New Levski coach stripped by fans at news conference

Fans of Bulgarian side Levski Sofia gave new coach Ivaylo Petev a hostile welcome on Tuesday, stripping off his team shirt and forcing him out of a news conference. The action by some 20-30 fans came after the club, currently sixth in the table, announced it was parting company with Serbian head coach Slavisa Jokanovic after less than three months in charge. They demanded that Jokanovic be reinstated and accused Petev of being a fan of Levski's arch crosstown rivals CSKA Sofia. The two teams are due to meet on October 19. The 45-year-old Jokanovic signed a one-year contract with Levski in mid-July but poor results prompted the club to replace him, its management told local media. Levski, one of the country's most popular clubs, have 19 points from 12 games, and are nine points behind leaders Ludogorets Razgrad -- where Petev used to be coach. It was unclear whether Petev would now take up the position. Source: AFP