Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2025 All Rights Reserved

Unprecedented clashes between police and protesting football fans in Sofia

3
Photo: BGNES

33 police officers have been injured during the protests of football fans in front of the Vasil Levski National Stadium during the European qualifying match between Bulgaria and Hungary last night. 
Several people have been hospitalized, reported the director of the Sofia Police Lyubomir Nikolov. A Municipal Police minibus was set on fire and dozens of police cars were damaged. Damage was caused to many cars of citizens in the center of Sofia and to the city infrastructure. 

33 protesters have been detained, including minors. 


There is no police force in the world which would let hooligans cause wreckage. If we hadn't used water cannon and pepper spray, many innocent victims would have been hurt and there would have been more damage, Lyubomir Nikolov said. 

According to the police, the clashes were an unprecedented violation of public order with serious aggression and a high degree of risk. At the time of the tension, there were more than 4,000 protesters and more than 1,500 police officers mobilized.



Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

Gallery

More from category

85 folk ensembles to participate in the "Sparks from the Past" festival in Apriltsi

A total of 85 folk ensembles from across the country will participate in the "Sparks from the Past" festival, which will take place in the mountain town of Apriltsi on July 26 and 27. The open-air stage for the performances will be set up at..

published on 7/26/25 5:45 AM

Red heat alert issued for 12 Bulgarian districts, orange code alert in effect for the rest of the country

On Saturday, it will be sunny and even hotter. In the afternoon, clouds will form over the mountainous regions of Western Bulgaria, and by the evening, also in the northwestern areas. Isolated thunderstorms and rain showers are expected in some..

published on 7/25/25 6:25 PM

President: Pogrom on the Constitution will continue to distort political life

The flaws in the Constitution, admitted by the government of the GERB-SDS and PP-DB coalition with the support of the DPS in 2023, were not removed by the Constitutional Court. That is how President Rumen Radev commented on the fact that yesterday the..

published on 7/25/25 5:46 PM