Reuters reported that Radev rejected a debate with his opponents, saying he would not debate with people he accused of spreading lies. The report placed the exchange in Botevgrad, where the encounter happened before both sides went to a basketball game.

AP reports that Bulgarian President Rumen Radev turned down a proposal to lead Bulgaria’s delegation to the NATO summit in Washington, citing the government’s failure to consult him on the country’s official position on Ukraine. The story focuses on foreign policy and internal disputes over Bulgaria’s stance on the war, and it does not mention any event in Botevgrad, any basketball game, or Radev refusing a debate with the PP–DB coalition while calling them "liars and manipulators."

The report describes an official meeting between President Rumen Radev and representatives of the PP–DB coalition when he handed them a second mandate to form a government. It notes the coalition's refusal to take up the mandate and Radev's public criticism of PP–DB, but there is no mention of an incident in Botevgrad, of a basketball game, or of Radev refusing to debate them by calling them "liars and manipulators."

This article explains that President Rumen Radev resigned ahead of snap parliamentary elections and discusses his tensions with various political forces, including reformist and pro‑Western parties. It mentions political disputes but does not describe any episode in Botevgrad involving a basketball game, nor any refusal to debate the PP–DB coalition with words such as "liars" or "manipulators."

According to the article, Rumen Radev refused a leadership debate with PP-DB. It says his argument was that he would not debate with people who “lie and manipulate.” The piece also says this happened after he and Ivaylo Mirchev met on the way to a basketball game in Botevgrad.

PBS reports on Rumen Radev’s announcement that he is resigning as president and notes expectations he might form a new political party. The article recounts domestic political tensions, but it does not mention a visit to Botevgrad for a basketball game or any refusal to debate PP–DB in which he labeled them "liars" and "manipulators."

The Bulgarian National Television report describes a campaign event: "In front of supporters in Botevgrad, the leader of 'Progressive Bulgaria' Rumen Radev spoke about the need to dismantle the oligarchic model." It notes that the appearance is part of his pre-election tour and that it takes place in Botevgrad. While this piece does not focus on the debate issue, it corroborates that Rumen Radev was campaigning in Botevgrad around this time.

Reuters is a high-authority wire service often used as a baseline source for political event verification. No Reuters article specific to this Botevgrad incident was provided in the search results, so this item is included only as contextual authority background, not as direct evidence for the quoted claim.

The article says the teams of “Da, Bulgaria” and former president Rumen Radev met in Botevgrad before attending the national basketball game between Balkan and Cherno More. It quotes Ivaylo Mirchev renewing the invitation for a public debate, but it does not contain Radev’s quoted refusal itself.

The report says a basketball game in Botevgrad brought together Mirchev and Radev, and that Mirchev again urged Radev to debate. It supports the setting and the debate invitation, though the visible search snippet does not show Radev’s exact wording.

The party’s own report says the teams of “Da, Bulgaria” and former president Rumen Radev met in Botevgrad before the basketball game, and that Mirchev renewed the invitation to an open public debate. This is a primary partisan source for the encounter and the debate invitation, but it does not independently verify the refusal quote.

The biographical entry on Rumen Radev outlines his career as a Bulgarian Air Force officer, his tenure as president, and his role in Bulgaria’s political crisis. It mentions his conflicts with various parties, including reformist coalitions, but contains no description of an incident in Botevgrad related to a basketball game where he refused to debate the PP–DB coalition and called them "liars and manipulators."

The article states that after a meeting with citizens in Botevgrad, Rumen Radev and his team attended the basketball game in Arena Botevgrad. It also says Mirchev again called for a public pre-election debate before the match.

The headline itself quotes the claim at issue: “With liars and manipulators, I do not debate.” The article says Mirchev’s call for debate was categorically rejected after a verbal clash in Botevgrad, which directly matches the alleged statement.

In Bulgaria’s 2020s political landscape, "PP–DB" refers to the electoral coalition "We Continue the Change – Democratic Bulgaria" (Продължаваме промяната – Демократична България). "Progressive Bulgaria" (Прогресивна България) is a political formation led by former president Rumen Radev, which runs in competition with PP–DB. Reports about Rumen Radev refusing a leaders’ debate with PP–DB therefore refer to a dispute between these two formations rather than to non-political entities.

The article says Radev would not take part in a leadership debate with PP-DB and quotes him as saying, “I do not conduct debates with people who manipulate and lie.” It also says the two met on the way to a basketball game in Botevgrad.

A video posted by the Bulgarian News Agency shows President Rumen Radev speaking in Botevgrad, saying that "Botevgrad is not only a good place to live, but also an example of a successful municipality that looks confidently to the future." The clip confirms his presence in Botevgrad around the time of the described events, although it focuses on his remarks about the municipality rather than on the debate invitation or his comments about PP–DB.

An Instagram reel titled "The ambushing of Rumen Radev by PP–DB in Botevgrad" shows short footage of PP–DB representatives approaching Rumen Radev in Botevgrad. The description and tags frame it as PP–DB activists confronting Radev before a basketball game, matching media accounts that the parties met en route to a Balkan vs Cherno More match. The reel visually corroborates that such an encounter took place, although it does not provide a full transcript of the exchange.

The short video caption says the teams of “Da, Bulgaria” and former president Rumen Radev met in Botevgrad on 6 April 2026. It supports the timing and location of the encounter, but the snippet provided does not contain the refusal quote.

The video post from the party account says Mirchev and Radev met in Botevgrad because of a basketball game, and that Mirchev called on Radev to debate. This is a direct primary-source social media post, though it is lower in reliability than newsroom reporting.