SOFIA, May 18: Todor Kolev of Spartak Pleven has been suspended for eight matches for headbutting an opponent during a Premier League match against Spartak Varna Thursday, the Bulgarian Football Union (BFU) said Saturday.

“BFU’s disciplinary commission decided at their meeting on Friday to strip Todor Kolev of his playing rights for eight games for his ugly foul against Marin Zhelev,” a union official told Reuters by telephone.

The commission has also fined Kolev 7,200 levs ($3,400).

Kolev is the top scorer of the league’s second group with 18 goals.

The player was sent off in the 90th minute of his team’s home match against Spartak Varna after headbutting Varna’s Zhelev while play was stopped.—Reuters