Ilian Iliev

Ilian Iliev
Personal information
Full name Ilian Dimov Iliev
Date of birth July 2, 1968 (1968-07-02) (age 43)
Place of birth Varna, Bulgaria
Height 1.68 m (5 ft 6 in)
Playing position Midfielder (retired)
Club information
Current club Beroe (Manager)
Senior career*
Years Team Apps† (Gls)†
1986–1991 Cherno More 123 (31)
1991–1995 Levski Sofia 96 (19)
1993 → Altay (loan) 12 (3)
1995–1997 Benfica 40 (5)
1997 Slavia Sofia 11 (1)
1998 Bursaspor 15 (3)
1998 AEK Athens 8 (1)
1999 Levski Sofia 12 (1)
1999–2002 Marítimo 76 (10)
2002–2003 Salgueiros 25 (3)
2003–2004 Cherno More 18 (3)
Total 436 (80)
National team
1991–1998 Bulgaria 35 (3)
Teams managed
2004–2006 Cherno More
2006– Beroe
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.
† Appearances (Goals).

Ilian Dimov Iliev (Bulgarian: Илиан Димов Илиев, born July 2, 1968 in Varna, Bulgaria) is a Bulgarian former international football midfielder and currently manager of Beroe Stara Zagora. He is most famous for having played for the Portuguese club S.L. Benfica and Bulgarian sides Cherno More and Levski Sofia. In his professional career as a footballer, he received 35 international caps for the Bulgaria national football team.

Contents

Career

Iliev was born in Varna and started to play football at his hometown club Cherno More. After his good performances in the youth teams were caught, he was promoted into the first team in 1986. For five seasons, between 1986 and 1991, Iliev made 123 appearances and scored 31 goals for the club. He was transferred to Levski Sofia in the 1991–92 season, winning three times the Bulgarian A PFG and one Bulgarian Cup in five years with the club. In 1995, Iliev moved to Benfica and won the Taça de Portugal in the 1995–96 season. In his career he also played for Slavia Sofia, Turkish Bursaspor, Greek AEK Athens as well as for the Portuguese clubs Marítimo and Salgueiros. He finished his career at his first club Cherno More Varna in 2004.

International career

Iliev earned his first cap with Bulgaria in a friendly match against Turkey on 22 September 1991 in Stara Zagora. He registered 35 caps for his country, scoring three goals. Iliev was part of the Bulgarian squad at the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France, where he played in three games.[1]

Coaching career

After retiring in 2004, Iliev pursued a career as a coach. In June, 2004, he was appointed as a manager in his first club Cherno More Varna. However, on March 3, 2006, after a two years spell at the Sailors, he resigned after a home 0-1 loss against Rodopa Smolyan. Since 2006 (http://football.sportal.bg/news.php?news=12255), he serves as the manager of Beroe Stara Zagora,[2] making him one of the longest serving coach in a Bulgarian football club. Under his management in the 2009-10 season, Beroe won a historical first Bulgarian Cup and consequently achieved a participation in the UEFA Europa League qualification stages. Iliev has been voted best coach in the Bulgarian championship for the season 2009-10 by the association of Bulgarian football players.

Honours

As a player

Levski Sofia

Benfica

As a manager

Beroe

References

  1. ^ "The Bulgarian squad for the 1998 World Cup finals". bulgarian-football.com. http://www.bulgarian-football.com/bgteam98.html. 
  2. ^ "Beroe back to their best under Iliev". UEFA.com. http://www.uefa.com/memberassociations/association=bul/news/newsid=1469449.html. Retrieved 2010-03-29. 

External links

Bulgaria squad – 1998 FIFA World Cup
PFC Beroe Stara Zagora – current squad