Ludogorets owner threatens to quit Bulgarian league

Ludogorets owner Kiril Domuschiev has threatened to pull the Bulgarian champions out of their domestic league over perceived refereeing bias in favour of title rivals Levski Sofia.

Levski are expected to be handed a 3-0 default win after Litex Lovech walked off the pitch in protest during a controversial encounter on Saturday.

Litex were 1-0 up but took exception to being reduced to nine men before half-time. They went in front through Danilo Asprilla despite Bjorn Johnsen being shown a straight red card for pushing Levski striker Miguel Bedoya.

Rafael Perez was then dismissed for a clash with Bedoya in the area and, after referee Georgi Yordanov awarded a penalty, Litex sporting manager Stoycho Stoilov ordered his team from the field.

Offering his take on the remarkable turn of events, Domuschiev – whose club hold a three-point advantage over Levski at the top of the Bulgarian top flight – lambasted “criminal” refereeing.

“We’ll probably quit the championship if such precedents in favour of Levski continue,” he told local media outlets.

“I can say it was criminal refereeing. We always have problems with this referee – is this the way Levski want to win the title?

“Why should we spend our money, allowing teams who have neither the necessary skills nor the necessary class to win the title with such an approach?”

Domuschiev has transformed Ludogorets’ fortunes since his 2010 takeover lifted them to the second-tier championship. They have been crowned Bulgarian champions in each of their four top-flight campaigns.

Ludogorets are set to host Levski Sofia in a crucial clash when the Bulgarian A Football Group returns from its winter break on February 19.