News

Hristo Stoitchkov Fined and Suspended for a Tackle

10.4.2003
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Bulgarian international Hristo Stoitchkov was fined $2,000 and suspended for D.C. United's first two matches of the Major League Soccer (MLS) season on Wednesday for a challenge that left an opponent with a badly broken leg. The incident occurred in the 10th minute of a pre-season friendly between United and American University when Stoitchkov, dove into Freddy Llerena, breaking two bones in the midfielder's lower right leg.

The match was abandoned by the referee because of Llerena's injury. MLS conducted a frame-by-frame analysis of three separate videotapes and interviewed the match officials, both coaches, Stoitchkov and various eye witnesses in their investigation of the incident.

"The Committee ruled unanimously, having seen and heard all the evidence available to it, that, however serious and tragic the injury to Freddy Llerena, Hristo Stoitchkov's challenge was made in the course of the game and was a play on the ball which was between the two players," said MLS Deputy Commissioner Ivan Gazidis. "The discipline imposed upon Stoitchkov is in line with MLS discipline to players involved in comparable incidents over the years in MLS games."

Stoitchkov will miss United's season opener at the Kansas City Wizards on April 12 and at home to the Chicago Fire on April 19. The volatile Bulgarian won the Golden Boot as the top scorer in Europe in 1990 and was also the top scorer at the 1994 World Cup finals in the U.S.