This archive report was first published on 18 October 2019.
Published on October 18, 2019, a tumultuous day in Bulgarian football history unfolded as racist abuse marred England's 6-0 win in a Euro 2020 qualifier.
Monkey chants and apparent Nazi salutes during the match in Sofia sparked widespread indignation in the football world, prompting the resignation of Bulgaria's football chief, Borislav Mihaylov.
Police have now identified 16 people suspected of being involved in the racist abuse, with five more detained in the latest development.
"Five more men implicated in the abusive actions were detained this morning... Police continues work to track down five more to detain them," the interior ministry said.
A Bulgarian teenager was already indicted for "grave hooliganism", risking a jail sentence of up to five years, while five others, including one who is underage, were handed fines and bans from sports events.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his Bulgarian counterpart Boyko Borisov alike condemned the incident, with Uefa opening disciplinary procedures against both Bulgaria and England for their fans' behaviour during the game.
