Aleksandar Kolev (Bulgarian: Александър Колев; born 8 December 1992) is a Bulgarian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Levski Sofia and the Bulgaria national team.[2]
 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Aleksandar Lyubomirov Kolev | ||
| Date of birth | 8 December 1992 | ||
| Place of birth | Turnhout, Belgium | ||
| Height | 1.92 m (6 ft 3+1⁄2 in)[1] | ||
| Position(s) | Forward | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Levski Sofia | ||
| Number | 9 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| –2007 | Levski Sofia | ||
| 2007–2010 | Dessel Sport | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2010–2013 | Dessel Sport | 63 | (5) |
| 2013–2014 | ASV Geel | 31 | (7) |
| 2014–2015 | Botev Plovdiv | 29 | (3) |
| 2016 | ASV Geel | 5 | (0) |
| 2016 | Beroe | 11 | (0) |
| 2017 | Stal Mielec | 15 | (7) |
| 2017–2018 | Sandecja | 32 | (7) |
| 2018–2019 | Arka Gdynia | 19 | (1) |
| 2019 | Raków Częstochowa | 8 | (0) |
| 2020 | Kaisar | 11 | (0) |
| 2021 | Stal Mielec | 22 | (3) |
| 2022–2023 | CSKA 1948 | 37 | (11) |
| 2022 | CSKA 1948 II | 2 | (1) |
| 2023–2024 | Krumovgrad | 33 | (15) |
| 2024– | Levski Sofia | 15 | (5) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2012–2015 | Bulgaria U21 | 10 | (5) |
| 2023– | Bulgaria | 11 | (0) |
|
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 17:37, 9 November 2024 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 18 November 2024 | |||
Career
editEarly career
editBorn in Belgium to Bulgarian parents, Kolev began his career in his country of origin, at Levski Sofia's youth academy. He returned to his country of birth with his family when he was 15 years old and joined local side Dessel Sport.[3]
Kolev made his first team debut for Dessel Sport in a 2–1 home win over K.S.V. Oudenaarde on 12 February 2011.[4] One month later, he scored his first goal in a 2–2 away draw against Olsa Brakel.[5]
After good seasons in Dessel, Kolev joined Belgian Second Division team ASV Geel.[6] He made his debut for the team in a match against White Star Bruxelles[7]
Botev Plovdiv
edit2014–15
editOn 4 August 2014, Kolev signed a contract with the Bulgarian team Botev Plovdiv.[8] He made his debut five days later, when he came in as an 86-minute substitute at the dramatic 3–3 draw against Litex Lovech.[9] Kolev was included at the starting lineup of the match for the Bulgarian Supercup against Ludogorets Razgrad. Unfortunately, he received a red card at the end of the first half.
Kolev scored his first goal for Botev on 23 September 2014, when he came on as a substitute and scored the third goal in a 4–0 away win against Lokomotiv Mezdra in the first round of the Bulgarian Cup.[10] On 28 October Kolev scored again in the next round of the Bulgarian Cup tournament. He scored a late equaliser in the derby game against Lokomotiv Plovdiv.[11]
On 8 November, Kolev scored the winning goal in a 2–1 away win over Litex Lovech.[12]
Alex Kolev was seriously injured in the beginning of the away game with Slavia on 29 November.[13] Soon after that it was confirmed that the injury will rule him out for six months.[14]
On 23 May 2015, after a long absence due to an injury, Kolev was included is the squad for the 1–2 away defeat from Beroe Stara Zagora but remained an unused substitute.[15][16] A week later he came on as a substitute in the final minutes of the last game of the season, 0–2 defeat from Lokomotiv Sofia.[17]
2015–16
editOn 25 July 2015, Kolev missed a penalty in the first half of a 6–0 away defeat at Montana.[18] In the following game, the local derby with Lokomotiv Plovdiv, he scored a nice goal after an assist by Mariyan Ognyanov.[19]
On 9 August, Kolev scored the winning goal against Pirin Blagoevgrad.[20] He was selected for the man of the match and his goal was chosen for the best goal of the round.[21][22] Furthermore, Kolev won the award for the best player of the 4th round in A Grupa.[23]
Nikolay Kostov, the manager of Botev Plovdiv, decided that Aleksandar Kolev is no longer needed by the club. On 3 February 2016, after playing in 33 official games and scoring 5 goals, Kolev was released on a free transfer.[24]
Sandecja Nowy Sącz
editAleksandar Kolev was signed for free in the beginning of the 2017 summer transfer window and made his debut for the club on 16 July 2017, in a goalless draw against Lech Poznań. His first goal for the club came in a 3–1 away win against Jagiellonia Białystok on 6 August 2017. He scored a decisive brace against Pogoń Szczecin on 27 August 2017, leading his team to victory in a 2–1 home win.
