Days after the movie “Gundi – Legend of Love“ hit the cinemas in our country, the wife of the beloved Bulgarian football player Lita told NOVA more about her husband's love – to her, to the family, to football and to the homeland.
„When I watched the film for the first time, I felt like I was watching someone else's life. Then suddenly I hear my words in the mouth of a beautiful girl. The feeling is very strange. Because of this, I didn't remember anything from the first viewing. I just remember the feeling that it was all very real. I am grateful to God for giving me the opportunity to experience such love. Because that was love. With all the vicissitudes. Ups, downs and more. We were 16 when we met. He was a volleyball player. I first saw him on the volleyball court. I didn't have much interest in boys at the time. I had a lot of commitments – I went to piano lessons. Volleyball had also captivated me a lot. But I remember when I first saw him, a thorn on his left cheek. "I had noticed it," says Lita.
And he adds that the main character in the film “Gundy– legend of love“ Pavel Ivanov looks a lot like her late husband. “There are moments when, looking askance at the screen, it is as if Georgi is looking at me. It stabs me in the heart for a second. I feel as if George is alive. For me, every meeting with him – on screen or in an interview or in a picture or a conversation I have about him – is very nice.“
As in the film, Leeta admits that she and Gundy initially wanted to get married secretly. “We were issued by the post office in Plovdiv – they called Levski, and from there to my parents. This is how our story began… But there was no one to stop us.“
Lita says that at that time, until the first wedding night, their love was only platonic. “Now things are different. At that time, on the one hand, I was ignorant of sexual relations, but on the other hand, devotion to the person you love is unique.” Regarding jealousy, Gundy's wife admits that she was not jealous. He was terribly courted. There were always bouquets and telephones at the door. There were many female fans who did not look kindly on me. But I haven't felt uncomfortable. I knew I was his wife. Also, jealousy to me means underestimating yourself. George was a great gentleman. He knew how to give you pleasure, to surprise you for no reason.“
Through the prism of time, Lita understands why her parents and Gundi were of the opinion that they were rushing the wedding. “Mom bossed us both around while we lived with them. One day I objected sharply in private,' Lita says and clarifies that her mother had no objection to Gundi. At that time, she disagreed with her daughter's decision to interrupt her studies, go to Plovdiv and get married at that early age.
„She subsequently appreciated him and they were on great terms. Georgi was patient and polite. His family gave him the upbringing that any decent person should have. They taught him kindness, empathy, honesty. But I know what it feels like to be loved so much it's like killing you. In 1966, they operated on his left leg after the World Cup in England. However, I remember a match of “Milan“ in Sofia there was a football player who seemed to be on his back all the time. I thought they were going to take him out on a stretcher. However, it turned out that there was not even a scratch.
On the occasion of the pressure from State Security, Lita says that Georgi was oppressed and that the situation was not commented on. “There was one occasion where we had to travel to West Germany. Before that, we were in Sozopol for a week and had to leave. But on the third day he received a telegram that he was forbidden to travel. He went berserk. We went to the airport and they put us in the cockpit because there was no ticket and we flew out at night. The love for him was so great and strong that we were never alone. People called him the President. They didn't dare touch him. He was both a symbol and a danger to the authorities.“
On the offer that Gundy receives from the “Milan“
team
„We were together at the meeting, as it is in the film. The offer they made to him made my legs crawl. We could immediately stay there. They were offering him 300 thousand, which would be millions these days. At the time, I bought super fancy shoes from Italy for $11. At that time, in our country, he earned BGN 150 as a salary. For a victory, they were given 30 BGN, of which 3 BGN was tax. We also had another BGN 2 bachelor's tax, because we did not have a child at that time. However, he refused. Subsequently, I asked him – if we had stayed in Italy, our families here in Bulgaria would have been destroyed.“
Lita says that she did not feel the danger to his life. “But now I think about it, he took our son Andrey everywhere. Since the age of 2. They were everywhere together. I don't know if he himself did not subconsciously feel that he would not have enough time with his child. On the phone, he explained to me about Vratsa, that he did not feel like walking, but asked me if he could take him with him. I replied that it was at his discretion. When my parents heard the terrible news, my brother's first job was to go to the kindergarten to check if Andrey was there. It turns out that you can get used to the pain, especially when you had a child who looks you in the eye and thinks: “What if mom is gone too?”. Then you have to muster up the strength to explain to him that this happens to many people and to live normally. Andrey liked the movie “Gundy – legend of love“. Me too.“