Ludogorets links

Ahead of tonight’s UEFA Europa League clash with Ludogorets, we take a look back through the history of the Bulgarian outfit and its players to uncover links to Spurs...

Matches

This will be the second time already this season that we have travelled to Bulgaria for a Europa League contest. Before this campaign, we had never faced a Bulgarian side in competitive action.

Back in September, we made the trip to the eastern European nation to take on Lokomotiv Plovdiv in the second qualifying round of the Europa League. We ran out winners in that meeting in Plovdiv, but we were certainly made to work for it. Our hosts that night, who currently sit second in the Bulgarian First Professional Football League behind Ludogorets, took the lead on 71 minutes and so, with just 19 minutes left to play, we had it all to do.

Just seven minutes later, however, the entire complexion of the game changed as Plovdiv’s Dinis Almeida was adjudged to have handled the ball on the line, illegally preventing Lucas Moura from equalising. A penalty was awarded, Almeida was red carded, as was Birsent Karagaren via a second yellow card for damaging the penalty spot, before Harry Kane coolly converted the spot-kick. Four minutes later, we wrapped up the win as substitute Tanguy Ndombele started and finished a well-worked move to seal our progress to the next qualifying round.

Spurs in action

Two members of our current squad have previously faced Ludogorets in competitive games.

Lucas Moura and Gareth Bale played against the Bulgarian side during their days at Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid, respectively.

During Real’s Champions League campaign of 2014/15, Los Blancos met the Eagles in the group stage. Gareth started in both the home and away encounters and Real were victorious in each of those games, winning 2-1 away before 4-0 at home. Our Welsh forward was on the scoresheet in the meeting at the Bernabeu, heading in Toni Kroos’ corner on 37 minutes. Our former midfielder Luka Modric was also involved for Madrid in the encounter in Bulgaria.

Two seasons later, Ludogorets were drawn in the same Champions League group as Lucas Moura’s Paris Saint-Germain.

Just like team-mate Gareth, Lucas started both the home and away ties against the Eagles. In the away tie, the Brazilian provided the assist for Edinson Cavani’s second goal in a 3-1 win before the French champions drew 2-2 with the Bulgarian side at the Parc des Princes.

Former team-mates

Two of our current squad will be familiar with two of Ludorgorets’ players having previously been team-mates.

During their Paris Saint-Germain days, Lucas Moura and Serge Aurier were both team-mates of the Eagles’ full-back Jordan Ikoko, who was competition for Serge's right-back berth. Meanwhile, albeit briefly, our Ivorian defender was also team-mates with Ludogorets' centre-back Dragos Grigore as both linked up at French side Toulouse.

England v Bulgaria

In 2019, England took on Bulgaria in two UEFA 2020 qualifying games - the first came at Wembley in September before a trip to Sofia in October, with the Three Lions victorious in both.

In the first meeting at our former temporary home, both Harry Kane and Danny Rose started the game while Harry Winks was an unused substitute. England strolled to a 4-0 win against a side that included Ludogorets’ Plamen Iliev, Kiril Despodov, Anton Nedyalkov and Georgi Terziev. Harry scored a hat-trick in that clash.

In the meeting in Bulgaria, England stepped it up once more as they cantered to a 6-0 triumph. Our number 10 scored the sixth and final goal that night as he played the full 90 minutes along with ‘Winksy’. Iliev, Despodov, Nedyalkov and Terziev were, once again, all involved for the hosts.

Eagles in England

Two of Ludogorets’ current crop of players have previously played in England in their careers to date.

Dutch-born winger Elvis Manu joined Brighton & Hove Albion in 2015 before spending the latter half the 2015/16 season on loan at Huddersfield Town. He left Brighton permanently at the end of the following campaign as he moved to Turkey and then China before joining Ludogorets earlier this year.

Meanwhile, Manu’s fellow winger Jorginho began his career with Manchester City after coming through the Citizens’ youth system. He later had spells in Portugal and France before joining Ludogorets in 2019.