Bulgaria PM to play against Aston Villa
Bulgaria Prime Minister Boiko Borisov will play in a charity match against English Premier League side Aston Villa to raise funds for children with leukaemia, the Balkan country's soccer association (BFU) said on Monday.
"The match between Bulgarian Stars and Aston Villa will take place on May 25 at the Vasil Levski national stadium," the BFU spokesman said, adding the game will be dedicated to Villa captain Stiliyan Petrov, who has undergone treatment for leukaemia.
The BFU said that the country's all-time leading scorer Dimitar Berbatov and players who were instrumental in leading the country to the 1994 World Cup semifinals will represent Bulgaria.
They will face some of the key figures of the Villa side that won the European Cup in 1982, including Peter Withe, who scored the winner in the 1-0 win over Bayern Munich in the final.
Bulgarian PM Borisov, who turns out for the local third division team Vitosha Bistritsa, aged 53, has confirmed his participation.
Spectators and the players of both teams will all buy a 10 lev ($7) ticket to help raise money. The BFU hopes Bulgarian Petrov, who is still undergoing treatment in a London clinic, will also be able to travel to Sofia.
