Radoslav Komitov, Director of the Ludogorets Academy: We had a record season, we still need to work to reach the Western European level

The Ludogorets Youth Academy is recording remarkable successes in the development of its players. The teams of experienced specialists combined with modern development conditions have taken the Academy of the Eagles to the top of every age championship... And the "hatchery" for talents continues to attract the incredible interest of children from all over the country who want to become part of the Ludogorets family. What is this tangible success due to and what are the goals for the upcoming year? The director of the Academy of the 13-time national champions, Radoslav Komitov, shares his views on the development of the school:

What year does the Ludogorets Youth Academy send off?

2024 is the most successful year for the Ludogorets Academy. Exceptional results were achieved - at the end of the past season, for the first time since the establishment of the Elite groups, one school won all three age championships. The U14 team also won the Bulgarian Cup, and the third team won first place in the Third North-Eastern League. This is an exceptional success for everyone who is connected with the Academy and works in it!

What is the highlight of the past 12 months?

This is the transfer of Dominik Yankov, which took place at the beginning of 2024. Unfortunately, in recent years, very few of our juniors have managed to break into the international market. But thanks to everyone in the club - owners, managers, coaches, we were able to make this transfer. This is the most expensively sold junior to a foreign club in the last five years!

How would you rate the development of the young Eagles in the "nest" of Ludogorets?

Ludogorets' slogan is that the best is yet to come. So our requirements and expectations for everyone in the Academy are very high, we are never satisfied with the results achieved so far. I would say that we still need to improve and develop in order to catch up with Western European standards.

Is there anything that could have been done better in the past months?

Certainly! We analyze each half-season, find out where we made mistakes and what we can improve in the training process, such as individual, group and team work. Also, what we can acquire in terms of technology, so that we can be “up to date” with modern football.

The annual castings for children at the Academy enjoy considerable interest. What makes the school an attractive center for young talents who pursue professional development?

The owners and management of Ludogorets have provided the best conditions in Bulgaria for working with young players. We work to constantly improve. The latest acquisition is the multifunctional hall, which was opened this year. It is made according to the most modern standards and here you can work on all muscle groups, as well as on tactical and technical elements. We, as coaches and management, strive to always give our best for the young players. I appeal to them that more patience, character and will are needed during the time they are part of the Academy.

And how do you think the level in the Ludogorets football talent “hatchery” can be improved even more?

We strive to implement innovative methods, technological progress is also important to us. We now have a drone for filming training, GPS systems are used at every age. We are working to improve and it will continue to be like this!

We are on the eve of the new year and in this regard - what goals do you set for the upcoming 12 months?

The most important thing that the management and coaches have set for the upcoming year is the integration of our young talents into the second and first teams of Ludogorets. This will be our main goal. We have prepared a strategy that we will follow and we hope that this will lead to success.

What is the dream that you want to fulfill at the helm and together with the Academy?

The dream for all of us, from the management to the coaches, is to see many of our juniors in the first team. Also to make more international transfers and many of our children reach professional football. This is the first and main thing that we all strive for at the Ludogorets Academy.