Dimitar Ivanov Berbatov (Bulgarian:Димитър Иванов Бербатов; born 30 January 1981)[3] is a Bulgarian former professionalfootballer who played as astriker. Known for his technique and ball control, Berbatov is regarded as one of the greatest Bulgarian players of all time.[5] Hecaptained theBulgarian national team from 2006 to 2010 and is the nation’s top goalscorer with 48 goals, a record shared withHristo Bonev.
After five and a half years with Leverkusen, he joined the EnglishPremier League clubTottenham Hotspur in July 2006, spending two years at the club and winning the2008 EFL Cup, where he scored a penalty in the final to win 2–1 overcity rivalsChelsea. In 2008, Berbatov joinedManchester United where he played in his second Champions League final in2009, during his side's 2–0 defeat againstBarcelona. After four seasons with United, during which time he won twoPremier League titles in2008–09 and2010–11, as well as thePremier League Golden Boot in 2010–11, he joinedFulham in August 2012. He had later spells in France withMonaco, Greece withPAOK, and India withKerala Blasters, before retiring in 2019.
Berbatov made his debut forBulgaria on 17 November 1999, aged 18.[7][8] He represented Bulgaria atEuro 2004 which was the only major tournament he played at for his country, owing to the team's failure to qualify for other tournaments.[9] Berbatovcaptained the team from 2006 until May 2010,[10] when he announced his retirement from international football, leaving his tally for Bulgaria standing at 48 goals from 78 matches.[11] He won theBulgarian Footballer of the Year a record seven times, surpassing the number of wins byHristo Stoichkov.
Dimitar Ivanov Berbatov was born on 30 January 1981 inBlagoevgrad to Ivan Berbatov and Margarita Berbatova, both professional athletes themselves: Ivan was a footballer withPirin andCSKA Sofia,[6] while Margarita was ahandball player.[12] His father and mother worked in a tobacco factory and nursing, respectively, after their sporting careers; during the hardship of the final years ofcommunism in Bulgaria, Berbatov did not have a football and had to practice with a basketball or a pig bladder.[13] Growing up, Berbatov supported Italian clubMilan, and he modelled himself afterMarco van Basten, their famous Dutch forward. He also idolised England andNewcastle United strikerAlan Shearer.[14]
Berbatov began his youth career with his home-town club,Pirin, where his talent was spotted and he scored 77 goals for theirreserve team in 92 appearances. Berbatov joined the youth squad of his father's former club,CSKA Sofia, after being spotted by scout and managerDimitar Penev in 1998.[15] He signed his first professional contract with the club and made his debut during the 1998–99 season, at the age of 18. He won theBulgarian Cup with CSKA at the end of that season. Berbatov's first game in Europe came in September 1999, in a 2–0 defeat against his childhood team Newcastle United;[16][17] it was during that season, 1999–2000, that he started to make his name, scoring 14 goals in 27league matches.[18] On 24 August 2000, Berbatov scored five goals in the 8–0 home win overConstructorul Chișinău in aUEFA Cup first qualifying round match, becoming the only CSKA Sofia player to manage this feat in a single game in the European tournaments.[19] Berbatov nearly signed for Italian sideLecce in June 2000, even passing a medical before the move collapsed at the last minute.[20]
A run of nine goals in eleven games during the first half of the 2000–01 season was enough to persuade German clubBayer Leverkusen to pay €1.3 million to sign a four-year contract with Berbatov on 1 January 2001.[21] Berbatov played for the club'sreserve team in theOberliga Nordrhein at first, and scored six goals in seven appearances before being promoted to the first team.[22] He made his team debut in a 4–3 pre-season friendly win againstD.C. United, scoring a hat-trick.[23] His league debut for the first team came on 10 February 2001, replacingUlf Kirsten in a 4–1 victory against1. FC Köln.[24] Berbatov found himself being used as a substitute by managerBerti Vogts, making six appearances and scoring no goals as Leverkusen finished fourth and qualified for the following season'sUEFA Champions League.[22]
During the next season, Berbatov scored 16 goals and made important contributions to the club's Champions League campaign,[25][26] scoring in a 4–2 win over English clubLiverpool in the quarter-finals as Leverkusen eventually reached the final.[27] In thefinal itself, againstReal Madrid, Berbatov came on as a substitute forThomas Brdarić after 38 minutes before Leverkusen lost 2–1.[28] Leverkusen also finished asrunners-up in theBundesliga behindBorussia Dortmund,[29] and lost theDFB–Pokal final 4–2 toSchalke 04,[30][31] thus completing an unusual treble of runners-up finishes.[32] Berbatov established his place as the first-choice forward during the next season, 2002–03, and netted his team's goal againstManchester United on 24 September 2002, during a 2–1 defeat for Leverkusen.[33] He scored 16 goals in 24 league appearances during the 2003–04 season,[25] before the following two seasons saw the Bulgarian raise awareness of his talent by netting 46 goals in the league over the two seasons and five times in the2004–05 Champions League. During this time, he was linked with numerous foreign clubs, includingCeltic,Atlético Madrid and Liverpool.[34][35][36]
