Coach Soslan Farniev has announced that he will no longer be head coach of the Bulgarian national Greco-Roman wrestling team. He said this after the end of the European Wrestling Championships in Bratislava (7-13 April). 

In March this year, after retired Bulgarian freestyle wrestler Stanka Zlateva became head of the Bulgarian Wrestling Federation, she banned the use of the Russian language in the sport and restricted the participation of naturalised foreigners in wrestling. Earlier, in January, a number of clubs boycotted the national Greco-Roman wrestling championships, claiming that naturalised wrestlers were being tolerated in Bulgaria.

• Rules for participation of foreigners in Bulgarian wrestling clubs tightened

In Bratislava, under Farniev's guidance, the team won one gold (Kiril Milov, 97kg) and two silvers (Abu-Muslim Amaev, 67kg, and Semen Novikov, 87kg).

"I am calm now and can retire. I am not surprised by what the boys did at the championships. Now my job as head coach of the Bulgarian national team is over. I will continue to work as a personal trainer. I will continue to work in Bulgarian wrestling. I will work in the CSKA club. I will do my best to improve the quality. I think that at least 90% of the club's wrestlers will be in the national team," Farniev said in an interview after the European Championships.