A former Bremen in an interview
©IMAGO
Premier League newcomers Leeds United are having a strong season and find themselves in the FA Cup semi-finals for the first time since 1987 on Saturday. In the middle is former Bremen player Ilia Gruev, who has become increasingly important in the Peacocks’ midfield as the season has progressed. In an interview with (Site notre blog d’information), the Bulgaria international discusses his first season in the Premier League, his move to England and how he wants to become a legend at Leeds United.
« The FA Cup is one of the most prestigious competitions and the fact that we are now in the semi-final makes us very proud. It’s a bonus because no one expected it, but we are happy to take it with us. Sometimes there is a cup like this and we want to build on that. We are the underdogs against Chelsea, but why not? Gruev said, referring to Saturday’s duel. « Our performances over the last few months make me very optimistic. We are very well positioned in terms of quality and quantity and have very good depth in the squad. We are in good shape and it is always disgusting to play against us. We will show it against Chelsea too. »
In the league, Leeds managed to hold off the two-time club world champions, winning the first leg at Elland Road 3-1 and earning a point with the 2-2 draw at Stamford Bridge. En route to their first semi-final since 1987, Daniel Farke’s side beat Derby County (3-1), Birmingham (5-3 AET), Norwich (3-0) and West Ham (6-4 AET). « At the end of the day, we play this sport to make history and win titles. With two wins we would become legends, it’s a huge opportunity. When you are in the semi-final you want to win, even if you are the underdog. How many times do you get the chance to win a title in England? Nobody can take away our dream of a big title with this club, » explained Gruev, who is however focused on the championship. « If I have to choose, I will accept relegation because that is clearly the priority. And everyone at the club knows that. The FA Cup is a bonus. » The other semi-final will be contested by Manchester City and second division club Southampton FC.
Gruev: “Here, everyone knows it’s the best league”
Last summer, Leeds returned to the Premier League after a two-year absence – Gruev played his part as a regular. With the exception of knee surgery which took him out of action between October 2024 and January 2025, the Bulgarian international has been out for much of the season. « The speed, especially in your head, is completely different, every detail decides. It’s just different when you go to Anfield Road or Old Trafford. The quality of the players is just incredible. And it’s the same every week. You don’t have easy games, » says Gruev. « No offense to the other big leagues, but the speed is different. Everything around is different too. Everyone here knows it’s the best league because there’s simply the most money available, that’s why it’s easier to sign a player. »
With five days remaining, Leeds have 39 points, the gap with Tottenham Hotspur, who occupies the first relegation place, is eight points, which makes Gruev positive. « If you had told us the current ranking before the season, we would have taken it straight away. We are having a very strong season, we are showing that we are competitive and that we are doing it very well. It is difficult to play against us, and we have also proven it against the best teams. It gives you courage and gives you confidence in yourself. You notice it because you see that you can score points in every game, no matter who. » Leeds drew twice against defending champions Liverpool and collected four points each against Manchester United and Chelsea. « We are happy with the points we took, but it must also be said that given the way we played, we deserved even more points. There were a few games where we conceded unfortunate goals, but with more luck it could be completely different. »
Leeds have won 26 of 39 points at Elland Road, losing just five home games. « Our fans are exceptional, the atmosphere is great and it’s just fun to play at Elland Road. After the win against Manchester United you realized what it meant 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 a lot to the people of Leeds. The home stats underline that, people push you here week after week, » Gruev said.
In the Premier League, Gruev faces the best players in the world every week, but some have given him particular challenges. « When we played at home against Man City, I played against Rayan Cherki – a top player. He has two feet, you never know what he’s going to do. He has so many brilliant moves. But also Declan Rice and Martín Zubimendi at Arsenal or Rodri at Man City, incredible. The quality is so high and it’s great that I can have experiences like that because it automatically makes you better. »
Gruev becomes more important as the season progresses
Gruev has appeared 23 times in the Premier League, including 15 in the starting XI. Between the beginning of September and the end of November, the national player with 27 caps experienced a more difficult phase because he was on the bench seven times for more than 90 minutes and only made two short appearances. Gruev has been allowed to start eleven times since the start of the year. With captain Ethan Ampadu, Anton Stach, Sean Longstaff and former Fortuna professional Ao Tanaka, the competition in central midfield is fierce. « My development curve is accelerating. At the beginning I didn’t play as much as I expected, but that’s part of the game with such a good team that you will have moments where you don’t get the playing time you want. With the change of system I got more minutes and I notice that I am taking a step forward. I am happy with my progress because it has always been the case, I have taken small steps instead of big ones and I want to keep going there », he explains.
From matchday 14, Farke changed his system and played a string of three instead of a string of four, which gave the team much more security. As a result, Leeds remained unbeaten for seven games and scored important points in the fight to stay in the league. « We have a very good relationship and Daniel trusts me a lot, just like the team trusts the coach. He has worked very successfully here for three years and is a really good coach. This shows in the way he prepares us for matches. We always want to have the ball and be dominant, but we are also flexible and can stand deeper. This is the mark of a good coach. The club has made great development in the three years under Daniel, and up until Now it’s an absolute success, » says Gruev. praising his coach.
About his fellow midfielder Stach, who is fighting for a place in the German national team at the World Cup, Gruev says: « Playing with Anton is very easy because he is a player who thinks for himself. Anton is a very good player who makes everything easy. Of course, you also depend on the quality of your teammates. If you have seen the goals that Anton has scored and provided assists, then you can see how good he is. I really appreciate it for he deserves to be at the World Cup and of course we are happy for all the colleagues who will be present at the World Cup.
Gruev on moving to Leeds: ‘It was anything but easy’
In August 2023, shortly before the end of the transfer window, Gruev left Werder Bremen to join Leeds, relegated to the second division championship, for 6.5 million euros. « Of course there was time pressure because the transfer window was only open for a few days, but Leeds showed me a clear plan and the phone call with Daniel was very promising. It showed me what kind of project was being created 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 went well here, » he sums up.
Gruev had celebrated promotion to the Bundesliga with Werder the previous year, played 31 times during the season and was on his way to becoming a regular. « The change wasn’t easy for me because I played for Werder for eight years. I got promoted with Werder and played my first Bundesliga season. But I was open to a new challenge and when the offer came from Leeds it was a very exciting opportunity, » said Gruev, who joined the Green and White youth team in 2015 and has been with the professional team since 2019. « I also saw how Werder developed positively, but I felt so much confidence from Leeds and then I decided to follow that path. I still remember that time fondly because I turned professional there and I still have a lot of friends there. But in (Site notre bureau spécialisé) sometimes you have to make decisions like that and it happens very quickly.
Since his move, Gruev has increased his market value from 3 million to 12 million euros, and since the summer it has increased by 7 million euros. His contract with Leeds runs until 2027, but he has no plans to leave. « I feel very comfortable here and see how the club is developing. The long-term plan is to become a top 10 team in the Premier League. If you can follow that path as a player and compete with the elite every week, that’s an absolute success. The fans also see which players have been there for how long and are happy with those who have been there from the start. » However, the focus is on the end of the season and the upcoming FA Cup semi-final. « A standout headline would be ‘Sensation, Leeds win the FA Cup!’. Then we would play the Europa League next year, which would be amazing, and here you become an absolute legend with a title, » Gruev responds when asked which (Site notre bureau spécialisé) headline he would like to read in 2026.
Interview: Jannek Ringen