Tottenham Hotspur reached an agreement with Bayer Leverkusen for Berbatov's transfer in May 2006;[37][38] the fee of €16 million (£10.9 million) made him the most expensive Bulgarian footballer ever.[39][40] Once he was granted a British work permit, the transfer was completed on 1 July 2006.[41] After Tottenham lost 2–0 toBolton Wanderers in Berbatov's first league match in England on 19 August 2006,[42] he scored his first goal for Spurs three days later in a 2–0 home victory againstSheffield United.[43]
Berbatov's seven goals in eight European games during his debut season for Tottenham helped the club to secure top spot during theUEFA Cup's group stage,[44][45][46] making his third European debut in October 2006, scoring a goal during a 2–0 victory againstBeşiktaş.[47] He made a total of eight appearances, scoring seven goals as Tottenham were eliminated 3–4 on aggregate againstSevilla.[48][49] However, he took a while to adapt to the Premier League, taking a few months to regain the league form he had shown at Leverkusen. He gave a strong performance againstWigan Athletic in November 2006, scoring one and creating the other two in a 3–1 win for Spurs,[50] and began to score regularly.[51] He scored his firstFA Cup goals on 18 February 2007 when he came on as a second-half substitute in a 4–0 win overFulham and netted two of the four goals.[52] Berbatov and Spurs teammateRobbie Keane were named joint winners of thePremier League Player of the Month award for April 2007, and in doing so became the first players to share the award since February 2004.[53] He ended the 2006–07 season with 12 goals in 33 appearances in the Premier League,[54] and won both the Tottenham Hotspur Player of the Season award and a place in the PFA Premier League Team of the Year.[55]
Berbatov scored his first Premier Leaguehat-trick on 29 December 2007, scoring four in a 6–4 win overReading.[56] His first cup final for Tottenham came on 24 February 2008 in theFootball League Cup; Spurs facedChelsea atWembley Stadium. Berbatov scored an equalising penalty as Tottenham went on to win the game 2–1 after extra time.[57] He ended the season with 15 league goals.[54] Before the next season, 2008–09,Manchester United managerAlex Ferguson was quoted by newspapers as saying he expected to sign Berbatov; Tottenham submitted a complaint to the Premier League alleging that Manchester United had broken league rules.[58][59] Ongoing rumours of a substantial bid by Ferguson's club unsettled him, and Berbatov was dropped for the games againstSunderland and Chelsea during August, the season's first month.[60]
Berbatov playing for Manchester United in October 2008, during a Champions League match againstCeltic
Berbatov moved to Manchester United on 1 September 2008, costing the club £30.75 million and signing a four-year contract.[61][62][63] Tottenham had also accepted a bid fromManchester City, but Berbatov claimed after signing for United that he "would not even have thought about Manchester City".[64]Arsenal managerArsène Wenger, meanwhile, accused Tottenham of having used the complaint to the Premier League to negotiate a higher price for Berbatov from Manchester United.[65]
Berbatov marked his Manchester United debut away at Liverpool with an assist for aCarlos Tevez goal, but United lost the game 2–1.[66] His first two goals for the club came in the 3–0 win away toAalborg BK in theChampions League group stage on 30 September 2008.[67] He netted his first league goals in Manchester United colours during a 4–0 victory overWest Bromwich Albion. Alex Ferguson defended Berbatov after he was criticised for missing a penalty during the2008–09 FA Cup semi-final againstEverton, which Manchester United eventually lost by a penalty shoot-out.[68] Soon after, Berbatov scored the fifth of United's goals as they came back from 2–0 down at half-time to win 5–2 against his former team, Tottenham Hotspur.[69] When Manchester United won the Premier League on 16 May 2009, Berbatov became the first Bulgarian to play in an English Premier League title-winning team.[70] After Berbatov struggled to make an impact during the2009–10 season, there was some media speculation that Berbatov would leave Manchester United, but this was denied by Alex Ferguson.[71]
"I think we are being rewarded this season for our confidence in a player who has a touch of genius about him."
