Bulgaria's football legend and current head coach of FC Litex Lovech Hristo Stoichkov has refuted the threat claims of a Bulgarian referee.

On Friday, referee Bogomil Marinov filed a complaint with the Second Police Department in Sofia alleging that Stoichkov called him, and threatened him on the phone after the match between Litex and FC Slavia Sofia.

The match won by 1:0 by Bulgarian champions Litex caused a scandal after Marinov gave a red card to Litex's Brazilian forward Marcelo Nicacio, with video footage showing after the match that no foul had been committed by the player.

"I learned from sports websites about referee Marinov's claims about me. I don't wish to comment on unfounded accusations. I will only say that since I have become a head coach of Litex in Bulgaria, my attitude towards referees has become a lot more decent and tolerant in comparison with the time when I was a football player," Stoichkov said in a statement published on the website of FC Litex.

As a player of CSKA Sofia, Barcelona FC, and FC Parma, as well as the Bulgarian national team, Stoichkov has been known for his angry and insulting reactions towards referees.

"I admit that back then I was a lot more emotional. You can check all of my interviews before and after the game. I have not commented on the referees' decisions and behavior. I even praised Marinov after the match against Slavia. Anything else is speculations," Stoichkov declared.

Meanwhile, it emerged that the Second Police Department in Sofia transferred the investigation of the alleged threats to the police in the southern town of Dupnitsa because Bogomil Marinov was there when he got Stoichkov's call.