After the noisy row related to former Bulgarian national football team coach and sport legend Hristo Stoichkov beating up a Bulgarian photo reporter in Barcelona, Stoichkov concocted an official statement for the media to shed some light on the case from his point of view. Here is what he said:

“In relation to the incident between me and the photographer Mr Lyubomir Assenov and the ensuing media hysteria in some sources of mass communication, I feel obliged to present my stand:

On April 27 2008 in the city of Barcelona during the holy feast of Easter, when I was celebrating with my family, I suddenly noticed a person secretly taking pictures of me. I turned towards him and he ran away through the restaurant. His behaviour made me suspicious and made me consider the security of my family. I reacted spontaneously and followed him. I had only one goal, to keep my family and myself from illegal encroachment. Not until much later did I understand that he was a professional photographer, Bulgarian, who, I do not know why, was stalking me. All my fans and journalists know that I had never refused being shot for a picture by whomever. The same evening I had my photos taken with a number of visitors of the restaurant, who came to greet me.
“I present my apologises to the people who respect me and I ask it to be understood that I was defending my personal rights and freedoms. Even as a public personality, there has never been a need to be stalked and photographed secretly when I have been with my closest family on such a holiday. I would not have refused Mr Assenov to take photos of me if he had asked for that, neither would I have followed him if he had not start running. I once again ask to be understood and pardoned.”

Assenov was in Barcelona for the Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix when he allegedly accidentally saw Stoichkov in the same restaurant where he, Assenov, was having dinner.

“We were at the Salamanka in Barcelona together with my wife and two friends to celebrate Easter,” Assenov was quoted as saying by Dnevnik. “Stoichkov and his wife were in the same restaurant. I decided to take a picture of him. So I took the picture and went back to our table. After the dinner, we left the restaurant and Stoichkov came after me. With one blow to the jaw he knocked me to the floor. He tried kicking me in the head, but I used my arms to protect myself. At that moment my wife came towards us and asked me what was going on. He started pulling her and scolded her.”

Spanish police intervened and recorded the incident as “minor hooliganism”, Assenov said.