Berbatov scored United's third goal in the 92nd minute of their 3–1 win overChelsea in the2010 Community Shield on 8 August.[73] Eight days later, Berbatov scored his and United's first league goal of theseason, opening the scoring in their 3–0 home victory overNewcastle United in the club's first match of the campaign.[74] He scored his first hat-trick for United on 19 September, scoring all three of his team's goals in a 3–2 home win overrivalsLiverpool; the second goal, an overhead kick, became a contender for the league'sGoal of the Season.[75] It was the first hat-trick by a Manchester United player against Liverpool in 64 years.[76]
Berbatov made his 100th appearance for United on 10 November in a 0–0 away league draw in theManchester derby on 11 November 2010.[77] Sixteen days later, he tied aleague record by scoring five goals in a game during a 7–1 home victory overBlackburn Rovers; he was the first non-Englishman to net five in a Premier League match, and joinedAndrew Cole,Alan Shearer andJermain Defoe as the only players overall to do so.[78] He was namedBulgarian Footballer of the Year for a record seventh time on 20 December 2010.[79]
Berbatov netted his first goals of the 2011 calendar year with his third hat-trick of the season in a 5–0 home win over Birmingham City on 22 January.[80] This made him the first United player sinceRuud van Nistelrooy (in2002–03) to score three hat-tricks in the same season.[81] In January 2011, Berbatov was named by theInternational Federation of Football History & Statistics as Europe's most popular footballer among active players for 2010.[82] After being dropped to the bench for games against Arsenal and Marseille, Berbatov returned as a second-half substitute forJavier Hernández against Bolton Wanderers on 19 March and scored the winner in the 88th minute (his 20th goal of the season), giving United a 1–0 victory.[83] He scored his 21st in a following Premier League start against Fulham where United won 2–0. As top scorer of Premier League, Berbatov was a member of the PFA Team of the Year for the 2010–11 season alongsideCarlos Tevez. Berbatov also shared thePremier League Golden Boot award with his former Manchester United teammate.[84] On 28 May 2011, he was left out of the Manchester United squad for theChampions League Final, in which United lost 3–1 toBarcelona.[85]
Berbatov playing for Manchester United in 2011
Berbatov played his first game of the 2011–12 season in an away match against West Bromwich Albion, coming on as a substitute replacing Danny Welbeck, a game which United won 2–1. Berbatov appeared from the substitute's bench against Chelsea, replacing the injuredJavier Hernández. United won the game 3–1. Berbatov made his first start of the season in the following game, aLeague Cup third round clash with rivalsLeeds United. He played the full game and was required to play at centre back for the last 10 minutes; youngsterZeki Fryers picked up an injury and United had already used all three permitted substitutes. Berbatov struggled for chances on the night, but United did win the game 3–0. On 25 October 2011, he scored the first goal, after a neat passing build-up and also helped set up a goal for Michael Owen in a 3–0 win againstAldershot Town in the fourth round of the League Cup.[86]
On 22 November 2011, Berbatov ended his long run without a goal in theChampions League by scoring the equaliser in a home game againstBenfica in a 2–2 draw. On 21 December 2011, he came on as a second-half substitute during aPremier League match againstFulham replacingDanny Welbeck. He scored his 50th goal for Manchester United in all competitions, thus becoming Manchester United's 50th player to score 50 goals for the club. This was also his first goal of the 2011–12 Premier League season.
On 26 December 2011, Berbatov scored a hat-trick in a 5–0 win againstWigan Athletic. This was Berbatov's fourthPremier League hat trick for Manchester United and fifth overall in the division. In the next league game against Blackburn Rovers, Berbatov gave away a first half penalty, when he draggedChristopher Samba to the ground. In the second half, after going 2–0 behind, United responded quickly with two goals from Berbatov. The first, he directed his header past the keeper afterRafael da Silva's mishit cross, and then he fired homeAntonio Valencia's pullback to level the game. However, United went on to lose the game 3–2.
In the 2012 January transfer window, Berbatov was linked with a move toBayern Munich, but the rumour was quashed when Berbatov's contract was extended for another year.[87] On 31 January, Berbatov scored a goal in a 2–0 league win at Old Trafford againstStoke City, scoring the second of two penalties on the night.
