Ivan Tsvetkov

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Ivan Tsvetkov
Personal information
Full nameIvan Petkov Tsvetkov
Date of birth (1979-08-31) 31 August 1979
Place of birthBlagoevgrad, Bulgaria
Height1.79 m (5 ft 10 1⁄2 in)
Playing positionForward
Club information
Current clubBotev Plovdiv
Number19
Youth career
Pirin Blagoevgrad
1997–1998SC Heerenveen
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps†(Gls)†
1998–2000SC Heerenveen16(2)
2000–2002BV Veendam66(40)
2002–2004FC Zwolle41(1)
2004–2005Helmond Sport32(19)
2005–2007Sparta Rotterdam41(8)
2007–2008Sivasspor41(11)
2008–2010Khazar Lankaran50(22)
2011Pirin Blagoevgrad12(8)
2011–2012Levski Sofia30(11)
2012–Botev Plovdiv38(18)
National team‡
2012–Bulgaria1(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 18 December 2013.

† Appearances (Goals).

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 14 November 2012

Ivan Petkov Tsvetkov (Bulgarian: Иван Цветков; born 31 August 1979 in Blagoevgrad) is a Bulgarian footballer, who plays as a forward for Botev Plovdiv.[1]

Career

Born in Blagoevgrad, Tsvetkov took up football with local side Pirin. At the age of 18, he joined Dutch SC Heerenveen's youth academy. In 1998 Tsvetkov started his senior career and during his two seasons at Abe Lenstra Stadion, he scored 2 goals in 16 matches.

In summer of 2000, Tsvetkov joined BV Veendam. After 18 goals in his first season, he was named as the Eerste Divisie top scorer at the close of the following 2001–02 season with a total of 22 goals in the league.

In July 2002, Tsvetkov transferred to Zwolle after Veendam accepted an undisclosed bid. He spent two years at Zwolle, where he capped 41 times and scored 1 goal, before moved to Helmond Sport.

In January 2007 after making 41 appearances for Sparta Rotterdam, Tsvetkov was transferred to Turkish side Sivasspor. He scored his first Süper Lig hat-trick on 30 March 2007, scoring four in a 4–0 win over Kasımpaşa.[2]

On 27 August 2008, Tsvetkov signed for Azerbaijani club Khazar Lankaran.[3] During that season, Ivan became a topscorer of his team, scoring 15 goals, and the second best goalscorer of the league.

Return to Pirin

On 4 March 2011, Tsvetkov returned to Bulgaria and signed for Pirin Blagoevgrad on a rolling contract until the end of the season.[4] On 2 April, in a 3–0 home victory over Montana, he netted his first goal in an A PFG match and assisted Krum Bibishkov and Anton Karachanakov.[5] Four days later Tsvetkov scored his first Bulgarian Cup goal as he netted the first in a 2–1 away victory over Lokomotiv Plovdiv. He continued his goal scoring form on 30 April, scoring the opening goal in the 2–0 home win over Beroe. On 4 May Ivan scored twice in a 2–3 home defeat to Levski Sofia.[6] Tsvetkov's 5th Pirin league goal came during a 2–2 away draw against Lokomotiv Plovdiv on 7 May. On 14 May, he scored the fifth goal of a 6–0 home victory over Akademik Sofia.[7] Four days later, Tsvetkov scored Pirin's second in a 2–2 away draw against CSKA Sofia. On 21 May, he netted from a free-kick in a 1–1 home draw against Chernomorets Burgas, securing Pirin's place in the top flight for the next season.

Levski Sofia

In June 2011, Tsvetkov signed for Levski Sofia. On 2 July, he made his unofficial debut and netted the only goal in the 1–0 win against Lokomotiv Sofia in an exhibition match, which marked the end of former Bulgarian international Georgi Markov's professional football career.[8] His official debut for Levski came on 28 July 2011 – he played the full 90 minutes in the 2–1 win over Slovak side FC Spartak Trnava in a UEFA Europa League match.[9] On 8 August 2011, in his first A PFG match for Levski, he scored the only goal in the 1–0 win against Slavia Sofia.[10] On 28 October 2011, Tsvetkov made his first appearance in The Eternal Derby of Bulgaria, coming on as a late substitute in the 0–1 loss against CSKA Sofia.[11] On 23 November 2011, he scored the only goal for Levski in the 1–0 win over FC Bansko in a 2011–12 Bulgarian Cup match.[12] Tsvetkov netted his first hat-trick for Levski in the 7–0 rout over Svetkavitsa on 23 May 2012.[13]

