 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Valentin Iliev Ivanov | ||
| Date of birth | (1980-07-11)11 July 1980 (age 45) | ||
| Place of birth | Knezha, Bulgaria | ||
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)[1] | ||
| Position | Centre back | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | CSKA Sofia II (manager) | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1999–2001 | Botev Vratsa | 37 | (3) |
| 2002–2004 | Metalurh Zaporizhzhia | 21 | (1) |
| 2002–2004 | →Metalurh-2 Zaporizhzhia | 4 | (0) |
| 2004–2007 | CSKA Sofia | 79 | (7) |
| 2008–2009 | Terek Grozny | 47 | (5) |
| 2010 | Universitatea Craiova | 25 | (6) |
| 2011–2012 | Steaua București | 26 | (4) |
| 2012–2013 | Volyn Lutsk | 18 | (0) |
| 2013–2015 | CSKA Sofia | 40 | (5) |
| 2015–2016 | Universitatea Craiova | 20 | (1) |
| Total | 317 | (32) | |
| International career | |||
| 2005–2013 | Bulgaria | 23 | (0) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2016–2018 | CSKA 1948 | ||
| 2018–2019 | Universitatea Craiova (assistant) | ||
| 2019–2021 | Botev Vratsa (assistant) | ||
| 2021 | Tsarsko Selo Sofia (assistant) | ||
| 2022 | CSKA 1948 II | ||
| 2023 | Spartak Varna | ||
| 2023–2024 | CSKA 1948 II | ||
| 2024 | CSKA 1948 | ||
| 2025 | CSKA Sofia II | ||
| 2025 | CSKA Sofia (caretaker) | ||
| 2025– | CSKA Sofia II | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Valentin Iliev Ivanov (Bulgarian:Валентин Илиев Иванов; born 11 August 1980) is a Bulgarian professionalfootball and formerplayer who is currently in charge ofCSKA Sofia II.
Iliev's father,Iliya Valov, wasgoalkeeper forCSKA andBulgaria's national team.[2]
Iliev started his career in his home townVratsa, where he played for the local teamBotev Vratsa. In June 2001 he signed with Ukrainian clubMetalurg fromZaporizhzhya, where he played 21 matches and scored one goal.
In November 2004, Iliev joinedCSKA Sofia. He collected his firstA Group title winner's medal at the end of the2004–05 season. Iliev scored 4 league goals in 18 matches that season.
On 23 August 2005, Iliev scored a goal, which helped CSKA secure a historic 1–0 away win overLiverpool in the third qualifying round of theChampions League. However, it did not help them qualify for the Champions League group phase, as the "armymen" were eliminated after an aggregate score of 2–3, having lost their home game. He developed a knack for scoring key goals for CSKA, making good use of his powerful heading ability. In April 2006, Iliev was given the captain's armband, asEmil Gargorov was stripped from that role as a result of loss in theEternal derby of Bulgarian football againstLevski Sofia.[3]
In July 2006, it was announced that Iliev would be CSKA's permanent club captain. On 30 July, he captained the team that won the2006 Bulgarian Supercup againstLevski Sofia. Iliev helped CSKA to keep a clean sheet throughout the match, as they defeated Levski 3–0 on penalties. On 28 September 2006, he scored his second-ever European goal in a 2–2 home draw (afterextra time) againstBeşiktaş in the first round of the2006–07 UEFA Cup.[4]
Despite some disciplinary issues, most notably his physical confrontation withJose Emilio Furtado in May 2007, resulting in Iliev being stripped of the CSKAcaptaincy,[5] he remained a cult figure for CSKA fans.
Iliev signed with Russian sideTerek Grozny in February 2008 on a two-and-a-half-year deal for a reported fee of €750,000.[6] His first goal in theRussian Premier League came on 3 August, scoring the only goal in a 1–0 home win overSaturn Ramenskoye. On 23 August, he scored the winning goal for a 2–1 win againstLokomotiv Moscow. On 2 November 2008, Iliev scored another vital goal, this time a last-minute equaliser, in a 1–1 home draw againstFC Moscow.[7]
Iliev left Terek in February 2010, cancelling his contract by mutual agreement two months before it expired.[8]
On 11 February 2010, Iliev signed a one-and-a-half-year contract withRomanian clubUniversitatea Craiova as a free agent.[9]
In February 2011, Iliev signed a contract for one and a half years withSteaua București.[10] On 19 December 2011, Iliev scored his first goal for Steaua againstCSU Vointa Sibiu in aLiga 1 match, goal which proved to be decisive.
