UEFA today announced that the European qualifier match between Bulgaria and Hungary will be played behind closed doors in Plovdiv on November 16.
In this regard, the SDVR specifies that at the end of October in the building of the Bulgarian Football Union, a working meeting was held with representatives of the SDVR and GDNP, initiated by the BFS. The reason – concerns about holding protest events on 16.11.2023 with the participation of football fans of various football clubs.
The BFS wanted the credibility of the information to be checked, and the SDVR actually discovered that several protest events are organized during the football match, as a possible violation of public order.
The final decision on the changes is solely within the competence of the football headquarters of Bulgaria, Hungary and UEFA, specify the SDVR.
In this context, on the recommendation of UEFA, the qualification for EURO 2024 between Bulgaria and Hungary, scheduled for November 16, will not be played at the national stadium in Sofia, as will be moved to the “Hristo Botev” stadium in Plovdiv and will be played without an audience.
The reason for this is the high risk assessment after analysis by UEFA’s security and safety department. Due to signals of imminent mass riots and the serious danger to public order, the experts of the European football headquarters have requested formal opinions from the Bulgarian Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Metropolitan Directorate of Internal Affairs and the Bulgarian Football Union.
Tags: UEFA postponed match Bulgaria Hungary due expected unrest
