SOFIA, Sept 25: Players and coaches at Bulgarian first division club Lokomotiv Plovdiv have been told to take lie detector tests after their surprise 1-0 loss to basement side Botev Vratsa on Saturday stoked concerns about match-fixing.

Lokomotiv, Bulgarian champions in 2004, suffered their first loss of the season to lowly Botev Vratsa, who had been bottom of the table after a run of five consecutive defeats.

Lokomotiv’s owner Veselin Mareshki said on Tuesday he had to be sure there were no other factors behind the team’s loss. “Nobody is insured against defeats but this loss is very strange,” Mareshki said. “The fair play principle is the most important thing for me and all players and coaches will take lie detector tests.”

Earlier this month, the Bulgarian Football Union said a prosecutor has opened an investigation into claims of match-fixing in four domestic games. Spartak Pleven’s junior team have been expelled from the U-19 championship for fixing even before the results of the probe have been announced.—Reuters