Petko Ganchev: Ex-footballer on Bulgarian club incorrectly announcing he had died

“When I heard the terrible news, I poured myself a small brandy.”

For Petko Ganchev, a regular Sunday afternoon spent watching his former club Arda Kardzhali play Levski Sofia turned into an evening of reassuring friends and family he was still alive.

The Bulgarian top-flight side held a minute’s silence for Ganchev before kick-off in the mistaken belief that the 78-year-old had died.

“I was 10 minutes late [for kick-off] because I had a personal job. While driving home, my phone started ringing a lot,” former striker Ganchev told Bulgarian website BLITZ, external.

“I parked in front of our house, entered the yard and my wife greets me crying, shouting: ‘Petko, Petko, they announced on TV that you have died!’

“I could not understand what she was telling me and what had happened. Then two of my friends called me.

“Being buried alive is quite stressful, really.”

Arda quickly realised the mix-up and posted on the club’s Facebook page before the game had finished to say they had been misinformed.

Ganchev, who played for Arda for five years, said the club’s sporting director Ivaylo Petkov then phoned him to apologise.

“Look, sometimes such things happen, but the situation was not easy at all,” said Ganchev.

“It is normal to spread a rumour here in the village, but they announced it in front of the whole football audience of Bulgaria.

“So many people called me – relatives, friends, acquaintances and not so big acquaintances. The situation was not pleasant, but in the end we have to be positive.”