NOT that anyone might have thought it possible by now, but discord in the Bulgarian Football Union appears to have attained even newer heights.
There was not much good news to be had in the world of Bulgarian sport in the past few days, with the national team slipping down two positions in the monthly FIFA rankings to 39th place, with reports that a national footballer was arrested after allegedly arguing with police and refusing to take a breathalyser, and there being not much to take solace in elsewhere: Bulgaria's teenage tennis star, Sesil Karatancheva, had to quit the $170 000 tournament in Memphis after losing 3-6, 4-6 to America's Jamea Jackson in a second round match.
The footballer who was held by police, and had his driving licence confiscated, was none other than Iliyan Stoyanov, who it seemed had some reason to have been out celebrating.
A defender for Sofia's Levski FC, Stoyanov was reported to have signed with Japanese first division football club JEF United.
According to Levski executive director Nasko Sirakov, the deal was finalised on February 13, the day that Levski played a friendly match against Zilina of Slovakia, winning three goals to one.
Reportedly, Levski will be paid 450 000 euro for the Stoyanov, who will be paid 300 000 in two years.
Stoyanov is no stranger to controversy. The 28-year-old, who regularly has been called up to play for the Bulgarian national team, was kicked out of Levski's winter training cycle after refusing to extend his contract with the club. His transfer to JEF was, Bulgarian-language media reports said, completed at the insistence of the Japanese club's Bosnian manager, Ivica Osim.
Stoyanov scored two goals for Levski in 139 official games since the summer of 2000, when he left Velbuzhd Kyustendil. With Stoyanov, Levski became league champion twice and won the national cup twice.
But, Stoyanov and other dramas and disappointments aside, it was the BFU and its endangered president, Ivan Slavkov, which provided much controversy in recent days.
In the first half of this week, Slavkov told journalists: "I have no problems with Hristo Stoichkov and I have no problems with Bobby Mihailov either".
His statement was made in response to statements by Atanas Karaivanov, who earlier was fired as press attache for the BFU.
On February 14, Karaivanov was dismissed, in a move that followed the axing of about half the members of the referees' committee, reportedly at the instance of head referee Vassil Zhechev.
The head of the professional football league, Valentin Mihov, backed up Zhechev.
Embittered former press attache Karaivanov, in an interview with Gong Radio, came out swinging, in the directions of various BFU personalities.
"Stefan Kapralov is a corridor rat and a loser. I told him I had been fired and then it was up to him to inform the media. I myself learnt about my dismissal from a driver, Boiko Gyurov, can you imagine that!
"Kapralov and his associates are leeches who are sucking Ivan Slavkov's blood. Power-hungry people are pushing Slavkov towards the abyss. He is in the tunnel, while there is a train coming from the opposite side. Slavkov sees some light but he doesn't want to save himself. I am like his son, I don't want to see him this way."
According to Karaivanov, who left Bulgarian National Television to start work at the BFU, executive director Kapralov was behind the machinations.
"Kapralov calls BFU vice-presidents Borislav Mihailov and Mihail Kassabov mice," Karaivanov said. "Borislav Mihailov and Hristo Stoichkov hardly speak with Slavkov, because they cannot contact him. Slavkov is constantly incited against them".
Slavkov denied Karaivanov's allegations.
"I speak to everyone. We work on one and the same thing so we have to talk to each other," Slavkov said.
According to a report in Bulgarian-language daily Standart, asked why he had fired Karaivanov, whose work enjoyed approval, Slavkov answered angrily: "Don't ask me stupid things. I appointed him, I will dismiss him."
As it is well known, Slavkov's own future is cloudy, given the moves to oust him as BFU president as a forthcoming congress, the date of which is yet to be scheduled.