CSKA Sofia have been fined 37,500 levs ($21,343) for the racist behaviour of their fans during their domestic league match against Tsarsko Selo on Saturday, the Bulgarian Football Union (BFU) said on Monday.
Tsarsko Selo's Congolese striker Dylan Bahamboula was subjected to racially abusive and insulting words by CSKA fans after scoring the winning goal in his team's 2-1 win.
Bahamboula was also fined 4,000 levs for reacting angrily and making an offensive gesture towards CSKA supporters.
"I'm sorry about what happened," the 24-year-old striker said.
"But all of you heard what came from the stands. The football is for all, it's not important whether you're black or white. It also happened to me in Romania but nowhere else," added Bahamboula, who played for Romanian club Astra Giurgiu in 2018.
CSKA, 31-times Bulgarian champions, were fined an additional 4,000 levs after fans threw objects onto the field.
Bulgarian soccer authorities have long been criticised by anti-racism campaigners, local media and fans for not cracking down hard enough on discrimination.
Last October Bulgarian fans taunted England’s black players with Nazi salutes and monkey chants during a Euro 2020 qualifier in Sofia, prompting match officials to halt the game twice.
(Reporting by Angel Krasimirov, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
