Olivier Verdon

Ludogorets Razgrad were not the first stop for Olivier Verdon's career. Born in Clamart, France, and holding Beninese heritage, the defender came through the Angoulême academy before a spell with Bordeaux's reserve side. He was promoted into Bordeaux's first team, where he made a single Ligue 1 appearance, and then moved on a free transfer to Sochaux. A subsequent free move took him to Deportivo Alavés in Spain, though his time there was defined largely by loans away from the club — first to K.A.S. Eupen in the Belgian Pro League, then to Ludogorets Razgrad.

That loan spell at Ludogorets proved decisive. Ludogorets made the move permanent for a fixed fee. Verdon has since become a fixture of the club's dominant run domestically, collecting five Bulgarian First League titles in succession, five Bulgarian Supercups and two Bulgarian Cups. He has not picked up individual league honours, though he was named in the Team of the Round during the 2025–26 season.

Internationally, Verdon represents Benin, the country of his heritage rather than his birth. He has earned 46 caps for the national side without scoring, and has appeared at two Africa Cup of Nations tournaments, in 2019 and again in 2025.