Bulgarian club invites ‘deceased’ Petko Ganchev after fatal mistake

According to Blitz, Bulgarian first division club Arda Kardzhali made an image recovery move after an embarrassing incident — holding a minute’s silence for Petko Ganchev who turned out to be alive.

Two weeks after the fatal mistake, the club invited the 78-year-old legend as a guest of honor in their match against Cherno More which ended in a 4-0 home victory.

Sports director Ivaylo Petkov presented a number 9 jersey to Ganchev — who then watched the match alongside other club veterans.

“When I heard the terrible news, I poured myself a little brandy,” said Ganchev. “To be buried alive is very stressful. Truthfully, the situation was not pleasant.”

The incident began during the match against Levski Sofia, where both teams held a minute’s silence at center circle. Ganchev’s wife even broke into tears when watching the match replay.