Todor Zhivondov is the new operational director of the Ludogorets Academy

Todor Zhivondov is officially the new operational director of the Children's and Youth Academy of Ludogorets. He gave 12 years of his life and development to the Razgrad team. He comes from Rakovski, Plovdiv. From the beginning of the 2023/2024 season, he was the first assistant to the head coach of the men, Georgi Dermendzhiev, for five years he led the Eagles' double team. In his remarkable career, he has lifted the cups for champion of Bulgaria five times, at five different ages and with five different teams. He shared the emotions of the first place with the men's team, as head coach of the 14- and 18-year-old youths and as an assistant in the 17- and 21-year-old teams. Holder of UEFA Pro license. Having gone through the various stages of Ludogorets and proving himself to be one of the most experienced specialists in the country, Todor Zhivondov has officially taken on his next career challenge as the operational director of the Children's and Youth Academy of the Eagles and will work side by side with the director Radoslav Komitov.

"Football is my love!" This sentence best describes Todor Zhivondov. As a man for whom the name speaks volumes, for him it is important to know the essence -  that he forever remains in love with the game of sports. Here is what else he shares in his capacity as director of the Academy in the following interview:

Joining the Eagles' nest 12 years ago, did it ever occur to you that you would ever reach that high step at the Academy?

12 years ago I promised myself that I would become the champion of Bulgaria at some age, I was sure of this! I did not suspect that it would happen with five ages, including the men's team. Of course, the 7-goal loss to Qarabag is still very fresh in my mind. As much as one should make decisions, show character and not speak polished in difficult moments, it is not easy in any case. But I believe in the love of football, I think very few people have my love and attitude towards the game. Therefore, I consider that I have fulfilled my dreams, but I have more to give to Ludogorets and time will tell. Absolutely, it is the most correct club! Everyone is provided with everything to show their love for the game and reveal the qualities they possess. There is no better place than Ludogorets! Everything else is a matter of dreams.

With what attitudes do you first enter this professional role?

It's not easy at all! I will certainly do my best. I believe I have experience that no one else my age has, acquired over 43 years. I have walked the ladder from the smallest players to the biggest, I have been the champion of almost every group. Now I have to transfer this experience to the Academy of Ludogorets.

What is the new challenge you are on?

I will work to assist the entire Ludogorets Academy in all operational and sports-technical matters. With Radoslav Komitov, we will lead the Academy, which is more than successful. The aim will be to make optimal and positive decisions at the cost of absolutely everything! We will solve problems from all aspects and work to improve.

In this regard, what do you think can be improved in the Academy and how will you work to achieve it?

I am convinced that the work at the Academy is more than professional, because I have observed all the processes here on a daily basis. It is one hundred percent certain that there is no better school in the country than the one in Ludogorets! Improvement concerns pure details, which should be perfected in each school with the passage of time and experience. Right now everything is fine, but there are more subtle and key decisions to be made. There needs to be an extremely good judgment for a player as to when, where and how much to play, in what way and when he can be part of the men's team.

What is the main line on which you will work as the operational director of Ludogorets Academy?

It will take time for me to see the right decisions on what path an Academy player should take to be convertible into the first team. As the first assistant of Georgi Dermendzhiev and the coach of the second team of Ludogorets, I believe that I have endless experience and thanks to what I have seen, experienced and suffered during these years, I will know how to act.

Now I will also perform sports and technical tasks. We will work in tandem with Radoslav Komitov, whom we have known since 2000. The advantage is that we are in a more than good relationship, in my eyes he is doing more than perfectly. I think my best quality in life, apart from my honesty, is my undying love for football. I will find the right solution so that we can be one chest ahead of the other teams.

What do you consider to be your other advantage for holding this position?

I've seen what it's like for the people on whom the development of a team depends, just getting up to speed. It's more than a big plus that I know everything and everyone here. My biggest advantage is that I have walked the ladder from preparatory groups to champion with the first team, I know how to become a champion with almost every team, what mistakes I have made and when I have made the right decisions.

What does success mean to you now from the position of director in the Academy of the 13-time Bulgarian champion?

For an Academy like that of Ludogorets, the full potential of all children must be revealed. It is desirable not to repeat mistakes made. It is true to work with honor and dignity, to give your all in every second, so that what hasn't happened so far can become a fact with deeds, not with words and polished sentences. The right decisions must be made at the right time. It is necessary to know how a boy who is close to the first team can be convertible and, despite his youth, be at least equal to individual players, so that he can play certain games under any pressure.

So far, we have promoted enough footballers to professional football, but this cannot make us happy. The question is to find out what are the right decisions in the development of a child who goes through the Academy of Ludogorets, so that he can be part of the main team. We have found the right path with very few competitors, referring to Dominik Yankov and Ivan Yordanov. It is important that this happens in practice, not just on promises!