 Stoilov in 2022 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Stanimir Kolev Stoilov | ||
| Date of birth | (1967-02-13)13 February 1967 (age 58) | ||
| Place of birth | Haskovo, Bulgaria | ||
| Height | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) | ||
| Position | Midfielder /Defender | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Göztepe (manager) | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1977–1986 | Haskovo | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1987–1990 | Haskovo | 101 | (61) |
| 1990–1992 | Levski Sofia | 56 | (18) |
| 1992–1993 | Fenerbahçe | 8 | (3) |
| 1994 | CSKA Sofia | 12 | (4) |
| 1994–1995 | Levski Sofia | 27 | (13) |
| 1995–1997 | Campomaiorense | 52 | (19) |
| 1997–1998 | Slavia Sofia | 29 | (12) |
| 1998–2003 | Levski Sofia | 111 | (6) |
| Total | 396 | (136) | |
| International career | |||
| 1992–2000 | Bulgaria | 14 | (3) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2004–2008 | Levski Sofia | ||
| 2007 | Bulgaria | ||
| 2008–2009 | Litex Lovech | ||
| 2009–2010 | Bulgaria | ||
| 2010–2011 | Anorthosis Famagusta | ||
| 2013–2014 | Botev Plovdiv | ||
| 2014–2018 | Astana | ||
| 2018–2019 | Kazakhstan | ||
| 2021–2023 | Levski Sofia | ||
| 2023– | Göztepe | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Stanimir Kolev Stoilov (Bulgarian:Станимир Колев Стоилов; born 13 February 1967) is a Bulgarian former footballer and football manager who is head coach ofGöztepe in theSüper Lig.[1] He is best known for two successful spells atLevski Sofia, reaching the2005–06 UEFA Cup quarter-finals and, in 2006, taking Levski to theUEFA Champions League group stage for the first time in Bulgarian club history; domestically he won league titles in 2005–06 and 2006–07, theBulgarian Cup in 2004–05 and 2006–07, and theBulgarian Supercup in 2005 and 2007.
Abroad, Stoilov ledFC Astana to multiple domestic honours and, in 2015, to theUEFA Champions League group stage—the first Kazakh club to do so—after eliminatingNK Maribor,HJK Helsinki andAPOEL. At international level he was caretaker ofBulgaria in June 2007 and head coach from 2009 to 2010, and later coached theKazakhstan national football team (2018–2019), guiding them through the inauguralUEFA Nations League before being succeeded by Michal Bílek.[2]
Since taking overGöztepe in November 2023, he won promotion to theSüper Lig in April 2024, led the club to theTurkish Cup semi-finals in 2024–25, and signed a contract extension in February 2025.[3][4] As a player he appeared forLevski Sofia,Fenerbahçe,CSKA Sofia,S.C. Campomaiorense andSlavia Sofia, and earned 14 caps and three goals for Bulgaria between 1992 and 2000.[5][6]
Stoilov began his senior career withFC Haskovo (1985–1990) before joiningLevski Sofia (1990–1992).[7] In 1992 he moved abroad toFenerbahçe in Turkey, where he was registered with the club during the 1992–93 season as confirmed by the Turkish Football Federation database.[8] He returned to Bulgaria in 1993 for a brief spell atCSKA Sofia (1993–1994) and rejoined Levski for 1994–95, before a two-year stint in Portugal withS.C. Campomaiorense (1995–1997).[9] In the Portuguese top flight he made 31 league appearances and scored seven goals for Campomaiorense in 1995–96.[citation needed] He later played forSlavia Sofia (1997–1998) and finished his career back at Levski (1998–2003), where he served as club captain in his final spell.[10][11] Primarily an attacking midfielder/forward, Stoilov earned 14 senior caps and scored three goals for theBulgaria national football team between 1992 and 2000.[12]
In 2004, Stanimir Stoilov was appointed head coach ofLevski Sofia. Under his management, Levski reached the quarter-finals of the2005–06 UEFA Cup, and in August 2006 became the first Bulgarian club to qualify for theUEFA Champions League group stage. He also led the side to theBulgarian league titles in 2005–06 and 2006–07, theBulgarian Cup in 2004–05 and 2006–07, and theBulgarian Supercup in 2005 and 2007.[13][14][15][16][17]
