Il Trap vs El Tel on cards as Bulgaria sack Markov

IRELAND’S World Cup rivals Bulgaria have sacked embattled coach Plamen Markov, meaning that the national side will be under new management when they visit Dublin in March of next year.

And the dismissal of the coach could open the door to the appointment of former England boss Terry Venables which — given he had long been the favourite to the land the Irish job before Giovanni Trapattoni entered the race — would add extra spice to the meeting of the two nations at Croke Park.

Venables had been on the Bulgarian shortlist before Markov was installed for his second stint in the post last January, but it’s understood the Englishman was reluctant to move to Sofia.

But having recently turned down the opportunity to take over at Newcastle United on an interim basis, Venables remains in the market. And immediately after Markov’s dismissal yesterday, the Bulgarian Football Union president, Borislav Mihailov, said that there was now an opportunity to land “an international coach with excellent experience”.

A three-man working commission has been established to assess potential candidates, with the president promising that they would do their best to have the position filled before the association’s congress on January 30.

Bulgaria have managed only three points in their World Cup qualifying campaign, drawing each of their three Group Eight matches against Montenegro away (2-2), Italy at home (0-0) and Georgia away (0-0). Although they do have a game in hand on the leaders, the Bulgarians are now seven points behind Italy and four behind second-placed Ireland, who have played the same number of games.

More recently, the national team’s 6-1 drubbing by Serbia in a friendly in Belgrade intensified the pressure on Markov, amid reports the nation’s most famous player, Manchester United’s Dimitar Berbatov, was contemplating retiring from international football.

“Markov was dismissed unanimously,” BFU president Mihailov said yesterday. “With complete unanimity we decided Markov should be removed.”

Bulgaria resume their World Cup campaign against Ireland at Croke Park on March 28, six weeks after the Irish take on Georgia.