A Bulgarian top-flight football club, Arda Kardzhali, has issued an apology after mistakenly holding a minute’s silence for a former player who was later found to be alive.
Before their league match against Levski Sofia on Sunday, players from both teams stood solemnly in the centre circle to pay tribute to Petko Ganchev, a former Arda player, after the club had reportedly been misinformed about his passing.
However, before the match had even concluded, Arda released a statement on their Facebook page retracting the tribute and clarifying that Ganchev was still alive.
“The management of PFC Arda would like to express a huge apology to the former Arda player Petko Ganchev and his relatives after the club received wrong information about his death,” the club wrote.
“We wish Petko Ganchev many more years of good health and to enjoy the success of Arda.”
The incident has since gone viral, sparking reactions from football fans and highlighting the importance of verifying sensitive information before making public announcements.
