New Bulgaria Football Coach Lauds Young Players after Ukraine Loss

Bulgaria`s Ivelin Popov (C) vies for the ball with Ukrainian players Bohdan Butko (R) and Taras Mykhalyk (L) during their international friendly soccer match between Ukraine and Bulgaria in Kiev. EPA/BGNES

Bulgaria's national football team lost 3:0 an away friendly game against Ukraine Friday evening in the first match with head coach Mihail Madanski, who replaced German Lothar Matthaeus end of September.

"We did not show quality football in this game, but I am not downplaying the victory of the Ukrainians, who really displayed their class," commented Madanski Saturday.

"Some of the youth national footballers played much better and with much greater self-confidence than other players on the team," said the new coach, adding that this maintains hopes for the future of Bulgarian football.

At the same time, Madanski said he was "disappointed" at a number of "trivial errors" that his players committed during the match.

Bulgaria has lost all chances of qualifying for Euro 2012 in Poland and Ukraine, currently being at the bottom of qualifying Group G with a mere 5 points out of 7 games played.

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