Nikolay Stefanov Iliev (Bulgarian: Николай Стефанов Илиев; born 31 March 1964) is a Bulgarian former professional footballer who played as a defender. He was part of the Bulgarian national team that reached the semi-finals of the 1994 World Cup.[1] Iliev's spent most of his career with Levski Sofia, managing 196 appearances and 25 goals in the A PFG as well as participating in 19 matches and netting 2 goals in European tournaments. He also had a spell with Bologna in Serie A in the late 1980s and early 1990s, becoming the first Bulgarian footballer to ply his trade in the top Italian league.[2]
 Iliev in 2014 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Nikolay Stefanov Iliev | ||
| Date of birth | 31 March 1964 | ||
| Place of birth | Sofia, Bulgaria | ||
| Height | 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Sweeper, centre back | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1982–1989 | Levski Sofia | 182 | (18) |
| 1989–1991 | Bologna | 28 | (3) |
| 1991–1992 | Hertha BSC | 10 | (1) |
| 1992–1993 | Levski Sofia | 14 | (7) |
| 1993–1995 | Stade Rennais | 5 | (0) |
| Total | 239 | (32) | |
| International career | |||
| 1986–1994 | Bulgaria | 53 | (5) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
International goals
edit- Scores and results list Bulgaria's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Iliev goal.[3][4]
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 23 January 1988 | Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum Stadium, Dubai, United Arab Emirates |  United Arab Emirates |
1–0 | 3–0 | Friendly match |
| 2 | 24 May 1988 | De Kuip, Rotterdam, Netherlands |  Netherlands |
1–1 | 2–1 | Friendly match |
| 3 | 22 March 1989 | Vasil Levski National Stadium, Sofia, Bulgaria |  West Germany |
1–0 | 1–2 | Friendly match |
| 4 | 16 October 1991 | Vasil Levski National Stadium, Sofia, Bulgaria |  San Marino |
4–0 | 4–0 | Euro 1992 qualifier |
Honours
editClub
editLevski Sofia
- Champion of Bulgaria: 1984, 1985, 1988, 1993
- Bulgarian Cup: 1982, 1984, 1986, 1992
- Cup of the Soviet Army: 1984, 1987, 1988
International
editBulgaria
- FIFA World Cup: fourth place 1994
Individual
editReferences
edit- ^ "1994 FIFA World Cup: Bulgaria Squad". FIFA.com. Archived from the original on 29 June 2007. Retrieved 22 January 2010.
- ^ "От "Левски" поздравиха легендата Николай Илиев". topsport.bg. 31 March 2020. Retrieved 1 April 2020.
- ^ "Nikolay Iliev - matches and goals for Bulgaria". eu-football.info. Retrieved 17 October 2020.
- ^ "ВИДЕО: Открийте разликите: Холандия - България 1:2 през 1988 и 2012 година". dariknews.bg. 27 May 2012. Retrieved 17 October 2020.
External links
edit- Nikolay Iliev at National-Football-Teams.com
- Profile at LevskiSofia.info
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