Sheffield United’s ‘feeder club’ faces financial disaster amid unpaid wages and the owner’s 10-year suspension.
Until early this year, even the most travelled Sheffield United fans were unaware of Botev Plovdiv. However, the Bulgarian first division club has virtually become United’s feeder club, with two of their three most recent additions coming from Stadion Hristo Botev.
Nigerian winger Christian Nwachukwu arrived in the winter, while Ehije Ukaki, a 20-year-old who can also play right-back, joined this week. The pair, along with Jefferson Cáceres, are the initial steps in COH Sports’ data-driven recruitment approach for the Blades.
Although no official link is believed to exist between United and Plovdiv, United’s owners, as we reported earlier this week, are once again looking into the Parva Liga as a potential source of additional players for their AI-led project.
That process may be aided if they return to Plovdiv after being pushed into additional financial upheaval. Things appeared gloomy enough when their owner, Russian millionaire Anton Zingarevich, was sentenced to a 10-year ban from Bulgaria around the turn of the year.
The team had already had salary troubles, and a number of players, including manager Dushan Kerkez, had left. Plovdiv has now revealed that it may have to declare bankruptcy due to debts of almost €3 million. A chunk of money has been deferred until 2029, but the club is less than a month away from running out of cash, and the club’s administration just published three choices to preserve it.
Sheffield United’s ‘feeder club’ is given a three-week timeframe for survival amid financial difficulties. As reported by Inside World Football, the possibilities are: “Option 1: If a partner appears willing to spend €3 million in PFC Botev, Zingarevich will participate in the club’s management as a partner.
“The money will support PFC Botev until the end of the 2025/2026 competition year, with the representative men’s squad aiming to finish in the top half of the table in the forthcoming tournament.
“In such a case, the available list of coaches and players to be hired will be discussed with the future potential partner, and Mr. Zingarevich will write off all BGN 11 million (€5.5 million) in debt owed to himself for the calendar years 2023 and 2024.”
“Option 2: If a person decides to acquire the majority interest in PFC Botev and wishes and requires aid in his simpler and faster integration into the club, management will offer him with full support. In such a case, the new owner will obtain the club for a symbolic price of BGN 1 (€0.50), and Mr. Zingarevich will write off all BGN 11 million (€5.5 million) in debt to himself for the calendar years 2023 and 2024.
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