In April 2007, Stanimir Stoilov was appointed caretaker of theBulgaria national football team for twoUEFA Euro 2008 qualifying matches against Belarus; Bulgaria won 2–0 in Minsk on 2 June and 2–1 in Sofia on 6 June.[18][19][20]
On 7 May 2008, Levski Sofia dismissed Stoilov along with executive director Nasko Sirakov following the conclusion of the league campaign.[21][22] Before the 2008–09 season he took over atLitex Lovech and won theBulgarian Cup in May 2009, defeating Pirin Blagoevgrad 3–0 in the final; he resigned that August after Litex failed to reach theUEFA Europa League group stage.[23][24]
In January 2009, Stoilov was announced as Bulgaria’s head coach for the remainder of the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying cycle.[25] Bulgaria finished outside the qualification places inGroup 8; the campaign featured 1–1 draws home and away against theRepublic of Ireland, a 4–1 away defeat toCyprus, and a 6–2 home win overGeorgia.[26][27][28][29] He remained in charge into theUEFA Euro 2012 qualifying campaign but resigned after Bulgaria opened with defeats to England and Montenegro in September 2010.[30]
In 2010, Bulgaria endured a poor run under Stoilov, losing five of six matches; the only positive result was a 1–1 friendly draw away toSouth Africa on 24 May.[31] On 7 September 2010, Bulgaria were beaten 1–0 byMontenegro in Sofia inUEFA Euro 2012 qualifying; later that evening Stoilov announced his resignation as national coach.[32][33]
Stoilov took charge ofAnorthosis Famagusta in December 2010, inheriting a side struggling domestically; his appointment and targets (top-four finish and a cup run) were announced by UEFA at the time.[34]
In December 2012 he was appointed head coach ofBotev Plovdiv and made his debut on 1 March 2013 againstSlavia Sofia.[35] In the2013–14 UEFA Europa League Botev came through qualifying to the play-off round, where they were eliminated byVfB Stuttgart on away goals (1–1 home, 0–0 away).[36][37]
On 22 June 2014 he was appointed byFC Astana of theKazakhstan Premier League.[38] Astana won the league title in 2014, starting a run of domestic dominance under Stoilov,[39] and in 2015 became the first club from Kazakhstan to reach theUEFA Champions League group stage. They eliminatedNK Maribor andHJK Helsinki to reach the play-off, then knocked outAPOEL (2–1 agg.).[40][41][42]
In March 2018, after leaving Astana, Stoilov was appointed head coach of theKazakhstan national football team. He led the side through the 2018–19UEFA Nations League (League D, Group 1), finishing second behind Georgia, before his tenure ended in January 2019 when the Kazakhstan Football Federation appointed Michal Bílek as successor.[43][44][45]
On 1 September 2021, Stoilov returned toLevski Sofia as head coach with the team 10th after six league matches (two wins, four losses) and in a difficult financial position. In his first week he releasedSimeon Slavchev,Valeri Bojinov andHristo Hubchev, and signedJosé Córdoba (fromEtar) andDimitar Kostadinov (fromSeptemvri Sofia).
Levski improved immediately, taking 20 points by the winter break (5–5–3) and reaching theBulgarian Cup quarter-finals after wins overMarek Dupnitsa andSeptemvri Simitli. During the January window six players departed (includingGjoko Zajkov,Christos Shelis,Ivaylo Naydenov,Borislav Tsonov,Georgi Aleksandrov andMartin Petkov) and six arrived: defendersKellian van der Kaap andNoah Sonko Sundberg; midfieldersIliyan Stefanov (fromBeroe) andFilip Krastev (on loan fromLommel); and BraziliansWenderson Tsunami (left-back) andWelton (forward).
In the spring, Levski went 11–2–2 in the league to finish fourth. In the cup they eliminated Septemvri Sofia in the quarter-finals, beatLudogorets Razgrad 4–2 on aggregate in the semi-finals, and defeatedCSKA Sofia 1–0 in the final with a long-range goal from Iliyan Stefanov. GoalkeeperPlamen Andreev started all six cup matches, conceding two goals (both in the first leg againstLudogorets).
