The transfer became necessary after the city of Plovdiv did not release the Hristo Botev Stadium, which is currently under renovation, for a Group G game. A statement from the Hungarian association said the action was “unprecedented, completely inappropriate and extremely unsportsmanlike”. “Even a family outing cannot be organized like this, let alone an international football match, where the stakes are high and millions of people are involved.”
Bulgaria’s federation (BFU) said the city of Plovdiv had breached the original agreement and the European Football Union (UEFA) ordered the current move. “UEFA has ordered that the game will be played behind closed doors at the Vasil Levski Stadium in Sofia,” the BFU said on Tuesday.
The games hosted in the capital Sofia were canceled on Monday. The police declared themselves unable to protect the venue against violent Bulgarian hooligans.
Hungary lead Group G with 14 points from six games and need a point from two matches against bottom-placed Bulgaria and home to Montenegro to book a ticket to the European Championship.
