The coach of the Bulgarian national team spoke to "Sportal", where he analyzed the outgoing 2025 and shared his expectations for the new year, Topsport reported.
The specialist also commented on the situation with goalkeeper Svetoslav Vutsov.
Dimitrov believes that the accumulated tension in the "tricolor" squad is due to the lack of results, as well as people outside the BFU and the team. The coach believes that the national teams are dependent on the clubs.
"The tension and stress are over, these two months were very difficult for us. We can now draw conclusions and analyzes much more soberly, I will now watch the matches again, I will see how and what we have trained in order to make a comprehensive analysis of the last four matches of the national team. We did a good job in the youth team, where we laid a very good foundation. I want to thank Mr. Georgi Ivanov and the Executive Committee, who voted for me.
It was around the match with Azerbaijan with the youth, I turned off my phone, my concentration was only for this match. When we got home, we already met with the president. We had a very difficult task - we met the quarter-finalist of Euro 2024, Turkey has great football players who play at a great level every week, in front of a lot of spectators, we constantly see them in the Champions League. To welcome this rival at home and then face the strongest team in the world - Spain - in a few days was football hara-kiri.
We had built a house for ourselves in the youth national team, we had built a strong core to qualify for the play-offs, and why not for qualifying for the European Championship. And we entered the gloom. Many people advised me not to do it, so as not to be worn out, used up. I know that there were not many candidates. They wanted to get through these two matches, even during the draw there was a comment that we were unlikely to score a point or even a goal.
We are proud that we managed to beat Georgia - Kvaratskhelia alone is worth 90 million. We made a decision on the basis that if not now, then never. I had an offer at least twice before, but things didn't work out for one reason or another. Now was the time. We took over the team without worrying about what would happen to us. I know over 90% of the players, part of their development went through us - Switzerland, Germany, the Netherlands, Turkey, Russia, Serbia, Poland, they played against their peers at such a level. We took over the team because we believed in the players - in their qualities and morale.
The case with Svetoslav Vutsov came out of nowhere. We were returning from Spain, while we were in the air, this declaration came out. If there is a problem at all, the normal thing is to talk about it internally. For me, there is no problem. We had two meetings after that, it is no secret. The last one was before the training camp for Turkey and Georgia. That was the last time we saw each other. He made his decision, we respect it. Sometimes young people act emotionally, we accept it as a mistake of youth. The doors of the national team are open. Those who do not want to, we respect their decision. There is time until the next matches, Levski is doing very well in the championship, the players should be concentrated in their clubs. We want to achieve results, I have worked with almost all the players, I have built clean and correct relationships with everyone. We trust each other, we tell each other things.
There was tension inside only from the lack of results. It was said that the national team had not had a victory for a year, we wanted this victory. On the other hand, tension comes from people outside the BFU and the team. 90% of the criticism was not constructive - it was insults and lies. I begged them not to read or open any social networks - outright lies were pouring out. I can't stand lies. How does someone look in the mirror in the morning after telling an outright lie. No problem - if you meet ten people on the street and ask them about the coach, the captain, the tactics, you will get ten different opinions. That's okay, no problem. But when criticism turns into lies and personal insults, it loses its meaning. The cup overflows. That's where the tension came from. In the past, I have received calls, recommendations, even threats, but these things have made me stronger over the years. They understood that this cannot happen to me. Since the youth national team, no one has called about the squad. While we work, we will mess up, but we will mess up honestly, and not to please this or that person. This cannot happen.
We depend on the work in the clubs, of course. In my time, we took Ilian Iliev from the Portuguese championship, Iliya Gruev, Sylvester Jasper, Yoan Stoyanov, etc. Our players are no worse, we have some recommendations in developing the players. There are clubs that pamper and protect their talented players, just so they don't go elsewhere. And the work should be more targeted. They need to produce players who can reach the top 5 of the championships in Europe. I hope that the hosting that UEFA gave Bulgaria for the European Under-19 Championship will help with this. A championship like this gives a picture. Hristo Yanev and I have known each other for a long time, I try to be close to all the coaches and players, but at the right time. It's not okay to always be on their head, because there is also tension in the club teams. I maintain contact with all the coaches, I will see many of them during the licensing process," said Dimitrov.