Botev Plovdiv

In late June 2012, Tsvetkov signed a contract with newly promoted A PFG side Botev Plovdiv.[14] In his first official match for the team, on 11 August 2012, Tsvetkov scored three goals and missed a penalty kick to help the club from Plovdiv to a 3–0 home win over Slavia Sofia. On 9 March 2013, he scored the second goal for Botev Plovdiv in the 2:0 milestone home win (the first one in 16 years) over Levski Sofia.[15] Tsvetkov has since become the team's captain and ended his first season as the second highest goalscorer in the A PFG. In May 2013, he sustained an injury which kept him out of action for 5 months. On 12 October 2013, Tsvetkov marked his return with a goal in the 3:0 win over PFC Neftochimic Burgas in a Bulgarian Cup match.[16]

International career

In November 2012, Tsvetkov was called up to the Bulgaria national team by head coach Luboslav Penev for a friendly match against Ukraine. He earned his first cap on 14 November, playing 27 minutes in the 0:1 defeat against the Ukrainians.[17]

Personal life

He also holds Dutch citizenship.[18] In 2003, he had to give up his Bulgarian nationality in order to acquire a Dutch passport,[19] but in November 2012 Tsvetkov reclaimed his Bulgarian citizenship.[20]

References

  1. ↑ "Ivan Tsvetkov Facts". footballdatabase.eu. 
  2. ↑ "Иван Цветков вкара 4 гола в един мач в Турция" (in Bulgarian). sportline.bg. Retrieved 30 March 2007. 
  3. ↑ "Sivasspor striker Ivan Tsvetkov to play in Azerbaijan". apa.az. Retrieved 27 August 2008. 
  4. ↑ "Иван Цветков подписа с Пирин" (in Bulgarian). monitor.bg. Retrieved 4 March 2011. 
  5. ↑ "Който си го може, си го може" (in Bulgarian). sportabg.com. Retrieved 7 May 2011. 
  6. ↑ "Левски" удари равностоен Пирин с 3:2 в Благоевград" (in Bulgarian). Retrieved 26 December 2011. 
  7. ↑ "Пирин смаза Академик и е близо до спасението" (in Bulgarian). Retrieved 26 December 2011. 
  8. ↑ "Георги Марков изигра своя бенефис, Левски победи Локомотив София (ОБЗОР)". Focus Sport. Retrieved 25 July 2011. 
  9. ↑ "Левски" обърна Спартак (Търнава) за 2 минути". profootball.bg. Retrieved 4 August 2011. 
  10. ↑ "Левски" стартира в "А" група с трудна победа над "Славия" с 1:0"". btv.bg. Retrieved 26 August 2011. 
  11. ↑ "ЦСКА спечели дербито, Левски скочи срещу съдията". Sport Webcafe. Retrieved 24 December 2011. 
  12. ↑ "Левски" би в Банско с гол на Иван Цветков". Blitz Sport. Retrieved 24 December 2011. 
  13. ↑ "Левски" взе бронза след 7:0,"сините" подпечатаха категорично визите за ЛЕ". topsport.bg. Retrieved 24 May 2012. 
  14. ↑ "Официално: Иван Цветков подписа с Ботев Пд". sportal.bg. Retrieved 24 June 2012. 
  15. ↑ "Ботев (Пд) подчини Левски след 16-годишно чакане, Цветков и Грънчаров точни за голямата победа с 2:0". topsport.bg. Retrieved 2014-02-05. 
  16. ↑ "Иван Цветков се завърна с гол, "Ботев" с класика над "Нефтохимик". gong.bg. Retrieved 14 October 2013. 
  17. ↑ "Ivan Tsvetkov national team match log". soccerway.com. Retrieved 17 November 2012. 
  18. ↑ "FC Levski Player Denied Bulgarian Passport". standartnews.com. Retrieved 28 June 2011. 
  19. ↑ "Иван Цветков за "Левски", за себе си, за Арс, за Бербатов, за Пирин и за "сините" фенове". gong.bg. Retrieved 17 November 2012. 
  20. ↑ "Цветков: Винаги съм бил българин, скоро и с паспорт". sportni.bg. Retrieved 17 November 2012. 

External links

PFC Botev Plovdiv – current squad
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