Nikolay Kirov (football manager)

Nikolay Kirov (Bulgarian: Николай Киров; born 12 June 1975) is a Bulgarian football manager and former footballer.

Nikolay Kirov
Personal information
Date of birth (1975-06-12) 12 June 1975
Place of birth Plovdiv, Bulgaria
Playing position(s) Goalkeeper
Club information
Current team
 Arda Kardzhali (manager)
Youth career
1982–1992 Maritsa Plovdiv
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1992–1998 Maritsa Plovdiv
1998–2001 Botev Plovdiv 22 (0)
2001 Dobrudzha Dobrich
Teams managed
2002–2005 Maritsa Plovdiv (assistant)
2005–2006 Maritsa Plovdiv
2007 Maritsa Plovdiv (assistant)
2007 Maritsa Plovdiv
2007–2011 Spartak Plovdiv
2014 Botev Plovdiv (assistant)
2015 Botev Plovdiv (assistant)
2016–2019 Botev Plovdiv
2020– Arda Kardzhali
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Coaching career

Maritsa Plovdiv

Kirov started his career as assistant manager at his hometown club Maritsa Plovdiv.[1] He was soon promoted to manager but in January 2007 became assistant again when the much more experienced Petar Zehtinski was appointed as manager. However, he resigned in two months and Kirov was restored as manager.[2]

Spartak Plovdiv

On 13 June 2007, Kirov was appointed as manager of Spartak Plovdiv.[3] He left the club after the 2010–11 season due to the continuing financial crisis.[4]

Botev Plovdiv

On 14 June 2011, Kirov was announced as the head of youth department of Botev Plovdiv,[5] a position he held until 10 January 2017.[6] Kirov served as assistant manager of Velislav Vutsov in 2014 and Ermin Šiljak in 2015.[7]

2016-17
Nikolay Kirov celebrating winning the Bulgarian Football Cup with Botev Plovdiv in 2017

On 1 September 2016, following Nikolay Mitov's short tenure, Kirov was appointed as interim manager[8] – an assignment made permanent in January 2017.[9] His first new signing was Omar Kossoko who joined the club on a free transfer on 29 September.[10] Nikolai Kirov and his assistant manager Ivan Kochev, stabilized and improved the performance of the team. The most memorable and impressive game in 2016 was the tremendous 3–4 away win over Beroe Stara Zagora with spectacular goals by Todor Nedelev, João Paulo and Omar Kossoko.[11][12][13]

During the winter break Kirov brought several new key players to Botev Plovdiv: Antonio Vutov,[14] Victor Genev,[15] Ivan Čvorović[16] and Fernando Viana.[17] Lazar Marin returned to the club after a short and unsuccessful stay at CSKA Sofia.[18] In the meantime, due to financial difficulties João Paulo, the most valuable player from the first part of the season, was sold to Ludogorets Razgrad.[19]

With Nikolay Kirov in charge Botev failed to qualify for the championship round playoffs of the Bulgarian First League. However the club finished second in Group A of the relegation rounds and after that defeated Beroe Stara Zagora in the European play-offs. The 7–1 win over PFC Montana from 7 April 2017 is memorable not only as the biggest win during the season but also because the first goal scored by the then 15-year-old Kris Dobrev who become the youngest goalscorer in Bulgarian league history.[20] Under the guidance of Kirov Botev Plovdiv eliminated Neftochimic Burgas,[21] Pirin Blagoevgrad[22] and FC Vereya[23] to reach the Bulgarian Cup final. On 24 May 2017 Kirov lead Botev to a 2–1 victory in the Bulgarian Cup final against Ludogorets winning the club's first trophy in 36 years.[24][25] Due to the win Botev managed to qualify for the 2017-18 UEFA Europa League.

2017-18

Due to financial difficulties most of the first team players from the previous successful season were sold by the end of 2017. Antonio Vutov decided to join his previous team Levski Sofia for the new season.[26] The goalkeeper Georgi Georgiev was upset for not being in the starting lineup for the Bulgarian Cup final and he left immediately because his contact expired.[27] After winning the Bulgarian Supercup Victor Genev left to sign with an Israeli club.[28] At the beginning of August Omar Kossoko was sold to Al-Fujairah.[29] A few months later Fernando Viana was also sold. Krum Stoyanov, Yaya Meledje and Tsvetomir Panov[30] left during the winter break.

Kirov had to fill the gaps in his squad and during the summer and the autumn several new players joined on free transfers: Plamen Dimov, Álvaro Juliano, Daniel Kajzer, Steven Petkov, Daudet N'Dongala, and Gustavo Sauer. The start of the season was very successful - on 9 August 2017, Nikolay Kirov and his team won the first Bulgarian Supercup in the history of Botev Plovdiv following a 1–1 draw and a victory through penalty shootout against Ludogorets.[31]

During the winter break Nikolay Kirov brought two ex-players back to Botev Plovdi: João Paulo[32] on a loan until the end of the season and the right-back Filip Filipov.[33] The other new signings were the Brazilian forward Diogo Campos Gomes and the defender Dimitar Pirgov.[34] In the last official home game from the season of First League, 2–0 win over FC Vereya, Kirov made a substitute and allowed Stanislav Shopov to make an official debut for the first-team just at the age of 16.[35] Botev Plovdiv finished 5th in First League and was eliminated by Slavia Sofia at the semi-finals of the Bulgarian Cup after several controversial refereeing decisions.

