2024-03-06 09:55:14
The record holder of matches for the national team of Bulgaria and former captain of the “lions” Stiliyan Petrov, who is part of the team of the candidate for the president of the BFS Dimitar Berbatov, has categorically announced that all those who want him in the management of Bulgarian football must vote for Berbatov at the upcoming congress on March 15. Stilijan’s name has been used by other candidates and people in football circles as a “unifying figure” and as the man who should be at the forefront of the presidential battle. This is what Petrov himself said in an interview with “Darik” radio.
– The BFS congress is approaching. Are you ready for a fight, if I may say so. All the candidates are now clear, there are surprises, maybe there aren’t. How will you comment on the candidates?
– I don’t think there are any surprises. For several months, the names of the presidential candidates have been discussed. It is quite normal when someone wants to fight for the good of Bulgarian football, it is good to have more candidates. It’s good to have more opinions. It is good to hear other programs, another vision, another concept, which can only be good for Bulgarian football. I hope that on March 15, after the Congress, Bulgarian football will take a new direction.
– They practiced a lot on your name. It’s like they tried to drive a wedge between you and Berbatov. Why do you think this happened?
– I’m begging you, please stop. What Stiliyan Petrov and Dimitar Berbatov have as an agreement to work for Bulgarian football does not mean that Berbatov will make decisions without Stiliyan Petrov or without Martin Petrov or without the team. There is a nice saying in Bulgaria: “If you want to get somewhere fast, go alone, but if you want to go far, go in a team”. We work this way. I call on people – if someone wants Stiliyan Petrov to be in Bulgarian football, to vote for Dimitar Berbatov. If someone wants Stiliyan Petrov to be in Bulgarian football, vote for Dimitar Berbatov and Stiliyan Petrov. I constantly hear that someone is trying to divide us, to create an opinion in the public that Dimitar and Stiliyan are not on the same page. What we want to achieve for Bulgarian football is a better future. It is not our end in itself to govern. The logistics here are better for Dimitar Berbatov to be the first, Stiliyan Petrov to help. I have told Berbatov from the beginning that it is not important here who is the president – it is very important that the person who is at the head of Bulgarian football is accessible to all people every day. What I have promised to Berbatov and especially to Bulgarian football is to help as much as I can. Stiliyan Petrov’s peace of mind, even if he is not in Bulgarian football, will not be disturbed. What I have built as a character, a family and a product, no one can take that away. What we give – our energy, our enthusiasm, our time above all – is entirely for Bulgarian football. It is not an end in itself to rule here. Here it is important for people to understand that we are trying to help Bulgarian football. This can be seen in the last three years. There are many criticisms of Dimitar – his way of communication, but let’s not forget one thing, that this man has toured Bulgaria in the last three years. From the smallest to the largest – through all municipalities, through all mayors. To show respect, to show the way he wants to work. I’m right behind him. I don’t know if this is important in Bulgaria, but I have built myself as a person who keeps his word. A person who is realistic and knows what he can do to help in the given situation. We are together and we will walk together. Win or lose.
– He said that you actually went around a lot, this battle is quite long, and it’s like you started it first. Now other candidates have emerged. Is it possible that at some point in certain results there will be a merger? To use other people’s ideas, even to use other candidates’ team members if it comes to such a situation?
– Of course. There are many good ideas. Georgi Gradev and his team were in a program in which they showed a program with many positives, many interesting ideas, many questionable ones as well, but this is normal in a newly built program, structure. Especially when something in football is not going well, then there are many ideas, the way of working is different. Of course, what Dimitar Berbatov, or Stiliyan Petrov, Martin Petrov and BFS cannot be deprived of are ideas and people with the capacity to work in Bulgarian football. Let me tell you something – we’ve toured the country three times already together. We were able to meet many people coaches, presidents and Methodists who want to work. They have the knowledge, they have the capacity to work, but unfortunately the system the way it works, these people are not allowed. These people are not given a chance. This is what we will try to do – to give these people a chance to revive Bulgarian football again, to have the unforgettable moments like 94 again. Let’s once again have talents we can be proud of. For this to happen, we need unity and work together. Both with the clubs and with the people who want to help Bulgarian football.
