Ludogorets Watches Barak Itzhaki, but Alberto Riera Is the Priority

Barak Itzhaki, who coached Beitar Jerusalem last season, is being considered for a move abroad, with Bulgarian champions Ludogorets among the clubs linked to him. But at this stage, the Israeli coach is not the club’s top choice, and no formal offer has been made.

Ludogorets is following developments in Israel closely, helped in part by Itzhaki’s agent, Dudu Dahan, who has previously brought several players to the Bulgarian side, including Taleb Tawatha, Mavis Chibota, Dan Biton, Danny Gruper and Idan Nachmias. The club is coming off one of its most difficult seasons and, after 14 straight titles, has lost the league championship, a setback expected to trigger major changes.

Norwegian coach Per-Mathias Høgmo has not been dismissed yet, but reports indicate he is likely to pay the price and is not expected to start preseason with the team. Ludogorets had also checked the possibility of hiring Ran Kozuch, but he chose to stay in Israel and sign with Hapoel Be'er Sheva.

The immediate pressure on Ludogorets comes from the schedule, as it will meet Hapoel Tel Aviv in about a month in the Conference League qualifiers while preseason is set to begin. The current leading candidate is Alberto Riera, the former Liverpool player and recent Eintracht Frankfurt coach. If talks with Riera fail, Ludogorets may turn to Itzhaki. The expected salary for the job is estimated at 700,000 to 800,000 euros, far above what he earned in Israel. Itzhaki has been aiming for an overseas move all summer, but any decision would still need to be made with his family, and he is currently waiting for developments.