Published: 17:47, 28 October 2025 | Updated: 17:47, 28 October 2025

Former Manchester United and Tottenham star Dimitar Berbatov has opened up on being kidnapped by gangsters who tried to force him to move clubs.

Berbatov, 44, was an 18-year-old playing for CSKA Sofia in his native Bulgaria when the terrifying incident, which he kept secret from his United team-mates and at other clubs, occurred. 

Speaking to Rio Ferdinand on his Rio Presents podcast, Berbatov revealed he was held hostage for several hours after being accosted at a restaurant by a group of men believed to be henchmen of notorious mobster Georgi Iliev - and admitted he thought he may be killed.

'I didn't have a car. So a teammate of mine, after training, he was like, "come with me, I need to bring you to a friend of mine," said Berbatov. 

'And I was a bit naive, of course. And maybe I trusted him because we played in the same team. So I get into his car. He drove me to a restaurant. 

'On one table, there was a guy...