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Bulgarian Footballer of the Year
Annual football award
Summary
Annual football award
Bulgarian Footballer of the Year (, Futbolist №1 na Balgariya) is an annual title awarded to the best Bulgarian association football player of the year. The award has been given since 1961, and the winner is elected by authorized journalists from the leading Bulgarian media.
History
2011 was the first year with a vote held online by fans. The poll has been organized by the Futbol newspaper (1961–1975), the Start newspaper (1975–1998), the Futbol newspaper and Start magazine (1999–present).
The footballers to have won the award the most times are Dimitar Berbatov (7 times - 2002, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010), Hristo Stoichkov (5 times - 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1994), Kiril Despodov (4 times - 2018, 2021, 2022, 2023), Hristo Bonev (1969, 1972, 1973) and Ivelin Popov (2015, 2016, 2017). The clubs with the most winners are Levski Sofia and CSKA Sofia with 11.
List of Bulgarian Footballer of the Year
Men
| Year | Footballer | Position | Club | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1961 | Georgi Naydenov | Goalkeeper | BUL CSKA Sofia | ||||||
| 1962 | Ivan Kolev | Defender | BUL CSKA Sofia | ||||||
| 1963 | Aleksandar Shalamanov | Defender | BUL Slavia Sofia | ||||||
| 1964 | Nikola Kotkov | Forward | BUL Lokomotiv Sofia | ||||||
| 1965 | Georgi Asparuhov | Forward | BUL Levski Sofia | ||||||
| 1966 | Aleksandar Shalamanov | Defender | BUL Slavia Sofia | ||||||
| 1967 | Dimitar Penev | Defender | BUL CSKA Sofia | ||||||
| 1968 | Simeon Simeonov | Goalkeeper | BUL Slavia Sofia | ||||||
| 1969 | Hristo Bonev | Forward | BUL Lokomotiv Plovdiv | ||||||
| 1970 | Stefan Aladzhov | Defender | BUL Levski Sofia | ||||||
| 1971 | Dimitar Penev | Defender | BUL CSKA Sofia | ||||||
| 1972 | Hristo Bonev | Forward | BUL Lokomotiv Plovdiv | ||||||
| 1973 | Hristo Bonev | Forward | BUL Lokomotiv Plovdiv | ||||||
| 1974 | Kiril Ivkov | Defender | BUL Levski Sofia | ||||||
| 1975 | Kiril Ivkov | Defender | BUL Levski Sofia | ||||||
| 1976 | Bozhidar Grigorov | Forward | BUL Slavia Sofia | ||||||
| 1977 | Pavel Panov | Midfielder / Forward | BUL Levski Sofia | ||||||
| 1978 | Rumyancho Goranov | Goalkeeper | BUL Lokomotiv Sofia | ||||||
| 1979 | Atanas Mihaylov | Forward | BUL Lokomotiv Sofia | ||||||
| 1980 | Andrey Zhelyazkov | Forward | BUL Slavia Sofia | ||||||
| 1981 | Georgi Velinov | Goalkeeper | BUL CSKA Sofia | ||||||
| 1982 | Radoslav Zdravkov | Defender | BUL CSKA Sofia | ||||||
| 1983 | Stoycho Mladenov | Midfielder / Forward | BUL CSKA Sofia | ||||||
| 1984 | Plamen Nikolov | Defender | BUL Levski Sofia | ||||||
| 1985 | Georgi Dimitrov | Defender | BUL CSKA Sofia | ||||||
| 1986 | Borislav Mihaylov | Goalkeeper | BUL Levski Sofia | ||||||
| 1987 | Nikolay Iliev | Defender | BUL Levski Sofia | ||||||
| 1988 | Lyuboslav Penev | Forward | BUL CSKA Sofia | ||||||
| 1989 | Hristo Stoichkov | Midfielder / Forward | BUL CSKA Sofia | ||||||
| 1990 | Hristo Stoichkov | Midfielder / Forward | ESP Barcelona | ||||||
| 1991 | Hristo Stoichkov | Midfielder / Forward | ESP Barcelona | ||||||
| 1992 | Hristo Stoichkov | Midfielder / Forward | ESP Barcelona | ||||||
| 1993 | Emil Kostadinov | Forward | POR Porto | ||||||
