Diego Martínez is the leading candidate to become Bulgaria's new head coach, Sportal.bg reports. The Spanish coach is expected to take charge of the national team from the beginning of 2027, with a coach from Central Europe the backup option.
Atanas Ribarski will lead Bulgaria for the last time in the away match against Estonia in Tallinn on November 16. He took temporary charge of the senior team following the resignation of Aleksandar Dimitrov. After the match, the national team will have no other commitments until the end of the year.
Diego Martínez's experience
The 45-year-old Martínez has worked at several La Liga clubs. His most recent team was Las Palmas, which he coached until a year ago. His coaching career also includes Greek club Olympiacos, Espanyol, Granada and Osasuna.
The Spaniard was also part of Sevilla's academy, where he worked with several age groups. In addition, he held the position of head coach of the Galicia regional team.
Final match of the year
Bulgaria no longer has the opportunity to move up to a higher league and will remain in League C of the tournament. According to UEFA's schedule, the match against Estonia is the national team's last game in 2026, after which the process of appointing the new head coach will begin.
Sources: sportal.bg