Stal Mielec
editOn 5 January 2021, Kolev signed for Stal Mielec on a contract until the end of the 2020–21 season.[25] On 14 January 2022, he left the club by mutual consent.[26]
Krumovgrad
editIn June 2023, Kolev signed a contract with newly promoted Krumovgrad.[27] He finished the season as the top scorer in the league, having netted 15 goals.[28]
International career
editIn August 2012, Kolev was called up for the Bulgarian U21 squad.[29] He made his debut in a 1–1 friendly draw against Macedonia U21 on 14 November 2012.[30]
In September 2013 Kolev scored during the 1–3 away defeat of the Bulgarian U21 team from Russia U21.[31]
Kolev scored a goal for Bulgaria U21 in the 2–2 draw with Estonia U21 on 3 September 2014.[32]
While Aleksandar Kolev was playing for Botev Plovdiv, he was included twice in the Bulgaria national football team but he did not participate in any official games.[33][34] On 16 November 2023, he earned his first cap after coming on as a second half substitute for Martin Minchev in the 2:2 home draw with Hungary in a Euro 2024 qualifier.[35]
Honours
edit- Botev Plovdiv
- Bulgarian Supercup Runner-up: 2014
- Arka Gdynia
- Krumovgrad
- Bulgarian First League top goalscorer: 2023–24
Career statistics
edit- As of match played 5 October 2024[36]
| Club | Season | League | National Cup | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Dessel Sport | 2010–11 | Third Division | 14 | 3 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 14 | 3 | ||
| 2011–12 | 26 | 1 | 1 | 0 | – | – | 27 | 1 | ||||
| 2012–13 | Second Division | 23 | 1 | 2 | 0 | – | – | 25 | 1 | |||
| Total | 63 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 66 | 5 | ||
| Geel | 2013–14 | Second Division | 30 | 7 | 1 | 0 | – | – | 31 | 7 | ||
| 2014–15 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 1 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 31 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 32 | 7 | ||
| Botev Plovdiv | 2014–15 | A Group | 14 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1[a] | 0 | 17 | 3 |
| 2015–16 | 15 | 2 | 1 | 0 | – | – | 16 | 2 | ||||
| Total | 29 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 33 | 5 | ||
| Geel | 2015–16 | Second Division | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 5 | 0 | ||
| Beroe | 2016–17 | First League | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4[b] | 0 | – | 15 | 0 | |
| Stal Mielec | 2016–17 | I liga | 15 | 7 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 15 | 7 | ||
| Sandecja Nowy Sącz | 2017–18 | Ekstraklasa | 32 | 7 | 1 | 1 | – | – | 33 | 8 | ||
| Arka Gdynia | 2018–19 | 17 | 1 | 0 | 0 | – | 1[c] | 0 | 18 | 1 | ||
| 2019–20 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 2 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 19 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 20 | 1 | ||
| Raków Częstochowa | 2019–20 | Ekstraklasa | 6 | 0 | 2 | 1 | – | – | 8 | 1 | ||
| Kaisar | 2019 | Kazakhstan Premier League | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 1 | 0 | 12 | 1 | |
| 2020 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – | 1 | 0 | |||
| Total | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 13 | 0 | ||
| Stal Mielec | 2020–21 | Ekstraklasa | 15 | 2 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 15 | 2 | ||
| 2021–22 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 7 | 1 | ||||
| Total | 22 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 3 | ||
| CSKA 1948 | 2021–22 | First League | 13 | 9 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 13 | 9 | ||
| 2022–23 | 24 | 2 | 5 | 1 | – | – | 29 | 3 | ||||
| Total | 37 | 11 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 42 | 12 | ||
| CSKA 1948 II | 2022–23 | Second League | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 2 | 1 | ||
| Krumovgrad | 2023–24 | First League | 33 | 15 | 1 | 0 | – | – | 34 | 15 | ||
| Levski Sofia | 2024–25 | 11 | 5 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 11 | 5 | |||
| Career statistics | 327 | 65 | 16 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 351 | 73 | ||
- ^ Appearance in the Bulgarian Supercup
- ^ Appearances in the Europa League
- ^ Appearance in the Polish Super Cup
References
edit- ^ "И Славия" се пробва за Алекс Колев" (in Bulgarian). sportal.bg. 3 June 2016. Retrieved 29 June 2020.
