Ahead of their UEFA Conference League second qualifying round first leg, Apoel Tel Aviv head coach Eliyaniv Barda gave Ludogorets Razgrad a pointed assessment: the Bulgarian club, he said, operates at Champions League standard. The match is being played at a stadium in Miskolc, Hungary.
What the coach said
According to Gong, Barda told reporters he is preparing his squad for a difficult evening. "I expect a good match against a very strong opponent, a team at Champions League level," he said. He noted that he previously coached against Bulgarian side Levski Sofia while in charge of Apoel Beer Sheva and that he has respect for Bulgarian football, without claiming deep expertise in it. His message to his players was direct: "We need to improve if we want to beat a team of this level."
Barda also addressed the hosting arrangement. Apoel Tel Aviv, like several Israeli clubs, cannot currently stage home European fixtures in Israel due to the ongoing security situation, so the "home" leg is being played in Miskolc. "Of course we would be happiest playing at home, but this is the situation and we cannot change it," he said. He added that he expects the atmosphere in the stands to give his side a lift.
New coach for Ludogorets
Ludogorets go into the match under a new manager. German coach Thomas Reis took charge of the Razgrad club roughly ten days before the fixture, Gong reports. Barda said analysing an opponent with such a recently appointed coach is genuinely difficult, which is why his team would focus on their own strengths rather than trying to predict Ludogorets' tactical setup.
