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'England Fan' Found Dead In Bulgaria Ahead Of Euro 2020 Clash

'England Fan' Found Dead In Bulgaria Ahead Of Euro 2020 Clash

He was said to be found in a 'helpless condition' in the centre of Sofia

Jake Massey

Jake Massey

An England fan has been found dead in Sofia, according to the Bulgarian Ministry of Interior.

The 32-year-old 'foreign national' was found in a 'helpless condition' after arriving in Sofia to watch the England v Bulgaria Euro 2020 qualifier tonight (14 October), according to the ministry.

A spokesperson for the ministry told The Mirror: "He is believed to have arrived in Sofia to watch the England v Bulgaria match.

"At 10am, police received reports of a man in a helpless condition in the area of Ivan Vazov and GS Rakovski Streets.

The man is believed to have come to Sofia to watch tonight's England v Bulgaria Euro 2020 qualifier.
PA

"The 32-year-old was taken by an ambulance team to a hospital for examination, where he suddenly began to behave aggressively, threatening staff.

"As a result of his actions he was being transported to a Sofia police station.

"We are working with the prosecutor's office to establish the facts and circumstances surrounding the incident."

Thousands of England fans have gathered in Sofia ahead of their England 2020 qualifier.
Getty

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office could not verify the death, but confirmed another man was injured in a separate incident.

A spokesperson told The Telegraph: "Our staff are supporting a British man following an incident in Sofia and are in contact with the Bulgarian Police."

On Friday, 18 England fans were arrested in Prague - where the Three Lions lost 2-1 to the Czech Republic in a Euro 2020 qualifier.

Police arrested 18 England fans in Prague.
PA

Fans threw bottles at police near the Old Town Square and officers deployed stun grenades in response.

On Saturday, the Foreign Office said: "Eighteen British football fans were arrested in Prague last night.

"All those arrested have now been released. Our staff stand ready to provide assistance if needed."

Police had previously pleaded for the match - which kicked off at 8.45pm local time on Friday - to be rescheduled, amid fears excessive drinking may lead to violence.

According to The Guardian, national police lead officer for football, Mark Roberts, said: "I wrote to UEFA asking them to reconsider the Friday night kick-off. That's not something we've been able to do.

"It is harder when you're dealing with them [UEFA] and, particularly, when you're playing away. I think it's unfortunate because you can foresee the risk. We'd much rather prevent a situation developing than try to manage it on the night and regret it afterwards."

Featured Image Credit: Getty

Topics: uk news