| 1994 | Hristo Stoichkov | Midfielder / Forward | ESP Barcelona | ||||||
| 1995 | Krasimir Balakov | Midfielder | POR Sporting CP / GER VfB Stuttgart | ||||||
| 1996 | Trifon Ivanov | Defender | AUT Rapid Wien | ||||||
| 1997 | Krasimir Balakov | Midfielder | GER VfB Stuttgart | ||||||
| 1998 | Ivaylo Yordanov | Defender / Midfielder / Forward | POR Sporting CP | ||||||
| 1999 | Aleksandar Aleksandrov | Midfielder | BUL Levski Sofia | ||||||
| 2000 | Georgi Ivanov | Forward | BUL Levski Sofia | ||||||
| 2001 | Georgi Ivanov | Forward | BUL Levski Sofia | ||||||
| 2002 | Dimitar Berbatov | Forward | GER Bayer Leverkusen | ||||||
| 2003 | Stiliyan Petrov | Midfielder | SCO Celtic | ||||||
| 2004 | Dimitar Berbatov | Forward | GER Bayer Leverkusen | ||||||
| 2005 | Dimitar Berbatov | Forward | GER Bayer Leverkusen | ||||||
| 2006 | Martin Petrov | ||||||||
| 2nd Dimitar Berbatov | |||||||||
| 3rd Stiliyan Petrov | Midfielder / Forward | ||||||||
| Forward | |||||||||
| Midfielder | ESP Atlético Madrid | ||||||||
| ENG Tottenham Hotspur | |||||||||
| ENG Aston Villa | |||||||||
| 2007 | Dimitar Berbatov | ||||||||
| 2nd Martin Petrov | |||||||||
| 3rd Georgi Petkov | Forward | ||||||||
| Midfielder / Forward | |||||||||
| Goalkeeper | ENG Tottenham Hotspur | ||||||||
| ENG Manchester City | |||||||||
| BUL Levski Sofia | |||||||||
| 2008 | Dimitar Berbatov | ||||||||
| 2nd Georgi Petkov | |||||||||
| 3rd Blagoy Georgiev | Forward | ||||||||
| Goalkeeper | |||||||||
| Midfielder | ENG Manchester United | ||||||||
| BUL Levski Sofia | |||||||||
| BUL Slavia Sofia | |||||||||
| url=http://www.trud.bg/Article.asp?ArticleId=342429 | title=Бербатов за шести път е футболист №1 на България | date=2010-01-14 | publisher=Труд | language=bg | access-date=17 January 2010 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100119042118/http://www.trud.bg/Article.asp?ArticleId=342429 | archive-date=2010-01-19 | url-status=dead}} | Dimitar Berbatov |
| 2nd Stiliyan Petrov | |||||||||
| 3rd Blagoy Georgiev | Forward | ||||||||
| Midfielder | |||||||||
| Midfielder | ENG Manchester United | ||||||||
| ENG Aston Villa | |||||||||
| RUS Terek Grozny | |||||||||
| url=http://football.sportal.bg/news.php?news=276829 | title=Димитър Бербатов с нов рекорд - №1 за 2010 година и общо за седми път | date=2010-12-20 | publisher=sportal.bg | language=bg | access-date=20 December 2010 | archive-date=2010-12-28 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101228033645/http://football.sportal.bg/news.php?news=276829 | url-status=dead}} | Dimitar Berbatov |
| 2nd Ivelin Popov | |||||||||
| 3rd Nikolay Mihaylov | Forward | ||||||||
| Forward | |||||||||
| Goalkeeper | ENG Manchester United | ||||||||
| TUR Gaziantepspor | |||||||||
| NED Twente | |||||||||
| 2011 | Nikolay Mihaylov | ||||||||
| 2nd Stiliyan Petrov | |||||||||
| 3rd Dimitar Berbatov | Goalkeeper | ||||||||
| Midfielder | |||||||||
| Forward | NED Twente | ||||||||
| ENG Aston Villa | |||||||||
| ENG Manchester United | |||||||||
| 2012 | Georgi Milanov | ||||||||
| 2nd Ivan Ivanov | |||||||||
| 3rd Stanislav Manolev | Midfielder | ||||||||
| Defender | |||||||||
| Defender | BUL Litex Lovech | ||||||||
| SRB Partizan | |||||||||
| NED PSV | |||||||||
| 2013 | Ivan Ivanov | ||||||||
| 2nd Ivelin Popov | |||||||||
