Stoichkov in hot water after playing truant

PARIS, June 23: The Bulgarian strikers Hristo Stoichkov and Lyuboslav Penev will be fined after they stayed out all night without permission.

They turned up at their hotel on the outskirts of Paris yesterday afternoon and trained with the squad but the Bulgarian spokesman Nikola Exerov said: "There’s going to be a severe fine." The players earlier claimed they had overslept in their hotel rooms and had not been woken. It has been a troubled tournament for the Bulgarians, who reached the semi-finals in World Cup 1994.

They have been unimpressive in their first two Group D matches, drawing 0 – 0 with Paraguay and losing 1 – 0 to Nigeria. But they can still qualify for the second round if they beat Spain tomorrow and Nigeria defeat or draw with Paraguay.