Alan Pardew has resigned from his position as manager of CSKA Sofia with immediate effect due to the racist behaviour of some of the club’s fans.
In a statement, Alan Pardew said, “The events before and after the match against Botev Plovdiv were unacceptable not only for me but also for my assistant Alex Dyer and for my players. Our players decided to play out of loyalty towards the club.
“This small group of organised racist fans, who tried to sabotage the game, are not the fans I want to coach the team in front of. That’s definitely not the right way for CSKA because such club deserves a lot more. I would want to express my gratitude towards all true CSKA fans for their support and passion.
“I also want to thank Grisha and Dani Ganchev [the club owners] for their efforts to bring the club forward despite all the challenges and circumstances. It’s been a privilege and honour to serve this great club. Unfortunately, my time here has come to an end.”
The news comes after four black players received racist abuse from fans of their own club and had bananas thrown at them on the pitch.
Along with Alan, his assistant Alex Dyer will also leave CSKA Sofia. Alex was the first black man to hold a coaching role at the club.