Seniors CSKA 1948 coach Valentin Iliev remained calm after the 1:1 extra-time draw with Montenegro's Buducnost, which put the "reds" for the third qualifying round in the Conference League, BTA reported.
The Bulgarian team conceded a goal in the 65th minute, but with a goal from the reserve Evgeny Serdyuk at the end of the first overtime, CSKA 1948 eliminated its opponent and secured a meeting with Cypriot Paphos in the next round.
"Emotions after the ranking are positive and this is the most normal thing. I give the credit for it both to the players and to all of us who gave them the best possible preparation. In that number I include the coaches, the medical staff, the owner. Before the match, we talked with the players that beauty in football will not come first, but will win over desire. Each one of them left their heart on the field. We faced the Buduchnost team, who played with incredible team spirit. I knew we were facing a serious team with a serious spirit. But we showed more desire and character. In addition, I think that our physical preparation was better, and this is especially evident in overtime, said Iliev.
"I didn't lose faith after they scored on us. When you give your all, sooner or later it pays off. I never lost faith. Yes, it wasn't a pleasant feeling when they scored us, but I told the boys to believe and they did exactly that," added the former Bulgarian international.
He also commented on the upcoming matches with Paphos.
"As we have prepared for this match, so we will prepare for every next opponent. We are not in a position to split matches and underestimate opponents. Our team is such that if one or two pieces of the puzzle fall out, it affects the whole team. "Our squad doesn't have such a wide range, that's why it's still difficult for me to say whether we won't ask for a postponement of one of our next matches in the championship," concluded Valentin Iliev.
The experienced defensive midfielder of CSKA 1948 (Sofia) Reyan Daskalov stated that the self-giving, the collective beginning and the fusion that occurs in their dressing room are the main reasons for the success in Montenegro.
"This pitch was not conducive to playing technical football and it was clear that every single second there had to be a battle. In which we did not yield a single centimeter. Congratulations to the boys, the staff and everyone at the club. And deservedly we move forward. With every game our team is getting more mature. The young guys are gaining experience, we have a good mix between experienced and young, everyone gives their best. We are also compact, everyone helps each other and this inevitably leads to success. This is a well-deserved success, there is nothing by chance," began Daskalov, who set the tone for maximum self-giving.
He was then asked what role head coach Valentin Iliev played in this success. Moreover, since its foundation in 2016, this is the first eliminated rival from CSKA 1948 in European tournaments.
"His emotion is very important for the team. "Some football players may be shocked when they see him react more sharply and abruptly, but this is useful for the team," Daskalov said about the former central defender. "When you see him screaming from the sideline, it becomes clear to you that you have to give even more than what you put in. For me, a coach should behave this way".
The next opponent of the team, which plays its matches in Bistrica, is the Cypriot Paphos, which has Russian investors and has quite a few educated, European footballers. Asked what to expect from this match, Daskalov said: "We play match by match, we have a match for the championship, we have to play it and then we will think about Paphos. But if you play compactly, if you give away, it doesn't matter who you play against," concluded the 30-year-old footballer.