Botev Vratsa will file a complaint with the Refereeing Committee of the Bulgarian Football Union following their 0–1 defeat to Cherno More in Varna. The club will submit video footage and specific evidence challenging the decisions of the refereeing team and the arrangements surrounding the Round 14 First League fixture.
The only goal at Ticha Stadium came in the 70th minute. Celso Sidnei converted a penalty awarded to the hosts. The match began an hour and a half late because of the torrential rain and the poor condition of the pitch – the kick-off time was successively changed from 17:00 to 18:00 and then to 18:30. The Vratsa side has identified the incident in the 94th minute as contentious. According to the club, Kasim Hadji played the ball first inside the penalty area, after which Cherno More’s number 50 committed an action that constituted a foul. Referee Lyuboslav Lyubomirov did not award a foul, and the subsequent nearly four-minute VAR review did not change the decision.
“We insist on a clear answer as to exactly what VAR reviewed and why the contentious situations were not assessed according to the same criteria,” Botev Vratsa said. The VAR referee in the match was Dimitar Dimitrov. The club stated that it had already filed two official complaints against his refereeing.
Botev Vratsa claims that both coaching staffs expressed reservations about the condition of the pitch and the safety of the players, but the refereeing team insisted that the match be played. The club also stated that its management had received information about airline tickets purchased in advance and professional commitments involving members of the officiating crew.
As a separate issue, the club cited the claim that Lyuboslav Lyubomirov had been appointed as the referee in charge of the refereeing crew for the UEFA Youth League match between Septemvri and Fiorentina. Botev Vratsa insists that the Refereeing Committee establish whether these commitments influenced the decision not to postpone the match until the following day.
The club further claims that referee observer Ivelin Zanev received late instructions to travel from Ruse to Varna, which is why the match began without the traditional pre-match refereeing briefing. Botev Vratsa expects an objective investigation, public answers and action on the issues raised from the Bulgarian Football Union and the Refereeing Committee.