Up to 12,000 fans were admitted to the Bulgarian Cup final match between CSKA Sofia and Lokomotiv Plovdiv in the country’s capital city on Wednesday, as authorities relaxed COVID-19 rules to allow for a larger number of spectators than normal.

The minister of health previously limited football fans to a maximum of 4,000 spectators per match, or 1,000 thousand per section, but made an exception this time round due to the importance of the game.

The match took place at the National Stadium “Vasil Levski” where fans started to gather from early afternoon amid a large police presence.

Authorities urged people to space out by at least a seat from each other, but the distancing rules were reportedly violated during the match.

Lokomotiv Plovdiv beat CSKA Sofia 5-3 on penalties to win the game following a scoreless draw after extra time.