Bulgarian soccer player ordered to get married

[Sotally Tober]

This is just brilliant.


SOFIA, Bulgaria -- Bulgarian premier league side Litex Lovech has ordered striker Ivelin Popov to get married in the coming year in the hopes it will curtail his wild living.

"I accept the order and I promise to do it," said Popov, who is a key member of Bulgaria's under-21 squad. "My bosses are right to want such a thing from me because they know my temper."

Popov, a Levski Sofia trainee who turned 19 this week, had an unsuccessful spell at Dutch club Feyenoord before joining Litex last year.

He is known for his countless girlfriends and volatile temper and upset the Litex fans on Friday when he made a gesture toward them after scoring in a 2-1 victory over Rodopa Smolyan.

However, he is promising to curb his volatile temperament and settle down with his current girlfriend.

"She's very nice and very smart. I think this will be the woman of my life, so don't remind me my past, please," he said.

"They want me thinking only about football and the marriage probably will help me to calm down.

"I know I'm a very bad boy and I want to meet my 20th birthday as a married man."

Litex, coached by Ljupko Petrovic, a European Cup with Red Star Belgrade in 1991, is third in the domestic league with 23 points from 11 matches, six behind leader Levski Sofia.