14, that's how many trophies former midfielder Ivaylo Kirov has won with CSKA in his rich career. He is part of the glorious Reds generation from the second half of the 1980s, and then played in the early 1990s. So his assessment is more than authoritative, and his arrows at players, coaches and managers are precisely accurate. Here's what he shared with “Tema Sport” after the draw with Levski.
Mr. Kirov, what did you see from CSKA in the eternal derby?
We played cowardly again. Frankly speaking, I didn't like anything about the match. The only good thing is that we didn't lose the goal itself in added time. Not that Levski had any created chances. For me, this derby should have ended 0:0. It came and went. That's not our football, we play very cowardly.
Can it have an impact on the rest of the season?
For me, the match with Ludogorets for the cup in Razgrad next Tuesday (ed. – on April 21st) is more important. We have to do everything possible to eliminate Ludogorets. There are two matches, but the bad thing is that we are also struggling with them in Sofia. We are not playing well at all against Ludogorets – scared, we don't have the self-confidence to fight them. By the way, I was sure that we would beat Levski, even though we were playing poorly. I had the feeling that we would deceive them like in the previous match in the fall. There is no way to surprise either team.
In this regard, was the entry of Godoy, who has become a hero again, too late?
- For me, he should be a starter, he has a flair for goals inside the penalty area. Hristo Yanev knows best, but I think there is a place on the field for both Godoy and Pitas. In some matches, they have already been on the field together. CSKA should play offensively, not wait-and-see. Returning to the derby again, too closed and scared to fight as if they were both teams. But I don't care about Levski. This will be the weakest champion I have ever seen if they become the first. Whatever we say, over the years Ludogorets has always had classy players. They've been pushed, pushed, but as footballers there's no way they can compare to Levski's players at the moment. They only push them at will from "Gerena". They can't win a derby. Their football is all about kicking and shoving... They're also lucky. That's why CSKA had to play much more relaxed. The Blues were in high spirits. Our goal in the championship is third place and I'm convinced we'll fight CSKA 1948.
This time, unlike the previous matches, Hristo Yanev has relied on two Bulgarians, Teodor Ivanov and Petko Panayotov...
- That's good and we should see it more often. We have improved our results, but we need to play more courageously. Still, we shouldn't completely slander Hristo Yanev. Let's not beat ourselves up. We were in a tragic state at the beginning of the season. Until the 11th round, we had only one victory. Yanev inspires them, you can't deny him. The previous coaches were a complete tragedy, they weren't for us. How and by what criteria they were chosen, I don't know. But under Yanev, CSKA took a step forward, the question is whether they can take the next step.
Can CSKA underestimate the championship because of the matches with Ludogorets for the cup?
-We must definitely chase third place, because the cup is not a guarantee. Even if we eliminate Ludogorets, then the final with Loko Plovdiv or Arda will not be easy at all. We have already played finals with them in recent years, we remember what it was like. Tension, drama, nothing is known.