Plamen Iliev, a Bulgarian goalkeeper with a history in Superliga, narrowly missed out on Bulgaria’s historic victory at Eurovision 2026. Despite this setback, he remains excited about following the upcoming match in Craiova, where Cluj will play. Iliev, who also played for Dinamo, is particularly confident in Dan Nistor and Alex Chipciu and is anticipating a close game.

Bulgaria finished in ninth place at Eurovision 2026, with Dara taking the top spot and Romania securing the third position on the podium. Prominent Bulgarian clubs reacted to the event, while Iliev found out about the results early the next morning in Vienna.

“I missed out on our victory at Eurovision. My wife told me this morning (laughs),” Iliev shared with a smile. “I will definitely watch the game in Craiova. I’ll follow it online. I’ve seen the Romanian Cup final, and it’s clear that in football, luck plays a significant role. We experienced this when we played against Sibiu and Cluj.”

Iliev believes that the Oltenians have the first chance, given the packed stadium in Craiova, but he remains optimistic about Cluj’s ability to surprise in the penultimate playoff stage of the Superliga. “The Oltenians are the favorites, playing at home. I’m not great at making predictions, but I think it will be 2-1 for Cluj. However, I believe Nistor and Chipciu will lead the way. They are valuable and true leaders,” he emphasized.

Iliev left Cherno More before the end of the season and has entered vacation mode. He is now awaiting offers to continue his career. “I left Cherno More a month ago, but I’m not thinking about retiring. I haven’t received any offers from Romania yet, but I want to keep playing,” he stated.