Their recent European record underlines the task ahead of Shamrock Rovers tonight and next week in Tallaght.
The only time in the last eight seasons that Ludogorets Razgrad failed to make the group stages of either the Champions or Europa League was in 2015/16, when their continental adventure was brought to an abrupt end by little-known Moldovan outfit Milsami Orhei.
There have been a couple of eye-catching results - a 2-1 win over Malmo last year, a pair of draws with Olympiacos and Midtjylland, a 2-2 draw away to Paris St Germain and a 5-1 win at home to CSKA Moscow.
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They even progressed 4-3 against Lazio in the 2013/14 Europa League round of 32.
There were some close calls too - a 2-1 defeat away to Inter Milan and a 1-0 reversal against AC, in another visit to the San Siro.
So while Ludogorets aren’t exactly a household name, they are well known on the European football circuit and widely respected for their achievements.
Such success doesn’t come on the cheap, however. Their owner is a billionaire who has made his fortune in the pharmaceutical industry.
In Irish footballing terms, Shamrock Rovers are doing well financially.
Along with sales in recent seasons of Gavin Bazunu and Liam Scales, Celtic owner Dermot Desmond has a 25 percent stake in the Dublin Hoops.
And they are guaranteed a minimum €1.4 million from this year’s European run - a figure that could run into the multiple millions should they clinch group stage football in one of the three competitions.
Success against Ludogorets would guarantee their ticket to continental competition long into the winter.
But while Rovers are relatively well off, they are in the ha’penny place compared to tonight’s opponents.
That’s why the side that has won the last 11 Bulgarian league titles are favourites to progress to a Champions League third round tie against either Dinamo Zagreb (Croatia) or Shkupi (Macedonia), with the losers of both ties facing off in the Europa League third round.
But it won’t temper the ambitions of the 19-time champions of Ireland.
They know that progress would represent an upset. But armed with the lessons of recent seasons, they will face Ludogorets with a determination to remain in Europe’s premier competition.
Ronan Finn is one of the few to play European group stage football with two Irish clubs. He did it with Rovers in 2011 and Dundalk five years later.
So he knows more than many how Irish attitudes to Europe have changed.
“That part of it annoys me a bit - the moral victories,” said the 34-year-old. “I’ve experienced enough of it where you do well, put on a good performance but fall.
“It’s something we’re trying to change. The manager is building a group to be more than that, to succeed in the challenge.
“I feel we’re coming to a stage where we’ve the squad to compete at the highest level, to play in the top games.
“(Tonight) will be a challenge. Over the years, I’ve played in the games that we’ve got turned over. We need to get away from that as a league.
“We’re doing that in this club. We’ve set our stall out by setting targets within the group and (tonight) is part of it.”
Last year Rovers almost overturned a two-goal deficit against Slovan Bratislava in the Champions League first round.
They were parachuted into the newly formed Europa Conference League and made it to the play-offs, where they were seen off far too easily by Flora Tallinn.
Lessons from those ties have formed part of the masterplan for this year’s crack at Europe.
“They are a top side, we have done our homework on them,” said Finn.
“As the manager has said, we have been here before, we have played against tough opposition, we will treat them with the same respect and we expect a tough game.
“But we are a good side and we will come up with a game plan.
“We have a game plan, we back ourselves as players, we have a template we play off.
“The level of detail we are given from the staff gives us that opportunity. Then it’s up to us, we are the ones who cross the white line, we are the ones on the pitch who have to deliver.
“But we have been given every opportunity with the homework we’ve been given.
“We are under no illusions, they are a good side. It’s a game over two legs and we want to make sure we are going back to Tallaght with it all to play for.”
Finn was one of a number of players who took to the training pitch last night with a shaved head.
It’s in aid of a fundraiser set up by manager Stephen Bradley’s family.
Bradley’s son Josh was diagnosed last month with acute lymphocytic leukaemia.
So far the fundraising drive has raised over €69,000.
“Listen, there’s a group of us who have done it,” said Finn.
“It’s something very close to Stephen’s family and is now part of our campaign.
“We want to bring success for Stephen’s family and this is just a small thing. If it puts a smile on Josh’s face, we’ll be delighted.”
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