Bulgarian Sports Minister Krassen Kralev Says Ministry To Put Cash Into Club Academies

The Ministry of Youth & Sports in Bulgaria "has committed to allocating substantially increased funds to club youth academies in 2016," according to Alexander Krassimirov of INSIDE WORLD FOOTBALL. The announcement was made by Bulgarian Sports Minister Krassen Kralev. He reported that the Bulgarian Football Union "is the largest sports organisation in Bulgaria," with 731 registered football clubs last season and 54,982 registered players -- "a huge number for a sport in Bulgaria." Kralev: "From next year Bulgarian Football Union will be able to participate equally with other sports federations in the finance programs of the Ministry. We will pay money for club's football academies. We can not help everyone, but academies that work well, they will be assisted by the state for the first time." Kralev said that the Ministry of Youth & Sports in Bulgaria provided BGN 818,000 ($454,000) for the UEFA U17 European Championships which took place in the country this year (INSIDE WORLD FOOTBALL, 7/17).