On 31 August 2012, it was announced Berbatov had signed a two-year contract withFulham for an undisclosed fee of approximately £5 million, reuniting with his former Tottenham managerMartin Jol.[88][89] He made his debut the following day, in a 3–0 loss againstWest Ham United, coming off the bench at half-time forMladen Petrić.[90] On 15 September, he made his home debut and scored twice in a 3–0 win againstWest Bromwich Albion.[91] On 10 November Berbatov played 90 minutes against Arsenal, in a game in which he made an assist and scored twice in a 3–3 draw.[92]
After scoring against Southampton on 26 December 2012, Berbatov took off his shirt to reveal the words "keep calm and pass me the ball" written on his vest, a celebration for which he was yellow-carded and which Jol described as "not the brightest thing to do".[93] On 30 January 2013, his 32nd birthday, Berbatov scored the first in a 3–1 home win against West Ham, raising his tally in the Premier League to eight since joining the Cottagers.[94] On 17 March, he scored the only goal of a win at his former club Tottenham; it was his fourth in five games and 11th overall. After his goal, teammatesAshkan Dejagah andSascha Riether celebrated with each other and not with Berbatov, which Jol said was due to Berbatov's body language being misconstrued as critical of his teammates.[95] He followed it two weeks later with a brace in the first half of a 3–2 win over West London rivalsQueens Park Rangers,[96] and finished the season with 15 goals in 33 games, joint seventh best in the league.[97]
In 2013–14, Berbatov filled in as Fulham captain duringBrede Hangeland's injury absence.[98] As with the previous season, he was criticised by fans and pundits for appearing disinterested and reacting badly when not passed to, and contributed 5 goals in 19 games in the first half of the season.[98][99] The season ended with Fulham relegated in 19th place, after the dismissals of Jol and his replacementRené Meulensteen.[100]
On the January 2014 deadline, it was reported thatAS Monaco had signed Berbatov to replace the injuredRadamel Falcao for the remainder of the season. At first, it was believed to be a loan move, although it was later revealed that Fulham had released Berbatov.[101][102][103] Berbatov made hisLigue 1 debut in a 1–1 home draw againstParis Saint-Germain on 9 February, coming on as a second-half substitute forValère Germain. His first goal came three days later, scoring inextra time for a 1–0 win overNice in theCoupe de France. Berbatov scored his first goal in the league on 8 March in a 2–1 home win againstSochaux. He ended the season with 6 goals from 12 league games and on 16 May, he signed a new one-year contract at the club.[104] In the first leg of theChampions League match against Arsenal, Berbatov scored a second away goal, in a 3–1 victory.[105] He left the club on 1 June 2015, after the club decided against renewing his contract, with Monaco releasing a statement praising the 34-year-old for his "character, his professionalism and his great talent". Monaco president Vadim Vasilyev added: "He is clearly among the greatest strikers who have played for Monaco. We are proud of what he brought to the club and wish him the best in the future."[106]
On 2 September 2015, it was announced that Berbatov had signed a one-year contract with Greek clubPAOK.[107] On 10 June 2016, he was released after a single season.[108]
After a year without a club, Berbatov signed withIndian Super League clubKerala Blasters on 23 August 2017 on a one-year deal for a salary of₹75 million (approximately £900,000).[109][110] Berbatov scored his first goal againstATK on 8 February 2018.[111] Berbatov was mainly used as a substitute or as adefensive midfielder instead of his prime position as astriker and commented that the then-managerDavid James used "absurd tactics". He left the club at the end of the regular season in March 2018.[112]
After a year-and-a-half without a club, but training several times withBeroe Stara Zagora, Berbatov officially announced his retirement from football on 19 September 2019.[113]
Following his retirement Berbatov competed in matches for other charities, including Unity Kickoff – Play For a Cause and theDavid James Foundation.[114][115] He had also competed atSoccer Aid 2016 for Team Rest of the World prior to retirement.[116]
Berbatov has also competed in legends matches for his former clubs. He has competed in three matches forManchester United in 2022, 2024 and 2025 as well as one match forTottenham Hotspur in 2025, with all four of these matches being held in benefit for the club's two non-profit foundations.[117][118][119][120]
