Loko Plovdiv president shot dead
Friday, August 26, 2005
Article summary
The PFC Lokomotiv Plovdiv 1936 president Georgi Iliev was shot dead within an hour of his side sealing a place in the UEFA Cup first round.
Article body
Beach resort
After losing the first leg 2-1 in Serbia and Montenegro, Loko Plovdiv defeated OFK Beograd 1-0 in the seaside town of Burgas to progress on away goals. The president was celebrating the victory in a bar he owned in the nearby resort of Sunny Beach when he was shot.
Wealthy businessman
An investigation has been launched into the incident, but there has been no indication that the death of the wealthy businessman was football-related. The 39-year-old was devoted to Lokomotiv, where he became president in 2001 after merging the club with his own team, PFC Velbazhd Kyustendil.
First title
The newly-formed side achieved massive success in winning their first-ever Bulgarian title in 2004. As a mark of respect to the dead president, Loko Plovdiv's league game against PFC CSKA Sofia on Sunday is expected to be postponed. They will meet Bolton Wanderers FC on England in the UEFA Cup first round on 15 and 29 September.