Anton Zinggarevich with criticism of Botev, requested improvement in results

The owner of Botev (Plovdiv) Anton Zinggarevich, who has a 10-year ban on entering Bulgaria, came up with an official statement on the club's website, expressing his dissatisfaction with the team's presentation since the beginning of spring and commented on the financing of the Canaries and the failed transfers in the winter. The Russian businessman is so suggesting that the sanction imposed on him can also be the cause of the bad results of the « canaries ».

Here is the full text of the post:

« Dear Botevists,

I turn to all of you to express my opinion and to bring full clarity about what has been happening in the club since the beginning of the football 2025.

First of all, I would like to say that I am dissatisfied with the instant form and the results of the representative men's team, achieved in the past meetings of the championship and tournament for the Bulgarian Cup. The players who achieved positive results in the fall are not expected at this stage of the race level. What is due to this is a matter of conversations and analysis, but I realize that after my restrictions imposed, it is quite possible that my absence may have a negative impact on the belief in the future and the mobilization in the team.

The unfulfilled incoming transfers, as well as the speed at which things are improving in sports and technical terms, are not what I expected. My explicit desire is to develop the team, attracting more classy deputies to the players who leave it. This did not happen during the winter break and the reasons for this are yet to be clarified.

As a lot of speculation is expanded to the club's funding, I want to assure you that the budget insured does not respond to the game and the results achieved or the efforts that are made to compensate for all the side problems and Botev (Plovdiv) to continue to develop in an upward line.

I continue to do my best so that my prohibition may not negatively affect the club, including on topics of financial nature, but I see and understand the insult in society from the setting series, which makes my efforts absolutely imperceptible.

After the end of the first part of the season, I was assured that the team was sufficiently cohesive, with a sufficiently internal reserve, so that it could move in the direction that was given to it, including imposing young players with the necessary qualities in time. During the winter preparation in Turkey, the climate in the team and the desire to conduct a complete training process were at the right level.

All this, as well as the fact that I have not had any reason to doubt the right judgment of the club's sports and technical management so far, made me calm about the future. To date, the results do not meet the expectations and decisions that must be taken to improve the condition of the team are not unambiguous, which requires us all together to work to get out of the unpleasant situation.

I believe that despite the current game crisis, the season is not over and we are still in a good position to be able to finish where we want. These are the same sports and technical headquarters and the same players who performed well in the first part of the championship. It is only up to them whether the season will end successfully, and for this purpose it requires full mobilization and fighting in any upcoming match.

Last but not least, I would like to draw attention to all supporters to the absolutely deliberate negative environment and pressure created by certain media, generating and spreading total incorrect information. They are intended to lift discord in the team, as well as to set the « yellow-black » community against the club management.

Posted lies for reducing the salaries of football players, for « transfers » of sports director and coach to other football clubs, as well as a number of other insinuations of all kinds, are not accidental and undoubtedly harm the normal functioning of the club.

After a conversation with me with the sports and technical headquarters and the players, I expect Botev to return to the winning path in the upcoming home meetings, which will restore his confidence and continue his rise in the remaining matches to the end of the championship.

With respect,

Anton Zinggarevich « .

Botev still has no win in an official match in 2025, and also dropped out of the tournament for the Bulgarian Cup after losing a penalty shootout against Ludogorets.