Berba in the team. He's always welcome to the team, but I don't think it will happen."

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