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Manchester United's Bulgarian striker Di

Berbatov thought he would die during kidnapping

Former Manchester United and Tottenham striker Dimitar Berbatov has relived a frightening ordeal from the very early days of his career back home in Bulgaria, when he believed he was being kidnapped by a rival club and might be threatened with violence if he refused to join them. The situation was eventually resolved without that happening, but it made him realise he needed to grow up fast.

Spain v Bulgaria - FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifier

A sign of what's to come? Spain match record set by World Cup-winning team

The Spain national team equalled their record of 29 unbeaten games in competitive matches following a dominant 4-0 victory over Bulgaria yesterday. Luis de la Fuente’s side matched the milestone previously set by Vicente del Bosque’s World Cup-winning Spain team, with Arsenal midfielder Mikel Merino scoring twice to seal the win. Spain achieved the result despite the absence of key players such as Lamine Yamal and captain Alvaro Morata.

Spain v Bulgaria - FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifier

Merino grabs brace as Spain edge towards World Cup

Mikel Merino was Spain's difference-maker as the Arsenal star scored two headed goals to fire La Roja to an emphatic 4-0 World Cup qualifying win over Bulgaria at the Estadio Municipal Jose Zorrilla. Debutant Atanas Chernev put through his own net to all but secure the result, before Mikel Oyarzabal struck home a stoppage-time penalty to round off the scoring. The result edges Spain closer to history, marking their 29th competitive game unbeaten - equalling the record of their world champion generation.

Manchester United v Arsenal - Premier League

'Mr Manchester United' passes away aged 62 as club honour fan

A man famously named 'Mr Manchester United' has passed away aged 62, it has been confirmed. The Bulgarian construction worker previously known as Marin Zdravkov Lavidzhov had his name legally changed to Manchester United and became iconic for having the club crest tattooed to his forehead. He was inspired to support the Red Devils following their dramatic victory in the 1999 Champions League final, which secured the treble under Sir Alex Ferguson, and was a super-fan ever since.

Frequently asked questions

Brentford were founded in October 1889, in West London’s Hounslow area. Initially, the local sportsmen formed the club to provide a permanent football or rugby team for the town. As fate would have it, 13 votes split 8-5 in favour of association football gave birth to the Brentford Football Club.

Matthew Benham, a British businessman and lifelong supporter of Brentford, is the owner of the club.

Brentford’s home ground is the Gtech Community Stadium, located in Brentford, West London. It was completed and opened in September 2020, replacing the club’s old Griffin Park ground. The stadium is a multi-purpose venue, hosting both football and rugby matches.

The Gtech Community Stadium has a capacity of 17,250 seats.

Brentford are yet to win any major honours as a top-flight side.

Brentford haven't lifted an English top-flight title so far, with their best campaign being a fifth-place finish in the 1935-36 season.

Brentford legend Ken Coote is the club's all-time leading appearance maker with 559 appearances to his name, which came between 1949 and 1963.

With 163 goals in 282 games in all competitions, Jim Towers is Brentford's all-time top goalscorer. Towers spent seven seasons at the club between 1954 and 1961.

David Raya, Christian Eriksen, Ivan Toney, Ollie Watkins, Tony Craig, and Ken Coote are among the biggest names to have played for Brentford.

Steve Perryman, Thomas Frank, and Harry Curtis are some of the most famous managers to have been in charge of Brentford.

Their nickname was a happy accident. When a group of Borough Road College students cheered for Brentford players with the chant "Buck up, Bs," a journalist misheard it as "bees." This mistake eventually became the team's iconic nickname, The Bees.