Svetoslav Dyakov: It’s tough, but we’ll make it

On the sixth day after declaring a state of emergency, we speak to Svetoslav Dyakov, Ludogorets team captain.

- Where do you spend your days during this difficult time?
- I am near Blagoevgrad; we have a house there. My family and I try to avoid meeting other people and we only leave the house to go to the store. It is hard, but we’ll make it.

- How do you stay in shape?
- It is hard for an athlete to be like that and it never happened to me before. I go out to run occasionally, and I do fitness exercises at home.

- How does the situation affect your relatives?
- We are just as affected by this crisis as everyone else. We need to cope with many things and it is not pleasant at all. However, we all must listen to the authorities. I would like to thank Mr. Domuschiev without whom Ludogorets would never be what it is today. I hope he recovers fast.

- Do you that many European players have been diagnosed with COVID-19?
- We are only human and nobody is insured. I pray for my colleagues in Italy, UK, and Spain to have courage and I have no doubt they will fight this virus.

- How will Ludogorets perform after the championship continues?
- We don’t know when that will happen but we know how to stay in shape. It will not be a problem if the pause is not too long. We will be in shape.

- How do you think the championship will end?
- Ludogorets is the overall leader and I hope we win the cup once again. This is the goal. I know what my teammates are capable of. I also have zero doubts about our ninth title.

- What is your evaluation of the team’s performance so far?
- The team has proven to be on the usual high level. There were games where we lost valuable points but we still have a good advantage.

- Was it possible for the team to be more successful in the European tournaments?
- Yes, but we were not ready for the Ferencvaros games and we also could have performed better against Inter.