The President of the National Volleyball League (NVL) Men and Vice-President of the Bulgarian Volleyball Federation, Zhivko Zhelev, commented on the Cherno More - Dea Sport match (1:3) from the fourth round of efbet Super Volley. Zhelev answered a journalistic question about whether the tension created around the match was discussed in the "Miscellaneous" point of today's meeting of the BFVoard of Directors in Park Hotel "Moskva".
"I don't know why all the focus is on the referees. In my opinion, it should have been on the unrestrained behavior of players, coaches, and staff," Zhelev began. "NVL has a strategy that it imposes on referees and it is very important for them to implement it - to clean up the game from bad behavior. The two sanctioned players are very emotional. It is normal for them to enter into such modes, the question is not to overdo it. When they overdo it - adequate sanctions will be imposed. We do not expect to re-educate Georgi Bratoev, but there will be adequate punishment every time he crosses the line."
The Disciplinary Commission punished players Georgi Bratoev and Teodor Todorov from Dea Sport for their actions during the match with Cherno More and statements against the refereeing after the match. Bratoev received a red card, for which he is deprived of competitive rights for 1 match and a fine of 500 leva, as well as an additional sanction of 200 leva for a statement against the refereeing. Todorov received a yellow and a red card, for which he received a 1-match suspension and a 700 leva fine.
"The statistics from video check in the last two years are 80 to 20 percent in favor of the referees. Which means that if video check is used 10 times in a match, a referee made 2 mistakes. If we are going to dump all the dirt on the referees for two mistakes, let's see how many mistakes the players make? There are teams that make 30-40 unforced errors per match. It is not tenable to talk about the referees. And in this match, there were referees of a high European level and they are invited to almost all major European matches. For us to be rated so highly, it means they see potential in our refereeing. As you saw, Ivaylo Ivanov refereed impeccably at the Olympic Games in Paris, and at the same time was the reason for the dissatisfaction of a club at the Bulgarian Supercup, which is not logical. With the presence of a video replay system, at such a show, with such referees, for you to be dissatisfied with the referees because you didn't win, is not serious," Zhelev stated, adding that the federation and the league cannot be held responsible for the condition of the halls, which was another of Bratoev's reproaches.
"You see in a city like Burgas how there are great difficulties with the two clubs using the same hall together with basketball. We can't do anything about it. We all want to work in conditions like Levski Sofia has, but we can't. This is our reality and we are trying to do good things with it. If any of these players or coaches don't understand it or see it differently, they can always come, apply for our positions and manage."
BFV President Lyubomir Ganev also commented on the matter.
"It is impossible for one person to comment on another's work when they don't know their work. When someone wants to comment on a referee's work, let them come and take the referee courses, pass the exams, and collect the necessary points. Then they can take a stand. Referees do not comment on players' performance. The important thing is that there are no biased mistakes. We are gathered here for one thing - volleyball. It is above all of us. I will not belittle anyone's work. We are all here voluntarily. When we look forward, in one direction, it is important to reach the goal we have set. The level of competitions increases every year. It is no coincidence that I say that the NVL-Men Commission is one of the best performing, because their growth is most visible and the pace of work is highest."
