2024-03-18 19:56:39
Ilian Iliev was once again chosen by the sports journalists as coach number 1 of Bulgaria. However, the coach of “Black Sea” is also the coach of the national team. He stressed that most of the individual awards in the “Footballer of the Year” poll were taken by foreigners, and this must change.
“At “Black Sea” they gave me the opportunity to work calmly, and I certainly don’t dare to think about the moment when we might have to part ways and it will be my last game, because everything happens in football.
I am very grateful to the management and the people I work with, from the first to the last person in the club, as there are not many places in Bulgaria where you can get such an opportunity,” commented Iliev. He has to decide whether after the end of season will remain only coach of Bulgaria or will continue to combine the two posts.
Iliev also commented on the election of Georgi Ivanov-Gonzo as president of the BFS: “We were already together, he as the technical director of the national teams, we were together in two matches. We talked about a lot of things, along with the draw, while we were traveling, we also said a lot of things to each other, we hope to get the support and vice versa – to start some changes in our football that will help Bulgarian football to develop and possibly have more choices for Bulgarian football players. As much as it bothers us, you saw that in most of our nominations, 80 or 90% were won by foreigners. This thing, with the efforts of everyone in Bulgaria, we have to change it gradually. It’s not that we don’t want foreigners, especially when they’re good.
The most important thing is the infrastructure, and when we are talking about teenagers, it is very important that the coaches are well trained to impart knowledge to the children, not that there are only private schools, which is good, but these people must be trained to football players come out.
In the Nations League we have to win the group and go up a league. The goal is realistic, because when I came, I said that we have lowered the level a lot and we don’t have top players at the world level, but we have good players and if we give them self-confidence, they can achieve great results.
In the national team, I hope that in the next year or year and a half, we will make a combat-ready team, we will take more boys abroad,” said Iliev.