NEW YORK (Reuters) - Bulgarian international Hristo Stoitchkov was
fined $2,000 and suspended for D.C. United's first two matches of the
Major League Soccer (MLS) season on Wednesday for a challenge that
left an opponent with a badly broken leg.
The incident occurred in the 10th minute of a pre-season friendly
between United and American University when Stoitchkov, dove into
Freddy Llerena, breaking two bones in the midfielder's lower right
leg.
The match was abandoned by the referee because of Llerena's injury.
MLS conducted a frame-by-frame analysis of three separate videotapes
and interviewed the match officials, both coaches, Stoitchkov and
various eye witnesses in their investigation of the incident.
"The Committee ruled unanimously, having seen and heard all the
evidence available to it, that, however serious and tragic the injury
to Freddy Llerena, Hristo Stoitchkov's challenge was made in the
course of the game and was a play on the ball which was between the
two players," said MLS Deputy Commissioner Ivan Gazidis. "The
discipline imposed upon Stoitchkov is in line with MLS discipline to
players involved in comparable incidents over the years in MLS
games."
Stoitchkov will miss United's season opener at the Kansas City
Wizards on April 12 and at home to the Chicago Fire on April 19.
The volatile Bulgarian won the Golden Boot as the top scorer in
Europe in 1990 and was also the top scorer at the 1994 World Cup
finals in the U.S.