On 12 July 2012, Iliev joined Ukrainian clubVolyn Lutsk on a two-year deal.
On 16 July 2013, Iliev re-signed withCSKA Sofia and was announced as CSKA's new club captain. He made his second CSKA debut in a 0–0 home draw againstCherno More on 3 August. Iliev scored his first goal since his return to the club on 24 August, scoring an equaliser, away toLokomotiv Sofia in a 1–1 draw. On 16 April 2014, he signed a one-year contract extension, keeping him at CSKA until 30 June 2015.[11] He ended2013–14 season with 4 goals in 28 matches.
In October 2014, Iliev underwent an ankle surgery on his right foot. Following surgery, he was ruled out for about three months.[12] He returned to first team action in April 2015.
On 29 September 2015, Iliev signed a one-year contract with Romanian clubUniversitatea Craiova as a free agent.
In October 2010, after a long absence from the national team, Iliev was recalled to the national side by the new managerLothar Matthäus for theEuro 2012 qualifier againstWales. On 8 October 2010, he started the match, but sustained an injury during the first half and was replaced byPavel Vidanov.
Iliev joinedCSKA 1948 in 2016 and oversaw successive promotions, from thefourth tier to theSecond League. He was sacked after four matches of the 2018–19 season.[13]
Iliev is asexton at a church inBistritsa.[14][15]
| Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | Europe | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| CSKA Sofia | 2004–05 | A Group | 18 | 4 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 18 | 4 | ||
| 2005–06 | A Group | 24 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 8[b] | 1 | 1[c] | 0 | 36 | 2 | |
| 2006–07 | A Group | 23 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 5[d] | 1 | 1[c] | 0 | 31 | 2 | |
| 2007–08 | A Group | 14 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3[d] | 0 | — | 18 | 1 | ||
| Total | 79 | 7 | 6 | 0 | 16 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 103 | 9 | ||
| Terek Grozny | 2008 | Russian Premier League | 25 | 3 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 25 | 3 | ||
| 2009 | Russian Premier League | 22 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 22 | 2 | |||
| Total | 47 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 47 | 5 | ||
| Universitatea Craiova | 2009–10 | Liga I | 15 | 3 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 15 | 3 | ||
| 2010–11 | Liga I | 10 | 3 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 10 | 3 | |||
| Total | 25 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 6 | ||
| Steaua București | 2010–11 | Liga I | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 5 | 0 | |
| 2011–12 | Liga I | 22 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 6[e] | 0 | — | 30 | 4 | ||
| Total | 26 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 35 | 4 | ||
| Volyn Lutsk | 2012–13 | Ukrainian Premier League | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 18 | 0 | ||
| CSKA Sofia | 2013–14 | A Group | 28 | 4 | 4 | 0 | — | — | 32 | 4 | ||
| 2014–15 | A Group | 12 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 12 | 1 | ||
| Total | 40 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 44 | 5 | ||
| Career total | 235 | 27 | 13 | 0 | 22 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 272 | 29 | ||
| Team | From | To | Record | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | D | L | Win % | GF | GA | GD | |||
| CSKA 1948 | 2 September 2016 | 21 August 2018 | 60 | 52 | 8 | 0 | 086.67 | 205 | 26 | 179 |
| CSKA 1948 II | 30 May 2022 | 14 December 2022 | 17 | 10 | 5 | 2 | 058.82 | 31 | 9 | 22 |
| Spartak Varna | 6 June 2023 | 22 August 2023 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 050.00 | 4 | 5 | -1 |
| CSKA 1948 II | 21 September 2023 | 5 April 2024 | 17 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 035.29 | 15 | 16 | -1 |
| CSKA 1948 | 5 April 2024 | 29 October 2024 | 27 | 9 | 11 | 7 | 033.33 | 28 | 27 | 1 |
| CSKA Sofia II | 16 September 2025 | 20 September 2025 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | !— | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| CSKA Sofia(caretaker) | 20 September 2025 | 24 September 2025 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 000.00 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| CSKA Sofia II | 24 September 2025 | Present | 7 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 057.14 | 14 | 4 | 10 |
| Career total | 135 | 84 | 34 | 17 | 062.22 | 298 | 88 | 210 | ||
CSKA Sofia
Steaua București
Individual
