Exclusive interview\u00a0<\/p>\n
![\"Ilia](\"https:\/\/tmssl.akamaized.net\/\/images\/foto\/galerie\/ilia-gruev-leeds-united-2026-1776676270-195131.jpg\" "\\"Ilia")
<\/p>\n\n \u00a9IMAGO<\/span>\n <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Premier League newcomers Leeds United are having a solid season and will play in the FA Cup semi-finals on Saturday for the first time since 1987. At the heart of it all is Bulgarian international Ilia Gruev, who has become increasingly important in the Peacocks\u2019 midfield as the season has progressed. In an interview with Transfermarkt, the 25-year-old talks about his first season in the Premier League, his move to England, and his hopes of becoming a legend at Leeds United.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThe FA Cup is one of the most prestigious competitions, and the fact that we\u2019re now in the semi-finals makes us very proud. It\u2019s a bonus because nobody expected it, but we\u2019re happy to take it. Sometimes you have a cup run like this, and we want to build on that. We\u2019re the underdogs against Chelsea, but why not?\u201d says Gruev ahead of Saturday\u2019s clash. \u201cOur performances over the last few months make me very optimistic. We\u2019re very well-equipped in terms of both quality and quantity and have excellent depth in the squad. On top of that, we\u2019re in good form, and it\u2019s always a tough game against us. We\u2019ll show that against Chelsea too.\u201d<\/p>\n In the league, Leeds have twice held their own against the Club World Cup winners, winning the first leg at Elland Road 3-1 and securing a point with a 2-2 draw at Stamford Bridge. On their way to their first semi-final since 1987, Daniel Farke\u2019s side defeated Derby County (3-1), Birmingham (5\u20133 on penalties), Norwich (3\u20130) and West Ham (6\u20134 on penalties). \u201cAt the end of the day, we play this sport to make history and win titles. With two wins, we\u2019d become legends; that\u2019s a massive opportunity. When you\u2019re in the semi-finals, you want to win, even if you\u2019re the underdogs. How often do you get the chance to win a title in England? Nobody can take away our dream of a major title with this club,\u201d explained Gruev, whose focus, however, lies on the league. \u201cIf I have to choose, I\u2019ll take staying up, because that\u2019s the clear priority. And everyone at the club knows that. The FA Cup is a bonus.\u201d The other semi-final will be contested by Manchester City and Championship side Southampton.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Last summer, Leeds returned to the Premier League after a two-year absence \u2013 Gruev played his part as a regular starter. With the exception of a knee operation that sidelined him between October 2024 and January 2025, the Bulgarian was a regular for much of the season. \u201cThe pace, especially in your head, is completely different; every little detail counts. It\u2019s just different again when you go to Anfield Road or Old Trafford. The quality of the players is simply incredible. And that\u2019s the case every week. There are no easy games,\u201d explains Gruev. \u201cWithout wishing to take anything away from the other top leagues, the pace is different. The whole atmosphere is different too. Everyone here knows it\u2019s the best league because there\u2019s simply the most money available, which makes it easier to sign a player.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n With five matchdays remaining, Leeds have 39 points to their name; the gap to Tottenham, who occupy the first relegation spot, is eight points, which puts Gruev in a positive frame of mind. \u201cIf someone had told us the current league position before the season, we would have taken it straight away. We\u2019re having a very solid season, showing that we\u2019re competitive, and doing very well. It\u2019s tough to play against us, which we\u2019ve also proven against the top teams. That\u2019s encouraging and gives us confidence. You can tell because you can simply see that you can pick up points in every game \u2013 no matter who you\u2019re up against.\u201d Leeds drew twice against reigning champions Liverpool, and picked up four points each against Manchester United and Chelsea. \u201cWe\u2019re satisfied with the points haul, but it has to be said that, given the way we play, we deserved even more points. There were a few games where we conceded unfortunate goals; with a bit more luck, things could have looked very different.\u201d<\/p>\n Leeds picked up 26 of their 39 points at their home ground, Elland Road, losing just five home matches. \u201cOur fans are outstanding, the atmosphere is brilliant, and it\u2019s simply a joy to play at Elland Road. After the win against Manchester United, you could really see what it means to the fans. You go for a walk, and people have a smile on their face when they see you; they thank you. The club means an incredible amount to the people of Leeds. The home record underlines that the fans push you on here week in, week out,\u201d says Gruev.<\/p>\n In the Premier League, Gruev goes head-to-head with the world\u2019s best players every week, but some have presented him with particular challenges. \u201cWhen we played Man City at home, I was up against Rayan Cherki \u2013 a top player. He\u2019s two-footed; you never know what he\u2019s going to do. He\u2019s got so many brilliant moves. But Declan Rice and Mart\u00edn Zubimendi at Arsenal, or Rodri at Man City, are incredible too. The quality is so high and it\u2019s brilliant that I can have these experiences, because it automatically makes you better.