Community » Hattrick Press

Round 7 interview

Written by PavelBG1

This week we interview Pavel, who tonight faces h00ligans, the reigning Prem champions, in R7.

Your team, Dounav knocked out former Premiership stalwarts FC Nowhere Man in the last round (R6) (540582913). You played 4-5-1 press with magical defence ratings and 46% possession. I guess you were pleased to have some rain, with 5 recorded pressing events with an ET pressing rating?

I was lucky to win, and unlucky to have 0 powerful weather SE in the rain. The pressing ratings were expected, but not the result :)

You took charge of your team on 7th December 2011 (s47) and you've bettered your best ever English cup performance of R4 from three seasons ago (s56). We understand, however, that you had some experience of the game before, in the Bulgarian leagues. Have you had any success hosting Vissha Liga opponents in cup games over there, and how do our top teams compare?

In the past, under the previous match engine, the stamina effect was different and so was my team. I played in one final ten years ago, I also managed to frustrate many of the Bulgarian managers over the years but I was never that near to the top of the league pyramid, as my team progression in the game was never a priority. The game mechanics are very different now, so it is actually quite difficult to compare.

If you have a favourite tune from 2015, please provide a link to vimeo/utube/soundcloud for us to listen, but an older classic/Bulgarian tune would be fine too.

The most recent youtube video to impress me was the crazy 1000 from Italy, which sounds so much better than the original :)
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JozAmXo2bDE)

You've attended quite a few ht-London social events, including the most recent of these, does this improve your enjoyment of the game, and why?

Hattrick meetings are an important part of the game. It's always nice (with one notable exception from a Bulgarian meet) to meet the people you play against. I can't really discuss Hattrick with people who don't play, at least not too often.

As a manager that has been training playmaking heavy central defenders with a view to them becoming prospects for the English NT, are you pleased to see the proposed return of the offensive central defender (OCD) under the revised match engine changes coming in next season?

The changes will probably benefit my tactical options, but I'm not pleased at all - I don't think such changes are good for the game, long term. What if I were training wingers, can there be any better way to disappoint managers than by ruining their long-term training plans? When people invest years in the development of their players, change is not always welcome.

Please provide a link to your favourite work of art?

The amphora part of the Thracian treasure from Panagyurishte. Such craftsmanship, so many centuries ago, makes me wonder if humanity may have lost something through the ages.
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panagyurishte_Treasure#/media/File:Sofia_-_Panagyurishte_Thracian_Gold_Treasure_(Amphora).jpg)

And of course, the first goal from this match :)
(https://youtu.be/_CwQUbbXF6M?t=47)

Aside from being a supporter of Dounav Ruse (a Bulgarian 2nd division side), you are also a fan of CSKA Sofia (who this season due to unfunded debts have been demoted to the 3rd level of Bulgarian football, as well as Juventus winners of Serie A in Italy last season. Do you think Juventus can win the Champions League, or can we expect Germany and Spanish teams to dominate once again, and why do you think Italy and England are no longer so strong at this level?

What happened with CSKA Sofia is criminal. There was clearly a plot in place, which has been ongoing for years, to intentionally steal as much as possible from the club and if possible to bankrupt them.

Juve will win CL in the next few years, I think. As long as King Kong can bleed the future is bright.
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDAPtHJ9DAs)

Please tell us how/where you met your other half (or last conquest), and how he/she feels about your hattrick addiction?

We met in Bulgarian bar. She is not happy at all for my addiction to some browser game :)

Ruse is a city on the banks of the Danube, which borders Romania to the North. For anyone looking to visit the area, is there anything you'd recommend to see, or places to visit?

So many places... and most of them are based out of the city. The nature park called "Rusenski Lom" has some amazing valley views and it was also one of the Bulgarian Christian centers during the Second Bulgarian Empire. (http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/45/) (http://bgtourinfo.net/danube/images/rusenskilom_1.jpg)

What was your first car (or bike) and what happened to it?

Ancient Datsun Nissan Sunny (http://retro-motoring.com/classic-car-pics/nissan/sunny/b310/green-nissan-sunny-b310-2.jpg), my sister crashed it so I had to sell it ages ago. She did manage to have 3 other accidents after that, but not with my cars anymore.