Sofiaecho - Bulgaria's
national football team's friendly against Iran on May 25 2008 has been
cancelled, national coach Plamen Markov was quoted as saying by Bulgarian
media at the weekend.
Iran was scheduled to host the game, but because Markov met no cooperation
from the two leading Bulgarian football clubs CSKA and Levski, the game was
not going to happen, he said. Both team were not willing to let their
players fly to Iran and Markov saw no use of having the game.
May 25 is not on FIFA's official calendar which gave the two teams the
freedom to decide whether they wanted to let their player take part in the
friendly.
“I regret this because all our competitors in qualifying group 8 for the
2010 World Cup in South Africa will play friendlies on May 25,” Markov told
a news conference. Iran has already been notified that Bulgaria would not be
able to make it to the match.
The failed game means that the only friendly Bulgarian players will have
before the start of the qualifying sessions for the 2010 World Cup in South
Africa will be against Bosnia and Herzegovina on August 20 in Sofia.
Bulgaria failed to qualify for this year's European championship in Austria
and Switzerland. The team is in qualifying group 8 for the 2010 World Cup in
South Africa, together with defending champions Italy, Ireland, Cyprus,
Georgia and Montenegro.