- ^ "Career Stats". footballdatabase.eu.
- ^ "Нападател от Белгия в младежкия тим" (in Bulgarian). viasport.bg. Retrieved 12 August 2012.
- ^ "Dessel Sport 2–1 Oudenaarde". soccerway.com. Retrieved 12 February 2011.
- ^ "Olsa Brakel 2–2 Dessel Sport". soccerway.com. Retrieved 13 March 2011.
- ^ "Александър Колев взе номер "9" в Геел" (in Bulgarian). Winner.bg. Archived from the original on 15 August 2014. Retrieved 4 August 2014.
- ^ "WHITE STAR BRUXELLES VS. GEEL 2 - 1". soccerway.com. Retrieved 4 August 2013.
- ^ ""Ботев" взе младежкия национал Александър Колев от "Геел"". Dnevnik.bg. Retrieved 4 August 2014.
- ^ "Ботев 3 : 3 Литекс". Archived from the original on 3 September 2014. Retrieved 29 August 2014.
- ^ Ботев с убедителен старт за Купата - 4 безответни гола в Мездра
- ^ Равенство в първия мач с Локомотив за Купата
- ^ "Литекс 1:2 Ботев, "А" група; 08.11.2014 17:30". Archived from the original on 19 February 2015. Retrieved 23 May 2015.
- ^ "Славия победи Ботев с 3:0". Archived from the original on 6 July 2015. Retrieved 23 May 2015.
- ^ Опасенията за тежка контузия на Алекс Колев се потвърдиха[permanent dead link]
- ^ Алекс Колев попадна в групата за мача с Берое
- ^ Ботев допусна обрат в Стара Загора
- ^ Ботев приключи сезона с домакинска загуба от Локо Сф
- ^ "СРАМ! Ботев допусна 6 гола в Монтана". Archived from the original on 17 March 2016. Retrieved 3 August 2015.
- ^ Ботев изпусна победата в пловдивското дерби
- ^ "Ботев с първа победа от началото на сезона след 1:0 срещу Пирин, "канарчетата" завършиха мача с 9 души". Archived from the original on 4 October 2015. Retrieved 23 August 2015.
- ^ Алекс Колев стана Играч на мача Пирин - Ботев
- ^ Гол на 4 кръг
- ^ Алекс Колев взе втори индивидуален приз за IV кръг
- ^ "Ботев се раздели с десети играч през зимната пауза, Александър Колев разтрогна с "канарчетата"". Archived from the original on 13 February 2016. Retrieved 8 February 2016.
- ^ "Mamy nowego napastnika! To Aleksandar Kolev". stalmielec.com/ (in Polish). Stal Mielec. 5 January 2021. Retrieved 5 January 2021.
- ^ "Aleksandar Kolev odchodzi z PGE FKS Stali Mielec". stalmielec.com/ (in Polish). Stal Mielec. 14 January 2022. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
- ^ "Крумовград обяви трансфера на Алекс Колев" (in Bulgarian). topsport.bg. 29 June 2023. Retrieved 10 July 2023.
- ^ "Александър Колев е голмайстор на efbet Лига" (in Bulgarian). dsport.bg. 26 May 2024. Retrieved 31 May 2024.
- ^ "Младежкият национален се подсилва с нападател от Белгия" (in Bulgarian). gong.bg. Retrieved 12 August 2012.
- ^ "Младежите завършиха 1:1 с Македония" (in Bulgarian). viasport.bg. Retrieved 14 November 2012.
- ^ Under-21 2015 - Russia-Bulgaria Statistics – UEFA.com
- ^ Under-21 2015 - Estonia-Bulgaria Commentary – UEFA.com
- ^ Петев повика Алекс Колев за Норвегия и Италия
- ^ Петев викна Пламен Крумов и Алекс Колев в националния
- ^ Georgiev, Mihail (16 November 2023). "България - Унгария 2:2 (Развой на срещата по минути)" (in Bulgarian). topsport.bg. Retrieved 19 November 2023.
- ^ Aleksandar Kolev at Soccerway. Retrieved 6 February 2018.
External links
edit- Aleksandar Kolev at 90minut.pl (in Polish)
- Aleksandar Kolev at Soccerway