A Bulgarian footballer who was honoured with a minute’s silence by his former club, despite not being dead, has shared his side of the story and admitted “being buried alive is quite stressful, really”.
The life of Petko Ganchev was commemorated by the top-division side Arda Kardzhali last Sunday, after they were wrongly informed of the former striker’s demise.
Related: PSG remain unbeaten in Ligue 1 but the chasing pack are improving
Arda issued an apology, wishing Ganchev “many more years of good health”, but the 78-year-old said he had been forced to alert everyone he knew of his continuing existence all the same.
“I was 10 minutes late because I had a personal job,” Ganchev told the Bulgarian website Blitz. “While driving home, my phone started ringing a lot. I parked in front of our house, entered the yard and my wife greets me crying, shouting: ‘Petko, Petko, they announced on TV that you have died!’
“I could not understand what she was telling me and what had happened. Then two of my friends called me. Being buried alive is quite stressful, really.” He also saw a lighter side, though. “When I heard the terrible news, I poured myself a small brandy,” he said.
Arda’s players and those of their opponents, Levski Sofia, had stood by the centre circle with their heads bowed on Sunday, after being in receipt of erroneous information as to Ganchev’s mortal status.
Club officials were made aware of their mistake and posted an apology on Facebook before the match had finished.
“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.”
Ganchev said Arda’s sporting director, Ivaylo Petkov, had phoned him to apologise, and he attempted to retain perspective on a situation he described as “not easy at all” to deal with.
“So many people called me – relatives, friends, acquaintances and not so big acquaintances,” Ganchev said. “The situation was not pleasant, but in the end we have to be positive.
“Look, sometimes such things happen,” he went on. “It is normal to spread a rumour here in the village, but they announced it in front of the whole football audience of Bulgaria.” The match ended 1-1.