Berbatov made his debut forBulgaria on 17 November 1999, aged 18, when he came on as a substitute forAleksandar Aleksandrov in a 1–0friendly loss againstGreece.[121][122] He scored his first goal for his country on 12 February 2000 in another friendly defeat, 3–2 againstChile,[121][123] and represented Bulgaria atEuro 2004. This was the only major tournament he played at for his country, owing to the team's failure to qualify for other tournaments.[124] In 2007, he scored two goals in the final of theCyprus International Football Tournament against the host nation,Cyprus, to give Bulgaria a 3–0 win and Berbatov his only international title with the national team.[125] He scored a hat-trick in the 6–2 home win in a2010 World Cup qualification match againstGeorgia in October 2009, enabling him to bring his goal tally for the national side to 46 goals, just one short of the then all-time top scorer forBulgaria,Hristo Bonev;[126] after scoring two goals againstMalta during a 4–1 friendly away win during the following month, he took the record.[127]
Berbatovcaptained the team from 2006 until May 2010,[128] when he announced his retirement from international football, leaving his tally for Bulgaria standing at 48 goals from 78 matches.[129] In February 2012, newly appointed Bulgaria head coachLyuboslav Penev revealed that Berbatov was willing to consider coming out of international retirement and participate in an upcomingfriendly againstHungary. Berbatov eventually decided against accepting a call-up for the match, as he didn't feel that he was in top shape, but at the time did not rule out a return to the national side at some point in the future.[128] In September 2012, he reconfirmed his international retirement.[130]
"I am a relaxed guy. I play that way and I can't change my style. I watch games and see guys who panic on the ball – they look so nervous. I can be calm, because I sometimes know what I want to do before the ball comes to me. The boss [Alex Ferguson] tells me not to change anything – he gives me freedom to express my qualities."
Berbatov was known for his footballing intelligence, technical ability, ball control, and composure; in particular, his unhurried stance in front of goal was described byThe Scotsman's Tom Lappin as "elegant and calm". He also possessed exceptional precision when passing and shooting, and took his time when on attack in order to ensure the best move possible. As such, he was often used as adeep-lying centre forward, receiving passes from the midfield, holding the ball up and then using his tactical acumen and well-honed skill to bring his teammates into the game. He was also deployed as a lonestriker at times, due to his goalscoring ability. His impressive physical stature combined with these attributes to form a strong all-round attacking player.[132][133][134][135][136]
It was because of these characteristics that he was signed by Manchester United, who intended for Berbatov to complement the combative and busy style of their English strikerWayne Rooney. Whereas Rooney was known for exerting himself vigorously for the entirety of a match, Berbatov employed a more laid-back and composed style, and because of this was sometimes criticised by observers who interpreted this as laziness;[132][133] he was also accused of being inconsistent at times by certain pundits.[137] On signing for Manchester United, Berbatov attracted comparisons with former United forwardEric Cantona, not only because of his languid and impeccable touch, but also because of his bravado and perceived arrogance.[134] Berbatov was, however, capable of adapting his style to play more directly when required; in April 2010, for example, with Rooney absent, Berbatov gave a performance against his former side Tottenham which, in James Ducker's words, was as if he had "decided to take it upon himself to impersonate the England striker". Combining uncharacteristic determination and effort with his regular technical skill, he contributed to the first Manchester United goal and helped United to a 3–1 victory.[138]
Berbatov maintained a private family life outside the pitch, kept a small inner circle of confidants and rarely socialised with his teammates.[139] He learned to speak English by watching the AmericanGodfather series of films;[140] outside football, he lists his hobbies as drawing andbasketball.[141] Berbatov is a sponsor of children's charities in his native Bulgaria, supporting five care homes.[142] He is also the founder of the Dimitar Berbatov Foundation, which helps young people to develop their talents. Berbatov's long-time girlfriend, Elena, gave birth to their first child, a girl named Dea, on 15 October 2009 at a hospital inSofia.[143] In November 2012, he had his second daughter, Elia.[144]
Berbatov claims that at the age of eighteen, he was held hostage with plans of making him sign forGeorgi Iliev's football team,Levski Kyustendil. Berbatov's father contactedCSKA Sofia's bossIliya Pavlov who set things straight.[145] In 2009, reports emerged that Berbatov was forced to leave Bulgaria, since local mafia threatened to kidnap his family.[18] In November 2018, Berbatov officially unveiled his autobiographyПо моя начин (In my own way).[146] The foreword was written by former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson, who apologised for leaving Berbatov out of the2011 UEFA Champions League final.[13]
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