A media debate will bring together over 30 journalists from across Bulgaria to discuss discrimination in football and raise awareness of gender and sexuality in sports reporting, today (17 March), in Sofia.

The initiative aims to provide the participants with a range of practical and theoretical tools to develop their own best practice in sports reporting.

The discussion around discrimination in the country’s football increased last week after CSKA Sofia announced the club would be filling a complaint against their city rivals Levski for racism.

Levski captain Vladimir Gadzhev reportedly insulted CSKA Benin midfielder Omar Kossoko in a racist manner during a match between the two sides on 8 March.

To further the discussion, the event organisers, the Bulgarian Section of Sports Journalists, invited the CSKA players Omar Kossoko and Jackson Mendy and the Levski player Vladimir Gadzhev.

The media initiative will also feature representatives of the Bulgarian Premier League and the Bulgarian women’s national team captain and U-19 women’s manager, Silvia Radoyska.

After the debate, a series of recommendations and information on discrimination will be gathered in a booklet and distributed to the general public.

The media event is being organised in the frame of the Football v Homophobia month of action.