US Police Drop Battery Charges against Bulgaria's Stoichkov

Bulgarian football legend, Hristo Stoichkov AKA The Dagger. Photo by BGNES

Police in the US city of Chicago is not going to press charges against Bulgarian football legend Hristo Stoichkov on allegations he has physically attacked a Bulgarian journalist.

The grounds are lack of evidence.

Stoichkov was probed for battery because Svetlozar Momchilov, editor-in-chief and publisher of the Chicago-based "Bulgaria Today," filed a complaint against him. The journalist claimed he had been attacked while trying to score an interview when the ex-football player hit him on the jaw and threatened him with "cutting his head off."

The incident happened Monday evening, during a gala for the 15th anniversary of the football club Chicago Fire, held at the city's History Museum.

The police spokesperson, who confirmed the probe, now says the charges have been dropped over lack of evidence and witnesses not corroborating Momchilov's account.

Their testimonies backed Stoichkov's claims that Momchilov has been belligerent. The witnesses further reported the journalist has been dressed inappropriately for such gala – in flip-flops and shorts.

Meanwhile, a crew of Denmark's TV SBS, which aired the match between Bulgaria and their nationals in Sofia, traveled all the way to the northwestern city of Lovech, where Stoichkov is coaching the local Litex, to shot a documentary about him.