December 14, 2023. The last match of the autumn division of the championship, the postponed FC CSKA 1948 – “Arda”, is being played.
A day later, the last two matches of the Second League were played, and “Yantra” – “Bdin” was postponed again. And only a year later, it can be seen what a pogrom was inflicted on the coaches of the 16 teams that are in the so-called. elite.
In reality, only three managed to survive a calendar year. These are the national selector Ilian Iliev, Dusan Kerkez, who still leads “Botev” (Plovdiv), and Zlatomir Zagorcic. The latter was returned to “Slavia” personally by the owner Mladen Mihalev on October 23, after the president Venceslav Stefanov removed him and Ivan Kolev came in his place.
Of this magnificent trio, perhaps only Iliev will make it to the end of 2025, after his place in the Varna club is fully guaranteed. And he gives thanks by his team playing steadily and always in the top three. Moreover, it is with one of the most limited budgets.
The future of Kerkez is totally unclear after the owner of Plovdiv Anton Zingarevich was declared a threat to Bulgaria’s national security and was banned from entering our country for 10 years. Cyprus has already invited the former Bosnian international to be the national coach. It is not out of the question that he will pack his bags, as more upheavals are expected at the club.
Zagorcic is once again in the crosshairs of Stefanov, and it is not clear who will win the final victory. The latest events with the “whites” also speak for this. The captain of the team, Galin Ivanov, was released without knowing, which means that the coach was not aware either. And in the club’s announcement, it was emphasized that “the president of PFC “Slavia” Venceslav Stefanov announced to the press service of the club about the termination of the contracts of the captain of the first team Galin Ivanov and the striker Tsvetelin Chunchukov”.
And on top of everything, only a few days ago, Stefanov stunned everyone when he announced at a press conference that Mladen Mihalev had nothing to do with the “whites”. Then came Galin’s words that the coaching staff was waiting for him at the first practice of the spring half-season. Typical Bulgarian football chaos.
Two more mentors have been in place since a year ago, but that went through a separation. Already in February of this year, after 0:4 against “Levski”, “Arda” fired Alexander Tunchev and Nikolay Kirov came in his place. However, before the start of the new championship, Tunchev returned to Kardzhali and continues to lead the team, which occupies the fifth place in the championship standings.
Hristo Yanev again fought to save “Botev” (Vratsa) from relegation, but for several rounds his teammate from CSKA and close friend Todor Yanchev took his place.
In all other teams, the carousel moves at full speed. A year ago, for example, “Levski” was led by Nikolay Kostov, who finished the championship. Then Stanislav Genchev came in his place, who 12 months earlier was at the head of “Krumovgrad”, leading it to the sixth place. But Genchev also welcomes the New Year as unemployed, after he was fired after the last match due to “inconsistency with management”.
It is interesting that in “Krumovgrad” Atanas Ribarski, who uses the license of Miroslav Kosev, survived in his place. But the sixth from the previous championship is now the 11th, and for months there has been talk of a financial crisis in the club, which even called into question whether it will continue in the championship.
Of course, it was most stormy in the two tsessekas. Just a year ago, Nestor El Maestro was a mentor in the Boris garden. Who didn’t stay long in office until Stamen Belchev came. And when a series of losses started, to end with a defeat by Idesa, which plays in Bistrica, and non-participation in the European tournaments.
The experiments continued even after the change of ownership and the departure of Grisha Ganchev. Surprisingly, the record holder in terms of titles was entrusted to the unknown Tomislav Stipić, whose greatest success was winning the Latvian Cup. It is one of the few countries where club football is still worse than Bulgarian, but it is already catching up. So to this day, no one has taken responsibility for this strange decision. To get to the termination of his contract and the arrival of Aleksandar Tomasz.
Tomas, for his part, 12 months ago led the Plovdiv “Loko”, which was in fifth place in the final ranking. Shortly before the end of the championship, he quarreled with the owner Hristo Krusharski and left. As he himself admitted, he had a conversation about taking over CSKA, but then no one from the club called him. And landed in the newcomer “Spartak” (Varna) to make a phenomenal start to the season. But only to arrive at the Boris garden “at the call of his heart”.
And when it came to the people of Varna, 12 months ago the team was led by Vasil Petrov, which hardly anyone remembers anymore. After that, the team entered the elite under the leadership of Rosen Kirilov and was supposedly guaranteed to continue. Then came the drama with Tomasz. After his move to Sofia, a storm broke out, the only thing that didn’t affect the team’s game, no matter how surprising it sounds. Kyriakos Georgiou was appointed coach, who was met with a knife by the fans and attacked in training. He left, but with him the owner who stopped the money. Nikolay Kirov came last, and the team, as strange as it sounds, is firmly in sixth place, 5 points ahead of CSKA led by Tomas.
And in “Loko” (South), the carousel after Tomas continued. In the summer, Luboslav Penev was appointed, who in December was at the head of Pazardzhik’s “Hebar”. But the mayor changed there and things got messy.
However, Lubo was never able to bite in Plovdiv, after the owner Hristo Krusharski resigned due to scandals with the fans.
The losses continued with Hristo Zlatinski, and now a new beginning awaits with the Slovenian Dusan Kosic.
And in Pazardzhik, neither Veselin Velikov, nor then Bruno Akrapovic, have so far failed to lead “Hebar” out of the crisis, and the team is last with 1 win and 6 draws in 19 games. But in reality the difference with the places that will give a barrage to stay is only 5 points. And there are “Loco” (South) and “Loco” (Sf). A year ago, Danilo Doncic was the coach of the capital’s railway workers, and now Anton Velkov must try to save them.
It has always been windy in Bistrica, and this also applies to the coaches of FC CSKA 1948. They change quite often there. 12 months ago, the team was led by Nikolay Panayotov with the license of Yuri Vasev. He entered Europe with Valentin Iliev, and now Ivan Ivanov is at the helm.
One of the best tacticians in local football – Georgi Dermendzhiev, led “Ludogorets” to another title, but even that did not help him remain at the head of the team for one calendar year. He was temporarily replaced by Zachary Sirakov, who then returned to the second team to make way for Igor Jovicevich. He made it so that the team was first with the strongest autumn half-season in its history and a lead of 13 points in the standings after 19 games played, which can only mean another trophy in history.
And “Beroe” resorted to changing the coach. A year ago, Jose Luis Acciari was at the head of the club, and Josu Uribe came in his place. And in December of last year, in the Second League, “Septemvri” was led by Ivan Geshev. Today, Nikolay Mitov is in charge.
Looking at this chaos, hardly any real coach would want to work in Bulgarian football, and because of this, the same names are always circulating.
The reasons for this felling are in the BFS, the club presidents and the coaches themselves. For years, the BFS has done nothing to protect this profession under pressure from team bosses. And everything can be solved in negative time.
Deputies should simply be pressured to make minimal amendments to the Labor Code, adding that three salary compensation does not apply to termination of a contract in professional sports. But then the presidents will not be able to do whatever they want and change mentors like handkerchiefs, but pay them until the end of the contract. As, by the way, it is with foreign coaches, because their contracts are protected by FIFA and a penalty must be paid.
And the coaches themselves are to blame, because apparently the system suits them and they are satisfied with it. Years ago they had formed some kind of union to defend their rights, but everything died down.