Ludogorets captain Anton Nedyalkov spoke to the media in Budapest, where the “Eagles” will face Ferencváros in the Europa League. Earlier this summer, the Hungarian side eliminated the team from Razgrad in the third qualifying round of the Champions League.

“I wouldn’t call this match a rematch. Everyone can have an opinion and say what they want. For me, every game is different. The previous match was different — a different attitude. Now we are fighting for points. We need to bring back the true face of Ludogorets, which hasn’t been seen very clearly lately. When you start something, you can’t expect to always be the winner. You must always be prepared that things may not go as planned. We have all the means and resources to get out of this situation,” said the experienced defender.

“Our job is out there on the pitch — to show the confidence that we’ve made the right decisions to overcome this period. I don’t think we should choose which matches to play differently. Every game is important because we need confidence and self-belief for the victories to come. Personally, I would prefer to focus on the domestic league because it can provide the opportunities that might come next year,” the experienced player added.

Ludogorets head coach Todor Zhivondov spoke at the official press conference ahead of the team’s Europa League away match against Ferencváros.

“I believe the players here are capable of handling the challenge. During this period, they’ve shown a desire to change the team’s energy and, most importantly, the results. I have full trust in them, and they are performing more than excellently in the process,” Zhivondov began. “I want to improve the desire to play and the number of duels we win, because if we start winning challenges and are well positioned for the second ball, we’ll be able to develop effective counterattacks — and we know the speed of our players,” he added.

“Ludogorets needs to start winning. We understand the importance of this match. We’re now in a situation where we have to play at our maximum and even go beyond it to start a series that will show a different face of Ludogorets — not just one that we talk about but one that we actually see,” said Zhivondov.

“I believe Ludogorets will show different energy; I believe in the players and in our organization on the pitch. The effort from the players is exceptional, and I thank them for that. The match carries great weight, but Ludogorets must start winning from somewhere. Things need to happen on the field, not just in words. We are obliged to show a different face in our play, because every loss distances us from the goals we set in the summer. Ludogorets can handle this — we have experienced players. Now we need to see if we can build momentum, win several matches in a row, and regain our confidence. If we achieve that, even when we’re not playing our best football, winning will come easier,” Zhivondov concluded.