Bulgarian football has talents, but it still fails to provide them with sufficient opportunities for development and realization. The change must start from the schools - with a clear strategy, modern training methods and a consistent path from children's and youth to professional football. This is precisely the main goal of the partnership between the Bulgarian Football Union and the Belgian company Double Pass, which is already entering a crucial stage.
Since February of this year, the BFU has been working together with the internationally recognized company, which has implemented projects with the English Premier League and the football federations of Spain, Italy and Germany. The first analyses of the Bulgarian academies have already outlined the problems that hinder the development of young players.
The director of “Development of Children's and Youth Football“ at the Bulgarian Football Union, Lachezar Dimov, spoke about the conclusions drawn, the upcoming categorization of the schools and the necessary changes in the headquarters podcast.
“One of the main conclusions is that we have Bulgarian players, but we do not let them play. Young players are present in the club squads, but they do not receive the necessary playing minutes. At the same time, a large part of the Bulgarians who play regularly are over 27-28 years old. Another significant problem is that many of the elite academies lack a clear and consistent strategy for integrating young players into men's football,“ explained Dimov.
Among the main findings of the Belgian specialists is the excessive pursuit of short-term results in children's and youth football. According to Dimov, the pursuit of victories often shifts the focus from building qualities and skills that are decisive for the future development of the players.
“It is somewhat understandable for coaches and managers to pursue results, but this should not be at the expense of the children. When victory is an end in itself, important principles of training are abandoned. We need adaptation and change“, he stressed.
Despite initial concerns, the clubs have accepted the initiative positively, with none of the participants refusing to join the process. The upcoming audit will assess not only the infrastructure, but also the club philosophy, the qualifications of the coaches, individual development plans, training methodology and mechanisms for the transition to men's football.
“Infrastructure is definitely a problem that cannot be solved immediately. But there are things that we can influence right now - training plans, coaching staff, strategies and daily organization. Human resources, a clear identity and consistency are needed“, Dimov pointed out.
The academies audit procedure is due to begin in January, including analysis of documentation, interviews and on-site visits. Double Pass is expected to present the final report with the first categorized schools in June. They will then be included in a long-term training program for coaches, managers and sports directors.
In parallel, the BFU is also preparing a regional-level categorization system that will cover a wider range of clubs. The goal is for talents to receive quality training and development opportunities in different parts of the country, without having to prematurely leave the local football environment.
Despite the identified weaknesses, Double Pass also recognizes serious potential for progress.
„Belgian specialists see the potential precisely because many of the processes that should exist have not yet been established. We can compare it to a child who has only played on the street and arrives at an academy with good qualities, but without systematic training. With the right tools and methodology, we can significantly upgrade what we have. This is what is most valuable“, said Dimov.
In the conversation, he also touched on another key project of the federation – BFU Academy, led by Ivan Kapitanski. Dimov revealed details about the first months of working with young football players, the positive surprises in their development and the challenges both on and off the field, including in the classroom.
The two projects are united by a common goal – building a sustainable system in which the development of the young football player is more important than the momentary result, and talent gets a real path to professional football.