Ex-Leeds United captain proves impact for defeated cup finalists as European glory within reach
Former Leeds United skipper Liam Cooper watched on as his CSKA-Sofia side were beaten in the Bulgarian Cup final.
Ex-Leeds stalwart Cooper, 33, was an unused substitute on Thursday evening as capital club CSKA-Sofia were downed by a goal to nil against Ludogorets Razgrad in the Bulgarian Cup final.
CSKA had been on an impressive run leading up to the match, winning six straight games, but were defeated by Bulgarian First Professional League leaders Ludogorets.
While Cooper did not play a part on the night, his influence on CSKA since his arrival is notable. The club were in the lower reaches of the table at the time of his signing back in September but are one match away from booking their place in the UEFA Europa Conference League (UECL) qualifiers for next season.
Next week, CSKA will take on the league's fourth-placed finishers in a one-legged Conference League play-off, the winner of which entering the UECL's 2025/26 Second Qualifying Round. The club will aim to have Cooper available for that fixture on 31 May due to his impact on results.
How impactful has Cooper been?
Five of CSKA's six defeats in all competitions since Cooper arrived at the club have been in games which the Scotland international did not start, including four he did not feature in at all.
He may yet have the chance to compete in Europe for the first time in his career next season, though, as he remains contracted to the Bulgarian side until the end of 2025/26.
Ludogorets, meanwhile, completed a league and cup double with their victory over CSKA.