Barak Itzhaki, who coached Beitar Jerusalem last season, is being considered for a move abroad, with Bulgarian champion Ludogorets emerging as a possible destination. But as of now, the club has not made him an official offer, and he is only a secondary candidate in its coaching search.
Ludogorets is monitoring the Israeli market closely, and Itzhaki’s agent, Dudu Dahan, has strong ties to the club. Dahan has previously brought several players there, including Taleb Tawatha, Mavis Chibota, Dan Biton, Danny Gruper and Idan Nachmias. The Bulgarian side is coming off a major setback after losing the league title for the first time in 14 years, and coach Per-Mathias Høgmo is expected to pay the price, even though he has not yet been fired.
The club wants a new coach before training begins, because in about a month it will face Hapoel Tel Aviv in the Conference League qualifiers. Its leading candidate is currently Alberto Riera, the former Liverpool player, who recently coached Frankfurt. Riera has not yet given Ludogorets a positive answer, and only if talks fail could the club turn to Itzhaki.
Financially, the job is estimated to pay between 700,000 and 800,000 euros a year, far more than what Itzhaki earned in Israel. He has been aiming for a job abroad all summer, but if an offer arrives, he will need to decide with his family whether the salary and the situation at Ludogorets, based in Razgrad, are right for him.