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SOCCER: ARMENIAN FANS JEER AT VISITING BULGARIAN SQUAD IN RETALIATION FOR SOFIA INCIDENTS
Soccer | 11.10.13 | 09:10
Photo: First Armenian Front (FAF) - Official Facebook page
Scores of Armenian soccer fans met members of the visiting Bulgarian
national team at Yerevan's Zvartnots airport on Thursday with jeers,
promising to turn their stay in the country into "hell" in retaliation
for the 'xenophobic' treatment that Team Armenia and its supporters
got in Sofia last year.
The FIFA 2014 World Cup qualifier between Bulgaria and Armenia last
September was marred by rude play, resulting in two Armenian and
one Bulgarian players being sent off the pitch. The match of equal
opportunities ended 1-0 to the home team, with Armenian fans blaming
the referee for biased officiating in a depressing atmosphere of the
Sofia arena.
Tensions continued outside the stadium as well, with Armenian fans
claiming to have been subjected to violent treatment by Bulgarian
supporters and even local police.
While Bulgarian soccer players paid little heed to the protest as
they emerged at the arrivals and, with the help of the local police,
quickly headed towards the coaches waiting for them outside, members
of the First Armenian Front, a local national team fan organization,
vowed to show more resentment when the match between Armenia and
Bulgaria takes place in Yerevan's Republican Stadium on Friday.
Armenian team members, meanwhile, have showed little sign of seeking
revenge for mistreatment in the first-leg away match. Head coach
Vardan Minasyan said they are rather focused on achieving a result
in the game.
Midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan also told media earlier this week that
the incidents during the first match in Bulgaria now remain "history".
"You cannot change anything... It is now important for us to be
able to prepare well and perform well in this game," said the key
Armenian player.
http://armenianow.com/sports/soccer/49118/armenia_soccer_bulgaria_fans
Soccer | 11.10.13 | 09:10
Photo: First Armenian Front (FAF) - Official Facebook page
Scores of Armenian soccer fans met members of the visiting Bulgarian
national team at Yerevan's Zvartnots airport on Thursday with jeers,
promising to turn their stay in the country into "hell" in retaliation
for the 'xenophobic' treatment that Team Armenia and its supporters
got in Sofia last year.
The FIFA 2014 World Cup qualifier between Bulgaria and Armenia last
September was marred by rude play, resulting in two Armenian and
one Bulgarian players being sent off the pitch. The match of equal
opportunities ended 1-0 to the home team, with Armenian fans blaming
the referee for biased officiating in a depressing atmosphere of the
Sofia arena.
Tensions continued outside the stadium as well, with Armenian fans
claiming to have been subjected to violent treatment by Bulgarian
supporters and even local police.
While Bulgarian soccer players paid little heed to the protest as
they emerged at the arrivals and, with the help of the local police,
quickly headed towards the coaches waiting for them outside, members
of the First Armenian Front, a local national team fan organization,
vowed to show more resentment when the match between Armenia and
Bulgaria takes place in Yerevan's Republican Stadium on Friday.
Armenian team members, meanwhile, have showed little sign of seeking
revenge for mistreatment in the first-leg away match. Head coach
Vardan Minasyan said they are rather focused on achieving a result
in the game.
Midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan also told media earlier this week that
the incidents during the first match in Bulgaria now remain "history".
"You cannot change anything... It is now important for us to be
able to prepare well and perform well in this game," said the key
Armenian player.
http://armenianow.com/sports/soccer/49118/armenia_soccer_bulgaria_fans