Over recent years, Ludogorets Rasgrad have become something like the Bayern Munich of Bulgaria. The club has won the league title in the south east European country seven times in succession and have regularly left the clubs from the capital Levski and CSKA Sofia in their wake. This term, Rasgrad are currently third in Bulgaria's Parva Liga two points behind those two clubs after eight games – also due in part to the team having the extra burden of playing in Europe. Ludogorets were in the qualifying rounds for the Champions League but went out to the Hungarian club Videoton Szekesfehervar after losing by the narrowest of margins. In the qualifying rounds of the Europa League, the Bulgarians beat Zrinjski Mostar from Bosnia-Herzegovina and Torpedo Kutaissi from Georgia to go through to the group stage. The team achieved the same last season and they caused a stir. TSG Hoffenheim were unable to win either of their group matches against Rasgrad and finished behind the Bulgarian club who lost in the knockout rounds against AC Milan. They have also showed how tricky they can be as an opponent in the Champions league. In 2014 and 2016 Ludogorets reached the group stage where they drew against top clubs Liverpool and Paris St Germain.
Ludogorets have a very experienced team with the average age of the squad over 27. However, the names of the players are not well known in Germany. The only Rasgrad player to have plied his trade in the Bundesliga is the Polish striker Jakub Swierczok (pictured above ). He made six appearances for FC Kaiserslautern in Germany's top flight in 2012. There is a noticeably strong group of Brazilians in the team: A total of ten players from the South American state are in the Ludogorets squad and the coach Paulo Autuori is also Brazilian. The 62 year-old took over as manager at the start of the season having previously worked for the big Brazilian club Fluminense. In his long career, Autuori has coached Benfica and the Peru national team. Bayer 04 definitely need to be aware of the striker Claudiu Keseru. The Rumania international played in the French league for a long time and has been the top scorer in the first division in Bulgaria for the past two seasons.
Ludogorets lost their possibly best player at the end of August – and that was to the Bundesliga. On the final day of the transfer window, FC Nürnberg signed the Dutchman Virgil Misidjan, known as Vura. The winger was a top player for Rasgrad for the past five years and the day before his move to Nürnberg, he stood out with a goal and an assist in the decisive 4-0 victory in the second leg of the play-off against Kutaissi and he also scored in the sensational 2-2 draw away to Paris St Germain in the Champions League in 2016. His departure now leaves a gaping hole in the Ludogorets attack, which has proved to be a problem in the season to date. Rasgrad have scored ten goals in eight games and that falls below their own expectations. Another minus: Midfielder Anicet, a Madagascar international, is another key player missing long term to a torn knee ligament.
The success of Ludogorets over recent years is not a coincidence. In 2010, the club from the north-east of Bulgaria were playing in the second division before being taken over by the pharmaceutical producer Kyril Domustschiev. Thanks to his financial assistance, Rasgrad were promoted straightaway and in their first season in the top flight they were champions of Bulgaria. The millions from Domustschiev enable Ludogorets to afford a team year after year that does not have an equal in Bulgaria and also attracts players from the first division in Brazil. This guarantees a permanent position at the top of the table as well as regular participation in European competitions. In the past few years, Rasgrad have also invested in their youth section, which is now bearing fruit for the first team. Players from the youth teams have made the breakthrough to the senior side.
Rasgrad have twice qualified for the group stage of the Europa League and also twice progressed to the knockout rounds. That target remains the same – the Bulgarians and Bayer 04 are in with a good chance of taking the top two places in Group A. If they are able to progress further will probably depend on the draw. Although Rasgrad will almost certainly not go the whole way they can make life difficult for any opponent.
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