Former assistant coach Ivan Ivanov claims Mladen Krstajic was too lenient with players during his tenure as Bulgaria's national team manager.
Key facts
- •Ivan Ivanov served as an assistant coach under Mladen Krstajic for the Bulgarian national team.
- •Ivanov stated he told Krstajic that he was being too lenient with the players.
- •Ivanov argued that modern youth players lack the discipline of previous generations.
- •The former assistant cited Luxembourg's recent football progress as an example of a successful development process.
- •Ivanov recalled a situation at Slavia Sofia U19 where he was given full authority by Ventsi Stefanov to manage his roster.
Ivan Ivanov, who served as an assistant to Mladen Krstajic for the Bulgarian national football team, stated in an interview that the Serbian coach was overly soft in his approach to managing players. Ivanov noted that he personally advised Krstajic to be more demanding, arguing that the coach often deferred to the players' preferences.
Critique of coaching approach
Ivanov suggested that the team's struggles are linked to a lack of discipline and a failure to follow structured development processes. He contrasted the current state of Bulgarian football with the progress made by smaller nations like Luxembourg, which he noted has improved significantly over the last two decades despite having less economic power.
Youth development concerns
Reflecting on his time coaching Slavia Sofia's U19 team, Ivanov highlighted the importance of autonomy in decision-making. He recounted an instance involving player Martin Georgiev, where he sought approval from club president Ventsi Stefanov to promote the player, receiving full support to make the decision he deemed best for the team.
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This article was independently rewritten by ManyPress editorial AI from reporting originally published by Sportal.bg.
