Volgograd's Rotor 'Fired Up' to Sign Bulgarian Defender

Renowned sports journalist Sergey Ilyev revealed FC Rotor«s interest in Bulgarian defender Mateo Stamatov. In his Telegram channel, the journalist discussed the club»s plans for other players as well, ironically noting that the Volgograd team has «gotten fired up.»

«Rotor has three players in some positions. On one hand, squad depth is good, but on the other, for 13 rounds it»s too much: it could create an unhealthy situation within,« Sergey Ilyev reasons. »According to my information, Rotor is now ready to part ways with 21-year-old «limit player» Nikita Nikiforov, who was recruited from Chernomorets during the summer transfer window. Among other things, due to injury, he has played little. Nikiforov could be released outright.«

Rotor will part with old players and welcome new ones more than once, Sergey Ilyev believes.

«Apparently, the saga with Nikiforov»s peer Kirill Nikishin will soon end as well,« the journalist assumes. »Under the terms of the loan agreement, Rotor was obligated to take him to training camps. The Volgograd team is currently negotiating with Baltika to recall the forward back. In Rotor, there will be more players on the way out. And the door for arrivals isn«t closed either. A total reboot. If they don»t make it to the promotion matches, organizational conclusions may follow.«

While «the door for arrivals isn»t closed,« Sergey Ilyev believes that 26-year-old Bulgarian could appear in Rotor»s squad.

«The Volgograd team has gotten fired up. New Rotor head coach Dmitry Parfenov is interested in Mateo Stamatov. The Volgograd team is negotiating with the left defender, who currently plays for Septemvri, one of the underdogs in the Bulgarian championship. So far, the dialogue is not easy. In particular, the side of the 26-year-old player insists on a 2.5-year contract. Rotor hasn»t had foreign legionnaires from distant abroad for a long time, since the 2021/22 season when Dutchman Omar Ulad played for the team, so there are nuances.«

Previously, Mateo Stamatov played in Russia — for Orenburg and Nizhny Novgorod«s Pari NN, and since 2025 he has been playing for a Bulgarian club. And if he returns to Russia to play for Volgograd»s Rotor, he will «push aside» someone from the current players.

«If they decide on Stamatov, then apparently Maxim Khramtsov will be cut, and Vyacheslav Bardybakhin, who looked solid in the first part of the season and is on loan from Akron, will no longer be guaranteed a starting spot. Or he will be moved to the right, but then Alexander Korotkov will sit, and Gleb Shilnikov will be on the way out.»