| 3rd Svetoslav Dyakov | Defender | ||||||||
| Midfielder | |||||||||
| Midfielder | SWI Basel / SRB Partizan | ||||||||
| RUS Kuban Krasnodar | |||||||||
| BUL Ludogorets Razgrad | |||||||||
| 2014 | Vladislav Stoyanov | ||||||||
| 2nd Svetoslav Dyakov | |||||||||
| 3rd Dimitar Berbatov | Goalkeeper | ||||||||
| Midfielder | |||||||||
| Forward | BUL Ludogorets Razgrad | ||||||||
| BUL Ludogorets Razgrad | |||||||||
| FRA Monaco | |||||||||
| 2015 | Ivelin Popov | ||||||||
| 2nd Ivaylo Chochev | |||||||||
| 3rd Georgi Milanov | Forward | ||||||||
| Midfielder | |||||||||
| Midfielder | RUS Spartak Moscow | ||||||||
| ITA Palermo | |||||||||
| RUS CSKA Moscow | |||||||||
| 2016 | Ivelin Popov | ||||||||
| 2nd Svetoslav Dyakov | |||||||||
| 3rd Vladislav Stoyanov | Forward | ||||||||
| Midfielder | |||||||||
| Goalkeeper | RUS Spartak Moscow | ||||||||
| BUL Ludogorets Razgrad | |||||||||
| BUL Ludogorets Razgrad | |||||||||
| 2017 | Ivelin Popov | ||||||||
| 2nd Martin Kamburov | |||||||||
| 3rd Todor Nedelev | Forward | ||||||||
| Forward | |||||||||
| Midfielder | RUS Spartak Moscow | ||||||||
| BUL Beroe Stara Zagora | |||||||||
| BUL Botev Plovdiv | |||||||||
| 2018 | Kiril Despodov | ||||||||
| 2nd Georgi Petkov | |||||||||
| 3rd Todor Nedelev | Forward | ||||||||
| Goalkeeper | |||||||||
| Midfielder | BUL CSKA Sofia | ||||||||
| BUL Slavia Sofia | |||||||||
| BUL Botev Plovdiv | |||||||||
| 2019 | Dimitar Iliev | ||||||||
| 2nd Anton Nedyalkov | |||||||||
| 3rd Vasil Bozhikov | Forward | ||||||||
| Defender | |||||||||
| Defender | BUL Lokomotiv Plovdiv | ||||||||
| BUL Ludogorets Razgrad | |||||||||
| SVK Slovan Bratislava | |||||||||
| 2020 | Dimitar Iliev | ||||||||
| 2nd Valentin Antov | |||||||||
| 3rd Anton Nedyalkov | Forward | ||||||||
| Defender | |||||||||
| Defender | BUL Lokomotiv Plovdiv | ||||||||
| BUL CSKA Sofia | |||||||||
| BUL Ludogorets Razgrad | |||||||||
| 2021 | Kiril Despodov | ||||||||
| 2nd Martin Kamburov | |||||||||
| 3rd Georgi Yomov | Forward | ||||||||
| Forward | |||||||||
| Midfielder | BUL Ludogorets Razgrad | ||||||||
| BUL Beroe Stara Zagora | |||||||||
| BUL CSKA Sofia | |||||||||
| 2022 | Kiril Despodov | ||||||||
| 2nd Ilia Gruev | |||||||||
| 3rd Ivaylo Chochev | Forward | ||||||||
| Midfielder | |||||||||
| Midfielder | BUL Ludogorets Razgrad | ||||||||
| GER Werder Bremen | |||||||||
| BUL CSKA 1948 | |||||||||
| 2023 | Kiril Despodov | ||||||||
| 2nd Ilia Gruev | |||||||||
| 3rd Ivaylo Chochev | Forward | ||||||||
| Midfielder | |||||||||
| Midfielder | GRC PAOK | ||||||||
| ENG Leeds United | |||||||||
| BUL Ludogorets Razgrad | |||||||||
| 2024 | Kiril Despodov | ||||||||
| 2nd Ilia Gruev | |||||||||
| 3rd Dimitar Mitov | Forward | ||||||||
| Midfielder | |||||||||
| Goalkeeper | GRC PAOK | ||||||||
| ENG Leeds United | |||||||||
| SCO Aberdeen |
Youth
| Year | Footballer | Position | Club |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Bozhidar Kraev | Midfielder | BUL Levski Sofia |
| 2015 | Bozhidar Kraev | Midfielder | BUL Levski Sofia |
| 2016 | Petko Hristov | Defender | BUL Slavia Sofia |
| 2017 | Kiril Despodov | Forward | BUL CSKA Sofia |
| 2018 | Valentin Antov | Defender | BUL CSKA Sofia |
| 2019 | Stanislav Ivanov | Forward | BUL Levski Sofia |
| 2020 | Dominik Yankov | Midfielder | BUL Botev Vratsa / Ludogorets |
