Rui Mota is the new head coach of Ludogorets

Rui Mota has been appointed as the new head coach of Ludogorets. After successful negotiations with his former club FC Noah and the payment of a compensation fee, the Portuguese specialist signed a contract with the 14-time Bulgarian champions and has already arrived in Razgrad. He has conducted his first training session with the "Eagles". His official presentation will take place on Monday (June 16) at 14:00 at the "Huvepharma Arena" stadium.

Rui Mota comes to Ludogorets with his own coaching staff — Andre Santos and Luis Felipe Barbosa as assistant coaches, Bruno Freitas as goalkeeping coach, and analysts Pedro Elias and Joao Frazao. Zdravko Zdravkov and fitness coach Mihajlo Sekeroski will remain part of the new coaching team. On Monday, Mota will also announce additional staff members who will join his team.

Mota brings significant experience to the role. For years, he worked as an assistant to renowned Portuguese manager Ricardo Sa Pinto at several prestigious clubs including Legia Warsaw, Braga, Vasco da Gama, and Gaziantep. In 2024, Mota began a successful solo coaching career, first taking charge of Dila Gori (Georgia), and then achieving remarkable success with Armenian side FC Noah. With Noah, he made history by eliminating AEK Athens in the UEFA Europa Conference League qualifiers and winning a domestic double — the Armenian league title and the Armenian Cup in 2025. He also led the team into the group stage of the 2024/25 edition of the Conference League.

"It’s a great honor for me to be part of Ludogorets, a club with a name and history. I’m happy to join the family of this team. My staff and I will work hard to meet the club’s high goals," said Rui Mota.

PFC Ludogorets expressed its gratitude to FC Noah’s management for their professionalism and cooperation in finalizing the transfer of Rui Mota and his team.

About Rui Mota

Born: March 26, 1979, Lisbon, Portugal

Career as Assistant Coach:

2016 – Al Fateh
2017 – Atromitos
2017/18 – Standard Liege
2018/19 – Legia Warsaw
2019 – Braga
2020 – Vasco da Gama
2021 – Gaziantep
2022 – Moreirense
2022/23 – Esteghlal

As Head Coach:

2024 – Dila Gori
2024–25 – FC Noah

Achievements:

Armenian Champion – 2025
Armenian Cup Winner – 2025
UEFA Europa Conference League Group Stage – 2024/2025

Welcome to the Ludogorets family, Rui!
With new energy, fresh ideas, and proven professionalism, we begin yet another ambitious chapter in the club’s history!