The President of the Bulgarian Basketball Federation Konstantin Papazov is at the center of a serious scandal after the match between Levski and Shumen from the third round of the Sesame NBL. Spartak Pleven made harsh accusations against him, claiming that he showed aggression towards the national referee instructor and member of the Federation's Board of Directors Orlin Nikolov.
According to the position of the Pleven club, the two went out into the corridor of the “Triaditsa“ hall during the match, and a video released by Spartak shows what happened outside the playing field.
The club reacted sharply to the incident and expressed concerns about the behavior of the new president of the federation. In their position, the “blue-and-white“ made accusations of aggressive actions by Papazov and raised the question of the way in which the leadership of Bulgarian basketball is exercised.
Spartak Pleven's position:
„We all in Bulgarian basketball have been silent enough. The expected aggressive and uncontrollable behavior of Georgi Glushkov's successor did not wait 1 month into his reign. After verbal aggression and a broken mobile phone of a referee after the Levski - Balkan match in the “Triaditsa” hall Some time ago, the mischievous behavior of Glushkov's creation was transferred to the national referee instructor and member of the Board of Directors Orlin Nikolov.
A number of clubs and media outlets were notified of Konstantin Papazov's shocking behavior (why we are silent is a good question).
The behavior after and during the Levski - Cherno More and Levski - Shumen matches, in the words of the chairman of the SC Ivaylo Resilovski, "is unbearable". We have been signaled for gross interference and open intentions for direct interference in referee appointments, which referees should be punished and why.
We elected such a thing as the president of the basketball federation.
Dear Mr. Minister of Finance, dear Mr. Director of a telecommunications company, dear Mr. National Coach who led Bulgaria to several European Championships... How do you feel about being part of a Board of Directors led by such an individual?!
All of you who supported him, led by the disrespectful Georgi Glushkov... According to all of you, how does Orlin Nikolov (a NATO officer) feel, who will be “filled with rice and eaten”?! All the mayors who were called by famous and unknown sports figures, eighth graders... This is why they called you.
At Spartak Pleven, we are ashamed that the Bulgarian Basketball Federation is represented by such a thing”.