Bulgarian football club Pirin fans want to join Macedonian league

[Crn Volk]

https://www.sbs.com.au/news/bulgaria...edonian-league

Bulgarian club's fans cry foul, call for move to Macedonian league

SOFIA (Reuters) - Pirin Blagoevgrad fans, fed up with what they called "repression" by Bulgarian soccer authorities, have asked to join neighbouring Balkan country Macedonia’s soccer league.


The Eagles were relegated from Bulgaria's top division after a hotly disputed goal sent them to a 2-1 defeat at home to Vitosha Bistritsa on Monday.

Vitosha's Grigor Dolapchiev was flagged offside by the assistant referee, but the referee waved play on and striker Dolapchiev took full advantage to score his side's second goal.

"Dear leaders of Macedonian football, we the supporters of Pirin Blagoevgrad, urge you to accept Pirin in the Macedonian football championship as of next season,” Pirin fans said in a written request to the Macedonian Football Federation, adding that they would accept a place in any division of the league.

Pirin and the club's fans have complained of unfair treatment by the Bulgarian Football Union (BFU) and referees on several occasions during the season.

"In the last 20 years Pirin have been deliberately subjected to repression by the BFU,” the fans' letter said.

Neither Pirin nor the BFU were immediately available for comment.

In happier times Pirin, based in Blagoevgrad - a town, located 20km from the border with Macedonia - reached the Bulgarian Cup final four times and competed in UEFA's European club competitions.

In 2011 Pirin were expelled from the Bulgaria’s top flight over unpaid debts and six years earlier were kicked out because of unpaid taxes.

Pirin have a tradition of developing young players, such as former Manchester United striker Dimitar Berbatov, who spent seven years with the club, members of Bulgaria team that reached the 1994 World Cup semi-finals as well as several players in the current national team.

(Reporting by Angel Krasimirov; Editing by David Goodman)

[Petros Houhoulis]

How many were they? 10? or you need to take your shoes off to count them???

[Crn Volk]

How many were they? 10? or you need to take your shoes off to count them???

It would be great to have them in the Macedonian league. I support this.

[catgeorge]

Bulgarian football ultras should beat them up in submission

[MegaArgus1]

I am looking forward to hear similar request from the Macedonian football fans in Greece.

[Petros Houhoulis]

I am looking forward to hear similar request from the Makedonishtani football fans in Greece.

A few fans of Herakles cried out when Heracles was relegated to the second tier league. Nothing heard of them since.

How many folks of yours have Bulgarian passport by now?

[Petros Houhoulis]

It would be great to have them in the Makedonishtani league. I support this.

You should campaign to have Preston Makedonishtan in the top tier Makedonishtani league. I am pretty sure everybody would support it, if you could manage to fly every week from down under to Stari Kraj...

[Thracian]

Thats not gonna happen.

[Crn Volk]

A few fans of Herakles cried out when Heracles was relegated to the second tier league. Nothing heard of them since.

How many folks of yours have Bulgarian passport by now?

About 100,000.

Is it true that PAOK are referred to as Bulgarians? Vou Vou Voulgari!!

[Albobalboa]

Unite the Macedonian and Bulgarian football leagues, Shkendija needs competition.