This archive report was first published on 15 October 2019.
On October 15, 2019, Bulgaria's Football Union (BFU) headquarters in Sofia was raided by special prosecutors and police, just hours after the union's head resigned over racist chants during a Euro 2020 qualifier match against England.
According to reports, 30 specialized prosecutors, anti-organized crime officers, and police conducted searches and confiscated documents at the BFU headquarters.
BFU President Borislav Mihaylov, who had headed the union since 2005, resigned earlier that day after monkey noises and apparent Nazi salutes from the crowd forced the match to be halted twice in the first half.
The abuse directed at England's black players overshadowed the match and sparked an international outcry.
Radio reports suggested that the raid was part of a months-long probe into the BFU's refereeing committee, including referee assignments and suspicions of match-fixing.
Allegations of match-fixing have long been rife in Bulgarian media, with the practice made punishable by law in 2011 but no major convictions made since.
Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov had demanded Mihaylov's resignation and ordered a financial audit of the BFU.
