The coach of the Bulgarian national team, Alexander Dimitrov, spoke before the upcoming match of the “Lions“ against Estonia in the Nations League. Bulgaria started the tournament with a 1:2 loss to Luxembourg, while Estonia finished 1:1 with the favorite in the group Iceland.
Dimitrov called on his players to put the defeat behind them and focus on the upcoming match.
“We cannot turn back time. We can only learn from the loss and enter the match with Estonia with positivity. We know that this team is on the rise and is full of positive emotions after the draw with Iceland and winning the Baltic Cup. We will also try to approach it positively“, said the coach.
He also commented on the difficult period the Bulgarian national team is going through, emphasizing that we should not live with the successes of the past.
„Yes, we are not in the situation we were in in the 90s, when we were all proud of the national team, but I know one thing - it will not always be like this. It is important not to live in the past, but in the present and to take into account the current situations“, said Dimitrov.
The coach confirmed that Teodor Ivanov will not be available for the match due to an injury. The defender has suffered a strain. Dimitrov specified that there are no other health problems in the squad.
„Anyone can start as a starter in this window of four matches. Many coaches before me have not found a way to break the cycle of failure, I am unlikely to be the smartest or the first. The way is to give of yourself“, commented the coach.
Dimitrov also stated that he accepts criticism towards himself and takes responsibility for the results of the national team.
„Over time, there has been a lot of negativity towards me as a coach, I have accepted it. Sitting in this place, I knew what would follow in the event of negative results. I bear full responsibility for these results“, he emphasized.
The coach expects Bulgaria to show a different face against Estonia and to be more aggressive on the field.
„We want to beat Estonia, to play aggressively and to show a better face. Luxembourg has good energy and physique, a complete team with well-assembled lines. They are very disciplined in defense and uncompromising. We have to overcome this. I want to win the duels – against Luxembourg we gave up, but we shouldn't have. We have to be more effective in the attacking phase“, concluded Alexander Dimitrov.