On 21 November 2023, Stoilov was appointed head coach ofGöztepe on a 2.5-year deal.[46] He guided theİzmir club to automatic promotion from theTFF First League in2023–24 with two rounds to spare, clinched by a 2–0 home win overGençlerbirliği on 28 April 2024.[47][48] In 2024–25 he led Göztepe to theTurkish Cup semi-finals, eliminating holdersBeşiktaş 3–1 away in the quarter-finals before losing toTrabzonspor in the last four.[49][50] On 22 February 2025,Göztepe announced that Stoilov’s contract had been extended through the end of the 2026–27 season, with an option for a further year.[51]
Analysts describe Stoilov’s sides as organised and proactive, with emphasis on compact defending, quick progression and sustained possession in the opposition half. During Astana’s 2015–16 UEFA Champions League campaign his team were noted for discipline and structure, traits highlighted in contemporary coverage of Kazakhstan’s first group-stage appearance.[52][53][54]
Stoilov has also spoken about expecting his teams to “play to win” and to show responsibility and initiative, comments he repeated on taking the Kazakhstan job and ahead of the inaugural UEFA Nations League.[55][56]
He is regarded for integrating young players and late bloomers into senior roles. In his 2021–22 return to Levski Sofia he trusted 2004-born goalkeeper Plamen Andreev through the Bulgarian Cup run and built around recent arrivals such as Welton and Iliyan Stefanov; Levski ended a 13-year trophy drought by winning the 2022 final, decided by Stefanov’s goal.[57][58]
| Club performance | League | National cup[a] | Continental | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Club | League | Season | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |
| Haskovo | B Group | 1987–88 | 32 | 11 | – | – | 32 | 11 | |||
| 1988–89 | 33 | 23 | – | – | 33 | 23 | |||||
| 1989–90 | 36 | 27 | – | – | 36 | 27 | |||||
| Total | 101 | 61 | – | – | 101 | 61 | |||||
| Levski Sofia | A Group | 1990–91 | 30 | 11 | 8 | 2 | – | 38 | 13 | ||
| 1991–92 | 26 | 7 | 9 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 36 | 14 | |||
| Total | 56 | 18 | 17 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 74 | 27 | |||
| Fenerbahçe | 1.Lig | 1992–93 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3[b] | 0 | 11 | 3 | |
| CSKA Sofia | A Group | 1993–94 | 12 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 4 | |
| Levski Sofia | A Group | 1994–95 | 27 | 13 | 2 | 1 | 2[b] | 1 | 31 | 15 | |
| Campomaiorense | Primeira Divisão | 1995–96 | 31 | 7 | – | – | – | 31 | 7 | ||
| Segunda Liga | 1996–97 | 21 | 12 | – | – | – | 21 | 12 | |||
| Total | 52 | 19 | 2 | 1 | – | 52 | 19 | ||||
| Slavia Sofia | A Group | 1997–98 | 29 | 12 | ? | ? | – | 29 | 12 | ||
| Levski Sofia | A Group | 1998–99 | 25 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 3[c] | 0 | 31 | 2 | |
| 1999–2000 | 25 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 5[b] | 0 | 35 | 3 | |||
| 2000–01 | 15 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1[d] | 0 | 18 | 4 | |||
| 2001–02 | 30 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 8[e] | 0 | 45 | 0 | |||
| 2002–03 | 16 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 8[f] | 0 | 29 | 0 | |||
| Total | 111 | 6 | 22 | 3 | 25 | 0 | 158 | 9 | |||
| Career total | 396 | 136 | 41 | 13 | 31 | 1 | 468 | 150 | |||
| Bulgaria | ||
| Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|
| 1992 | 3 | 2 |
| 1993 | 0 | 0 |
| 1994 | 2 | 0 |
| 1995 | 1 | 0 |
| 1996 | 0 | 0 |
| 1997 | 0 | 0 |
| 1998 | 0 | 0 |
| 1999 | 5 | 0 |
| 2000 | 2 | 1 |
| Total | 14 | 3 |
International goals[59]
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 26 August 1992 | Hüseyin Avni Aker Stadium, Trabzon |  Turkey | 1–0 | 2–3 | Friendly |
| 2. | 2–3 | |||||
| 3. | 12 February 2000 | Estadio Playa Ancha, Valparaíso |  Chile | 2–3 | 2–3 | Friendly |
| Team | Nat | From | To | Record | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | D | L | F | A | Win % | |||||
| Levski Sofia |  | 1 June 2004 | 6 May 2008 | 165 | 109 | 31 | 25 | 531 | 234 | 066.06 | |
| Bulgaria | | 10 April 2007 | 6 June 2007 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 100.00 | |
| Litex Lovech | | 1 July 2008 | 28 August 2009 | 23 | 11 | 6 | 6 | 32 | 23 | 047.83 | |
| Bulgaria | | 1 January 2009 | 8 September 2010 | 14 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 18 | 22 | 021.43 | |
| Anorthosis Famagusta |  | 27 December 2010 | 25 September 2011 | 31 | 18 | 6 | 7 | 50 | 21 | 058.06 | |
| Botev Plovdiv | | 1 January 2013 | 4 June 2014 | 59 | 31 | 16 | 12 | 60 | 18 | 052.54 | |
| Astana |  | 23 June 2014 | 31 December 2017 | 169 | 100 | 38 | 31 | 289 | 156 | 059.17 | |
| Kazakhstan | | 1 January 2018 | 17 January 2019 | 9 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 15 | 11 | 033.33 | |
| Levski Sofia | | 1 September 2021 | 8 April 2023 | 61 | 32 | 17 | 12 | 89 | 37 | 052.46 | |
| Göztepe | | 21 November 2023 | 79 | 40 | 21 | 18 | 133 | 73 | 050.63 | ||
| Total | 611 | 348 | 142 | 121 | 1,216 | 596 | 056.96 | ||||
Levski Sofia
Individual
Levski Sofia
Litex Lovech
Astana
Individual