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Gruev has made 23 appearances in the Premier League, 15 of them in the starting line-up. Between early September and late November, the 27-time international went through a difficult spell, sitting on the bench for 90 minutes on seven occasions and making just two brief appearances. Since the start of the year, Gruev has started 11 times. With captain Ethan Ampadu, Anton Stach, Sean Longstaff, and Ao Tanaka, competition in central midfield is fierce. \u201cMy development is on an upward trajectory. At the start, I didn\u2019t play as much as I\u2019d hoped, but with such a strong squad, it\u2019s simply part of the game that there will be times when you don\u2019t get the playing time you\u2019d like. With the change in system, I\u2019ve been getting more minutes, and I can feel that I\u2019m taking a step forward. I\u2019m happy with my progress because I\u2019ve always taken small steps rather than big leaps, and I want to keep going that way,\u201d he explains.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n From matchday 14 onwards, Farke changed his system and switched from a back four to a back three, which gave the team significantly more confidence. As a result, Leeds went seven games unbeaten and picked up vital points in the battle to avoid relegation. \u201cWe have a very good relationship, and Daniel trusts me a lot, just as the team trusts the manager. He\u2019s had three very successful years here and is truly a very good manager. You can tell that from the way he prepares us for matches. We always want to have the ball and be dominant, but we\u2019re also flexible and can sit deeper. That\u2019s what sets a good manager apart. The club has made great progress in the three years under Daniel, and so far it\u2019s been an absolute success story,\u201d says Gruev, praising his manager.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Speaking of his midfield partner Stach, who is fighting for a place in the German national team for the World Cup, Gruev says: \u201cPlaying alongside Anton is very easy because he\u2019s a player who thinks for himself. Anton is a very good player who makes everything look effortless. Of course, you\u2019re also dependent on the quality of your teammates. When you\u2019ve seen the goals Anton has scored and the assists he\u2019s provided, you can see just how good he is. I\u2019m really happy for him; he deserves to be at the World Cup, and of course we\u2019re delighted for every teammate who\u2019s there.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n In August 2023, shortly before the transfer window closed, Gruev moved from Werder Bremen to Leeds for \u20ac6.5 million; Leeds had been relegated to the second-tier Championship at the time. \u201cIt was, of course, under time pressure because the transfer window was only open for a few more days, but Leeds presented me with a clear plan and the phone call with Daniel was very promising. He showed me what kind of project is taking shape at Leeds. And then, of course, there was the dream of the Premier League with a traditional club like Leeds. Looking back, it was a very good decision and everything has worked out here,\u201d he sums up.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Gruev had celebrated promotion to the Bundesliga with Werder the previous year, had made 31 appearances that season, and was on his way to becoming a regular. \u201cThe move was anything but easy for me because I\u2019d played for Werder for eight years. I was promoted to Werder and played my first Bundesliga season. But I was open to a new challenge, and when the offer from Leeds came, it was a very exciting opportunity,\u201d says Gruev, who joined Werder’s youth team in 2015 and had been part of the first-team squad since 2019. \u201cI\u2019ve also seen how positively Werder has developed, but I felt so much trust from Leeds and then decided to go down this path. I still look back fondly on that time because I turned professional there and still have many friends there. But in football, you sometimes have to make decisions like this, and things happen very quickly.\u201d<\/p>\n Since his move, Gruev\u2019s market value has risen from \u20ac3 million to \u20ac12 million. Since the summer, it has increased by \u20ac7 million. His contract with Leeds runs until 2027, but he isn\u2019t thinking of leaving. \u201cI feel very much at home here and can see how the club is developing. The long-term plan is to become a top-10 team in the Premier League. If you can be part of that journey as a player and compete against the elite every week, that\u2019s an absolute success. The fans also see which players have been here for how long and are happy about those who\u2019ve been here from the start.\u201d The focus, however, is on the final stretch of the season and the upcoming FA Cup semi-final. \u201cA brilliant headline would be \u2018Sensational! Leeds win the FA Cup!\u2019 Then we\u2019d be playing in the Europa League next year, which would be amazing, and winning a title here would make you a legend,\u201d replies Gruev when asked what football headline he\u2019d like to read in 2026.<\/p>\nGruev: \u201cEveryone here knows it\u2019s the best league\u201d<\/h2>\n
Gruev is becoming more important as the season progresses<\/h2>\n
Gruev on his move to Leeds: \u201cIt was anything but an easy decision\u201d<\/h2>\n