CSKA Sofia suspend nine players
Reuters - Monday 02 November 2009, 06:10
SOFIA - Bulgarian club CSKA Sofia suspended
nine players for an unspecified period for staying out too late,
the club said on Monday.
"They're suspended from the first team for ruining the
atmosphere in the club and for violating our rules ... by coming
home later than allowed," CSKA coach Luboslav Penev told a news
conference.
The bans, which came after their 2-0 away loss to Litex
Lovech, followed media reports that several CSKA players had
been spotted drinking in the early hours at nightclubs twice in
the last 10 days.
"I have never stopped saying since March (when Penev took
charge at CSKA) that training sessions would be hard and that's
why players should take enough rest to be ready for the next
day," the coach said.
Penev said that according to club rules players should be
home by half-past midnight on weekdays and by 2.30 am. after a
match.
"If we're to going to war, I need soldiers, I need
stalwarts," he said. "We're a team who search for good results
but with such unprofessional behaviour this is not going to
happen."
Five Bulgaria internationals - goalkeeper Ivan Karadzhov,
defenders Ivan Ivanov, Kiril Kotev and Pavel Vidanov and
midfielder Yordan Todorov were among the suspended players.
"We don't need players who don't take their duties
seriously," said Penev, adding that the suspended players would
be fined in the coming days.
Brazilian Marquinhos, Portugal's David Silva, Todor Timonov
and Svetoslav Petrov were also banned.
The suspensions came three days before CSKA travel to Swiss
club Basel in the Europa League.