site.btaKrstajić: "Whether I Will Stay Bulgaria Coach Is Not that Important"

It is not yet clear whether Mladen Krstajić will keep his job as head coach of Bulgaria's national football team for the two more matches due in November. His future will be decided at a meeting of the Bulgarian Football Union (BFU) Executive Committee, BFU Technical Director Georgi Ivanov confirmed. A date for that meeting has yet to be set.

Under the Serb’s management, the internationals have performed disastrously, with not a single win in 12 fixtures, including UEFA League of Nations and EURO 2024 qualifiers. The latest disgrace came in Tirana on Tuesday evening, as Bulgaria lost against the hosts 0-2 in a friendly.

"Whether I will remain coach is not that important," Krstajić told a news conference in the Albanian capital. "I don't want to make trouble for anyone, but I want you to face the situation. The problem is that young people are not joining the teams. With me and without me, this problem will get worse," the coach argued.

He does not consider it a problem that he has rotated more than 40 players since he took over the squad 18 months ago. Currently, only three players have been capped for 40 or more games: Spas Delev (46), skipper Kiril Despodov (43) and Ivaylo Chochev (40). Still, the Serb often draws fire from both experts and fans for an excessively long roster of team Bulgaria.

Asked whether he felt under pressure after the 0-2 defeat against Albania, Krstajić said: "There is always pressure in football, it's part of life. The most important thing is that I do my job and I am a professional. The rest is not important. Before a game I am under stress and pressure. But I feel good with the team. And now I am more relaxed."