Honours

Managerial statistics
As of 29 May 2019
Team From To Record
GWDLWin %
Maritsa Plovdiv 13 June 2005 15 December 2006 43 20 10 13 046.51
Maritsa Plovdiv 13 March 2007 27 May 2007 11 3 3 5 027.27
Spartak Plovdiv 13 June 2007 1 July 2011 112 46 28 38 041.07
Botev Plovdiv 24 August 2016[37] 29 May 2019[38] 130 56 32 42 043.08
Total 296 125 73 98 042.23
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References
  1. "Николай Киров - Футболна академия "Ботев Пловдив"" (in Bulgarian). botevplovdiv.bg. Retrieved 20 April 2017.
  2. "Николай Киров отново пое Марица" (in Bulgarian). topsport.bg. 13 March 2007.
  3. "Спартак Пд назначи Николай Киров за треньор" (in Bulgarian). 13 June 2007.
  4. "Спартак (Пд) намери заместник на Белия" (in Bulgarian). blitz.bg. 11 May 2011.
  5. "Николай Киров е новият директор на ДЮШ" (in Bulgarian). botevplovdiv.bg. 14 June 2011.
  6. "Трифон Пачев е новият директор на школата на Ботев, промени в треньорския състав на ДЮШ" (in Bulgarian). botevplovdiv.bg. 10 January 2017.
  7. "Профил Николай Киров - Ботев Пловдив" (in Bulgarian). botevplovdiv.bg. Retrieved 20 April 2017.
  8. "Николай Киров и Иван Кочев напълниха отбора с таланти от школата" (in Bulgarian). PFC Botev Plovdiv. 1 September 2016.
  9. "Белия пред PlovdivNews за подписания договор, подготовката, Купата и първата шестица" (in Bulgarian). plovdivnews.bg. 19 January 2017. Archived from the original on 3 March 2017. Retrieved 20 April 2017.
  10. "Омар Косоко подписа договор с Ботев" (in Bulgarian). botevplovdiv.bg. 29 September 2016.
  11. Ботев превзе Стара Загора в уникално голово шоу
  12. Зрелище: С Неделев начело Ботев посече Берое в голов трилър
  13. Хеттрик на Мапуку и червен картон на Косоко не стигнаха, Неделев герой в мача на сезона
  14. "Антонио Вутов и Фернандо Виана се присъединиха към Ботев" (in Bulgarian). botevplovdiv.bg. 28 January 2017. Archived from the original on 2 February 2017. Retrieved 20 May 2018.
  15. "Ботев привлече Виктор Генев" (in Bulgarian). botevplovdiv.bg. 6 February 2017.
  16. "Ботев привлече Иван Чворович" (in Bulgarian). botevplovdiv.bg. 20 January 2017.
  17. "Ботев надви Локомотив в Горна Оряховица". Retrieved 15 February 2018.
  18. https://botevplovdiv.bg/Lazar-Marin-se-zavurna-v-Botev--3770.html
  19. "Ботев се споразумя с Лудогорец за трансфер на Жоао Пауло". Archived from the original on 2018-05-21. Retrieved 2018-05-20.
  20. Ботев разпиля Монтана със 7 гола, Крис Добрев влезе в историята на 15 години
  21. Ботев е на 1/4-финал след класически успех над Нефтохимик
  22. Ботев на полуфинал за Купата след победа в Благоевград
  23. "БОТЕВ НА ФИНАЛ!". Archived from the original on 2018-05-21. Retrieved 2018-05-20.
  24. Ботев (Пловдив) триумфира с Купата на България!
  25. "ВИВА КАНАРИ!!! БОТЕВ Я ПРЕГЪРНА". Archived from the original on 2017-08-10. Retrieved 2018-05-20.
  26. "Вутов подписа с Левски за една година" (in Bulgarian). levski.bg. 13 June 2017.
  27. "Николай Киров: През новия сезон ще търсим по-добро представяне в шампионата и защита на спечелената Купа". Archived from the original on 2017-08-01. Retrieved 2018-05-20.
  28. Виктор Генев напуска Ботев
  29. "Ботев трансферира Омар Косоко в ОАЕ". botevplovdiv.bg (in Bulgarian). Retrieved 7 August 2017.
  30. Ботев се раздели с Цветомир Панов, Жоао Пауло пред завръщане в Пловдив
  31. Супер Ботев грабна Суперкупата!
  32. "Жоао Пауло се завръща в Ботев под наем". Archived from the original on 2018-03-01. Retrieved 2018-05-20.
  33. Ботев върна в редиците си Филип Филипов
  34. Ботев привлече Димитър Пиргов
  35. БОТЕВ ПОБЕДИ ВЕРЕЯ, СТИВЪН НЕ СПИРА ДА БЕЛЕЖИ
  36. Yotova, Ralitsa (7 January 2018). "Ивелин Попов е "Футболист на годината" за трети пореден път!" (in Bulgarian). topsport.bg. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
  37. "Оставките на спортния щаб са приети, Николай Киров и Иван Кочев водят отбора срещу Нефтохимик". botevplovdiv.bg (in Bulgarian). 24 August 2016. Retrieved 29 May 2019.
  38. "Ботев се разделя с Николай Киров". botevplovdiv.bg (in Bulgarian). 29 May 2019. Retrieved 29 May 2019.
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