Just days after Ilia Gruev finished runner-up in Bulgaria’s Player of the Year awards for the third time in a row, the Leeds United midfielder was again left feeling second best.
Kiril Despodov, the free-scoring PAOK winger, once again took home the top prize. Thus, leaving a man who joined him on the podium during both 2023 and 2024 with the familiar taste of silver in his mouth.
Ilia Gruev’s wait to be named the top performer in Bulgarian football continues, then.
But neither he nor Despodov – not to mention Aberdeen goalkeeper Dimitar Mitov, third in the Player of the Year rankings – could muster a response as the best of Bulgaria were defeated by their visitors from the Republic of Ireland during Thursday’s UEFA Nations League play-off.
Daniel Farke could not help but beat himself up after he consigning Ilia Gruev to a place on the bench when Leeds United dropped points at QPR last week. In hindsight, his physicality could have come in very useful.
Five days later, at the Hristo Botev Stadium in Plovdiv, the disappointment belonged to the £4 million man himself.
Leeds United’s Ilia Gruev bemoans errors as Republic of Ireland beat Bulgaria
Bulgaria took the lead inside just six minutes but still found themselves chasing at half-time.
The Republic of Ireland levelled through Middlesbrough playmaker Finn Azaz. Wolves defender Matt Doherty then ensured that Heimar Hallgrimsson’s side will have a lead to defend at the Aviva Stadium on Sunday.
The frustration was not necessarily with the end result, however. But with how Bulgaria got there.
Local publication Gong sum it up nicely. ‘Ridiculous defensive mistakes’, they say, ‘cost The Lions dearly’. A point Gruev, earning his 19th cap on the night, cannot help but agree with.
“Good start. We scored a good goal, but we conceded basic goals,” a disappointed Gruev sighs. “We played well. I don’t think they surprised us. We saw the game plan. It’s hard to press them high, but I don’t think we were surprised.
“They have good players, but I didn’t see a difference in the class [of the two teams]. We need one goal and we’re in the match. We have chances.”
Gruev gets harsh reminder of Premier League challenge
While both sides have a shortage of players representing clubs at the very highest level, the Republic of Ireland backline did contain Liverpool goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher – arguably the finest number two in the game – as well as Brentford’s Nathan Collins, Ipswich Town’s Dara O’Shea and the aforementioned Molineux veteran Doherty.
Gruev is desperate to play Premier League football with Leeds next season. This was a reminder, of sorts, as to the quality he can expect to come up against.
“You can see that they have good players, especially in defence,” Gruev adds. “[Four of their back five] play in the Premier League.”
Gruev himself, meanwhile, did not really exert the influence he’d have been hoping for up against an Ireland midfield made up of players he knows well from the Championship; Bristol City’s Josh Knight and Burnley’s Josh Cullen.
Bulgaria had more possession over all but Gruev, despite completing 85 per cent of his passes, could not help to pick Hallgrimsson’s padlock.
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