Bulgarian Authorities Mull Crackdown on Football Hooligans

The Mayor of the Bulgarian capital Sofia, Yordanka Fandakova, is asking for fast reforms in order to prevent future acts of vandalism in the capital inflicted by football hooligans. Photo by BGNES

The Mayor of the Bulgarian capital Sofia, Yordanka Fandakova, is insisting on serious amendments in the Public Order during Sports Events Act.

Fandakova spoke Monday, saying she is sending letters to the Parliament, to the Interior Ministry and to the Bulgarian Football Union, asking for fast reforms to include fines to parents of minors, who had been involved in sports hooliganism, and holding football games behind closed doors with fans banned from attending.

Current sanctions include up to 25 days behind bars and a fine of BGN 200 to 500, but they are hardly ever enforced.

The Mayor says the City Hall is still assessing the amount of the damages inflicted by football fans Saturday evening after the derby between Sofia's CSKA and "Levski" football clubs. She says the deposit of BGN 5 000 of the organizers of the game would not be returned and would be used for repairs.

The conservative Order, Law and Justice (RZS) party also issued a statement on the matter, saying the ownership and management of the clubs must also undergo a serious reform with ownership being transferred to fans and the maximum number of shares of an individual or a business capped.

Meanwhile, the Chair of the Parliamentary Education Committee, Ognyan Stoychkov, told Darik radio he will ask for an amendment to mandate employers to require a note from the Sofia Directorate of the Interior Ministry showing a clean record regarding involvement in hooligan acts during sports events as a hiring condition.

Currently, court sentences under the Public Order Act are not listed in documentation required for employment, including other sentences, gun ownership etc.

Stoychkov also wants registered football hooligans to be banned from attending sports events abroad.

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