Ex-Premier League boss Alan Pardew leaves Bulgarian club after racist fans abuse his player | World News
Former Premier League manager Alan Pardew has stepped down from his new role at a Bulgarian club after its fans threw bananas at their black players.
Mr. Pardew – who only took over as first team manager in April – left CSKA Sofia immediately because of racist abuse among black players at the level of a section of supporters.
He joined the club for the first time in November 2020 as technical director after a career spanning many big clubs including Crystal Palace and Newcastle.
CSKA lost in the Bulgarian cup final to nasty rival Levski Sofia last month, and after talking with the club’s owners, Pardew has planned to stay and take charge of the team in next season.
But a week after the national cup final, when the CSKA team arrived to play one of their remaining matches against Botev Plovdiv, they were met with large numbers of angry fans outside the stadium.
Four black players were subjected to racist abuse and bananas were thrown at them.
They initially refused to play in the game but were later persuaded to do so.
Sky Sports News understands that Pardew has been angered and upset by the incident and has sought urgent negotiations with the club’s bosses.
In light of that incident, he has now decided to leave the club, along with his assistant Alex Dyer – the first black person to take up a coaching role at the club.
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Pardew has previously managed Reading, West Ham, Charlton, Southampton, Newcastle, Crystal Palace and West Bromwich Albion
In a statement to the CSKA Sofia website, Pardew said: “The events that occurred before and after the match against Botev Plovdiv were unacceptable not only to me but also to my assistant Alex Dyer and the players. I.
“Our players decided to play out of loyalty to the club.
“A small group of organized racist fans who tried to sabotage the game, not the kind of fans I wanted to coach the team in front of.
“It’s definitely not the right way for CSKA because such a club deserves so much more.
“I would like to express my gratitude to all true CSKA fans for their support and passion.
“I also want to thank Grisha and Dani Ginchev [the club owners] for their efforts to move the club forward despite all the challenges and circumstances.
“It has been a privilege and an honor to serve this wonderful club. Unfortunately, my time here has come to an end.”
