A top soccer club from Bulgaria, PFC Arda Kardzhali, recently faced global embarrassment after mistakenly holding a minute of silence for a former player who is actually still alive.

Arda Kardzhali's Embarrassing Announcement Before Levski Sofia Match

Bulgarian Soccer Club PFC Arda Apologizes After Mourning Alive Former
FC Arda

While playing against Levski Sofia in Bulgaria's First League, players from both sides took their positions close to the center of the pitch to pay tribute to Petko Ganchev, a past Arda player. According to CNN, the heartfelt moment, however, became a source of confusion when the club later discovered that Ganchev is still alive.

Apology Issued After Mistaken Tribute

A short while before the match's conclusion, Arda Kardzhali published an apology on Facebook, admitting to their mistake and expressing that they are genuinely sorry.

"The management of PFC Arda would like to express a huge apology to the former Arda player Petko Ganchev and his relatives after the club received wrong information about his death. We wish Petko Ganchev many more years of good health and to enjoy the success of Arda," the club wrote in Bulgarian.

Despite the bizarre incident, the match between Levski Sofia and Arda Kardzhali ended in a 1-1 draw. But the shocking mistake soon made headlines in the Bulgarian soccer community, leaving supporters in shock.

Ganchev Responds to the News of His 'Death'

After the incident, Petko Ganchev shared his experience to Bulgarian media, explaining how he came across the shocking error.

"I don't miss a chance to watch Arda matches on TV. Now against Levski, I was late about 10 minutes because I had some work," Ganchev told Bulgarian news outlet Blitz. "While I was driving home, my phone started ringing a lot. But I'm driving and don't dare to pick it up.

After he parked his car in front of their house, he was surprised to see that his wife greeting him with tears in her eyes. He then found out that he was announced dead on television.

Ganchev's Wife in Tears Over False News

Ganchev explained that his wife cried after hearing the unexpected news. She had been receiving calls from friends and relatives, who informed her of the declaration made during the match.

To lighten up the mood, Ganchev said that burying a living person is stressful. Despite the unpleasant news, he tried his best to be positive and took it with a grain of salt.

It is not clear how the club got the wrong news of Ganchev's supposed death. The error has since been a big talking point, and questions have been raised about fact-checking procedures in professional sports.