| 2021 | Svetoslav Vutsov | Goalkeeper | BUL Slavia Sofia |
| 2022 | Nikola Iliev | Midfielder | ITA Inter Milan |
| 2023 | Hristiyan Petrov | Defender | BUL CSKA Sofia |
Women
| Year | Footballer | Position | Club | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Silvia Radoyska | Midfielder | BUL NSA Sofia | |||||
| 2016 | Evdokiya Popadinova | Forward | USA Northwestern Ohio Racers | |||||
| 2017 | Evdokiya Popadinova | Forward | USA Northwestern Ohio Racers | |||||
| 2018 | Evdokiya Popadinova | Forward | USA Florida Gulf Coast Eagles | |||||
| author=Petkov, Georgi | publisher=topsport.bg | title=Димитър Илиев е "Футболист на годината", получи наградата си лично от Бербатов | url=https://topsport.bg/bg-football/dimitar-iliev-e-futbolist-na-godinata-poluchi-nagradata-si-lichno-ot-berbatov.html | date=5 January 2020 | access-date=8 January 2020}} | Evdokiya Popadinova | Forward | USA Florida Gulf Coast Eagles |
| 2020 | Evdokiya Popadinova | Forward | ITA Napoli Femminile | |||||
| 2021 | Simona Petkova | Midfielder | SUI FC Lugano | |||||
| 2022 | Simona Petkova | Midfielder | SUI YB Frauen | |||||
| 2023 | Evdokiya Popadinova | Forward | ITA Lazio Women 2015 | |||||
| 2024 | Evdokiya Popadinova | Forward | ITA Lazio Women 2015 / AUS Brisbane Roar |
Statistics
Multiple winners
| Winner | Number of wins | Winning years |
|---|---|---|
| Dimitar Berbatov | 7 | 2002, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 |
| Hristo Stoichkov | 5 | 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1994 |
| Kiril Despodov | 5 | 2018, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 |
| Hristo Bonev | 3 | 1969, 1972, 1973 |
| Ivelin Popov | 3 | 2015, 2016, 2017 |
| Krasimir Balakov | 2 | 1995, 1997 |
| Georgi Ivanov | 2 | 2000, 2001 |
| Kiril Ivkov | 2 | 1974, 1975 |
| Dimitar Penev | 2 | 1967, 1971 |
| Dimitar Iliev | 2 | 2019, 2020 |
Winners by league
| Country | Winners | Clubs featured |
|---|---|---|
| 39 | Levski (11), CSKA (11), Lokomotiv Plovdiv (5), Slavia Sofia (5), Lokomotiv Sofia (3), Ludogorets Razgrad (3), Litex Lovech (1) | |
| 5 | Bayer Leverkusen (3), Stuttgart (2) | |
| 5 | Barcelona (4), Atlético Madrid (1) | |
| 4 | Manchester United (3), Tottenham Hotspur (1) | |
| 3 | Sporting (2), Porto (1) | |
| 3 | Spartak Moscow (3) | |
| 1 | Rapid Wien (1) | |
| 2 | PAOK (2) | |
| 1 | Twente (1) | |
| 1 | Celtic (1) | |
| 1 | Partizan (1) | |
| 1 | Basel (1) |
References
Sources
References
- [https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/16033250 Bulgarian PM wins player of the year but wants award annulled] bbc.co.uk
- [http://news.ibox.bg/news/id_1680194610 Бербатов за седми път Футболист на годината] news.bg
- (2010-01-14). "Бербатов за шести път е футболист №1 на България". Труд.
- (2010-12-20). "Димитър Бербатов с нов рекорд - №1 за 2010 година и общо за седми път". sportal.bg.
- (18 March 2025). "Third place for Dimi in Bulgarian Footballer of the year Awards". [[Aberdeen FC]].
- [http://www.sportal.bg/news.php?news=587495 Това са най-добрите футболисти в "А" група по постове]
- Petkov, Georgi. (5 January 2020). "Димитър Илиев е "Футболист на годината", получи наградата си лично от Бербатов". topsport.bg.
- (18 March 2025). "Най-добра футболистка на България за 2024 г. е Евдокия Попадинова".
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