Former Bulgarian national team captain Stiliyan Petrov commented on the situation in the Bulgarian Football Union and his participation in Dimitar Berbatov's team during the presidential elections more than two years ago.
„I have not done a detailed analysis of how the BFU currently functions. I get information from friends and clubs that I have talked to. The Bulgarian clubs have made their choice. I hear that there are positive things, but also things that still need to be improved. When Georgi Ivanov won the congress, we shook his hand and wished him success. Everyone needs time to work. "I hope the clubs are already seeing some change," Petrov told Sportal.bg.
He admitted that Berbatov's team had also made mistakes. "We were more naive and believed that communication with the clubs and the presentation of our program would be enough to win. That turned out to be wrong. We have accepted our mistakes and we do not run away from them. Our biggest mistake was that the majority of the clubs wanted change - clearly this is not the case. The important thing is that Bulgarian football moves forward," he added.
Petrov also revealed that he had the opportunity to take a more leading role in the campaign. "We discussed the option of me being the face of the team. They told me that I had a better chance than Berbatov - this came from people in football and politics. But I could not pass it on. If I had done so, I would have betrayed my principles as well. We decided to remain consistent and let him be the candidate“, explained the former international.
He stressed that his relations with Berbatov are excellent. “We have great respect for each other. We do not envy each other and we maintain contact. This is the most important thing in a friendship“, said Petrov.
Stiliyan Petrov also commented on his future in football: “The current president has a four-year mandate and he must be given time. My attention is currently focused on the "Match of Hope". I do not work in Bulgarian football and do not plan to hold a position. I help when I can and follow what is happening, but my place is not in government“, he concluded.