– Said about those tours you did. Did you see personnel in Bulgarian football, because in many businesses it is said “There are no people, there are not enough prepared capacities”. Did you see people who are young ready, not only young, of course, age is not a vice?
– There are many people who want to work, who have the capacity. Let’s not forget that in the BFS there are also people who work, who try to work, but unfortunately, the way this system is structured, they stifle these people to develop and, above all, to develop Bulgarian football as a product of every single level.
– Do you think the congress will be fair? I asked you last time too. I still don’t understand the rules, at least to me – have they been drawn up, are they ready, have they been shown? You should know if there are any because you are a candidate after all.
– We expect everything at this Congress. A lot of people have made a commitment – the dependence in this football union in the last few years has been quite high on certain people. They will try everything to maintain the status quo, to continue to operate, to run football as it has been run for the last 20 years. So we expect everything, but I hope that the clubs have already seen where Bulgarian football is, the real problems of Bulgarian football. If the Bulgarian clubs are not brave now, in 20 years we will be talking about the same problems again. For the same problems that brought Bulgarian football to this state.
– Is there politics in football, political interference in football? You said that you meet with mayors, that’s normal, many of the teams are municipal, for better or worse they depend on that. After all, as they say – like the country, like the football. Are there any such interferences, in your opinion?
– Do you know what is the worst thing about Bulgarian football, that when someone starts talking about working with the state, he starts to associate himself with certain parties and people. Let’s not forget that the most important partner and the biggest partner of football everywhere in the world is the state. We meet and have met with the state authorities about what we want to implement as a program, about what we offer as financial assistance from the state. In what directions, what are the projects, what is the funding. All these processes must first be talked about so that when you present a program, when you present these changes and when you try to introduce something new – you have to be ready with all these projects. In order to be fulfilled, everyone must work together, and in order to work together, there must be communication. As well as the Bulgarian Football Union to the clubs, and the BFS to the state, to bigger and stronger sponsors, so that the investment in Bulgarian football can give a chance to all these clubs and people who work, to make sense, to have profit – as it is everywhere in the world.
– Mention the Gradev team and things you liked about them. Are there other candidates that you would like, have fresh ideas, be in communication with them? Possibly, if it comes to a runoff, you can count on their support?
– You know what the biggest problem is – everyone says that our team is not worthy, that we do not have the experience to lead. I can tell you right up front that I have been invited by almost all of the presidential candidates to be on their team as first vice president or in some capacity. I tell everyone – I have made a commitment to Dimitar Berbatov and I follow and will continue to follow what he is trying to do for Bulgarian football. It’s easiest in Bulgaria to be a duplicitous person, which is a word I don’t like to use because it’s not in my vocabulary. Unfortunately, many people do not keep their word. Many people are ready for their own interest to betray the cause above all, let’s not forget that the cause here is Bulgarian football – not Dimitar Berbatov, not Stiliyan Petrov, not Georgi Ivanov, not Georgi Gradev, not to mention the other presidential candidates. Here, the cause is for Bulgarian football to work again. We will see whether Dimitar Berbatov, Stiliyan Petrov, Martin Petrov will be in Bulgarian football on March 15.
– Do you think that on March 16, Bulgarian football will have gone in a different direction, will the change have taken place?
– From our point of view, I can say yes. If you ask the other candidates and they are ready with different methods of procedure. As you know, this management relies on only one thing – with appeals, with all other methods, but not with the methods that can get Bulgarian football out of this state. Unfortunately, that’s the way this system is set up, that’s the way it works. All of us as well as the clubs and you the media see it. Unfortunately, when a system is set up like that, when it’s dependent on certain people, it’s very difficult to change those people’s minds for the better.
– The media is also part of the game and we also bear some blame for the state of football. Do you think they are a positive player in this race?
– Of course, you media should cover the BFS Congress. To show people which people are present at this Congress, how a Congress proceeds, how major decisions are made for the good of Bulgarian football. You are the ones who can best show the fans, those who love Bulgarian football, what is happening, how it is being processed, what is the system at work. Which people are mostly present there. I hope you, the media, the public and the clubs will demand you to be in. To have a broadcast where every fan and person who loves Bulgarian football will see what happens at a BFS Congress. As it happens everywhere in the world. If there’s something they have to hide, then you won’t be allowed in.