The management of PFK Lokomotiv Plovdiv has officially requested the Bulgarian Football Association to reconsider the appointment of referee Mariyan Gribencharski for the Bulgaria Cup final against CSKA. The club expresses concern over public information on social media suggesting possible personal sympathies and bias of the referee towards CSKA.

"To the Bulgarian Football Association, Referee Commission of the Bulgarian Football Association, and the Professional Football League," reads the official statement from the club.

The statement continues, "We express our serious concern over the appointment of referee Mariyan Gribencharski for the upcoming final of the Bulgaria Cup. As a club participating in one of the most significant football events in the country, we consider it of paramount importance to ensure maximum trust, impartiality, and public calm around the refereeing of the match."

The club highlights that public information and data on social media raise serious doubts about the referee's possible personal sympathy and bias towards CSKA. The club argues that such public doubts risk compromising public trust in the fairness of the final, additional stress on the referee, and the creation of psychological pressure that may affect the quality and objectivity of decisions during the match.

The statement concludes by emphasizing that this position is not a personal attack on the referee but an expression of the desire for a final that is free from doubt and public tension before the first whistle.

The Bulgaria Cup final between Lokomotiv and CSKA is scheduled for May 20 at 7:00 PM at the National Stadium "Vasil Levski," as per the club's position.

Previously, during the semi-finals of the cup, CSKA had requested the Bulgarian Football Association to change the referee for their match against Ludogorets. The football association complied then. Now, it remains to be seen how the BFA will respond to PFK Lokomotiv Plovdiv's request.