Alan Pardew has quit CSKA Sofia 34 days after becoming manager and technical director because of racist abuse directed at four of his black players and assistant manager Alex Dyer.
Bananas were thrown at the players before a league game against Botev Plovdiv on May 19, four days after CSKA lost the Bulgarian cup final against neighbours Levski Sofia. The players initially refused to play the game against Botev Plovdiv, their penultimate fixture of the season which ended 0-0, but it ended up going ahead following persuasion from club officials.
But the incident left Pardew “very outraged” and after initially committing to leading the club next season, he has announced on their website that he is stepping down. Dyer, CSKA’s first black coach, will also be leaving his role.
“I want to thank all the real CSKA fans for their support and passion for the club,” Pardew said. “To [owners] Grisha and Dani Ganchevi for their efforts to bring the club forward in such challenges and circumstances.
"It was a privilege for me to be a part of and to serve this club. Unfortunately, my time here is over. The events before and after the match with Botev (Plovdiv) were not acceptable for me, for my assistant Alex Dyer, or for our players. The reason no one gave an interview after the meeting was that we were all very outraged by the situation that had escalated.
“Our players decided to play only out of loyalty and to protect the club. The small group of organised racist fans who tried to sabotage this match is not what I want to lead and represent the team. Definitely, this is not the right path for the benefit of CSKA, because such a club deserves much more.”
Pardew went on to say he will continue to assist with plans to provide local children with equipment and said that he had no regrets about taking an advisory role at CSKA that had raised many eyebrows when it was first announced in November 2020.
“I loved my time and the people in your beautiful capital and I will not end my relationship here. I want to continue my initiative to provide free soccer balls and supplies to local schools and I would encourage any potential sponsor to contact the club.
"More time with the ball from an early age will create better technical players and ultimately help revive the great football history of this country. There is no regret, only hope for a better future for CSKA."
Pardew had stepped into the managerial role when Stoycho Mladenov resigned in mid-April.
The move to Bulgaria followed a spell in charge of Dutch side ADO Den Haag. His last role in English football came at West Bromwich Albion, who were bottom of the Premier League when he parted company in April 2018.
