Martin Petrov
Encyclopedia
Martin Petyov Petrov is a Bulgaria
n footballer, currently playing for Bolton Wanderers
in the Premier League.
. After a few good seasons, he signed with CSKA Sofia
and after two successful games against Servette
in the UEFA Cup, the Swiss
side bought the 19-year-old for 1,2 million German marks.
He later moved to Wolfsburg
, where he established himself as an explosive player. In the summer 2005, he was bought by Atlético Madrid for a fee of €10 million.
On 24 July 2007, after constant press speculation about him leaving the club, it was reported that Atletico Madrid had placed a £6,2 million price on the player. Later that day he left the Atletico Madrid training camp to think over his future with Tottenham Hotspur
and Manchester City
reputedly interested in the player.
On 25 July, reports in the Spanish press suggested that Petrov had already agreed terms and had medical tests with Manchester City
and that only minor details needed completing before finalising a move to Eastlands
. Manchester City
confirmed the £4,7 million (€7 million) move on a three-year contract on 26 July 2007.
on 26 July 2007, and although having a big reputation on the European stage, he was a relatively unknown talent to the Premiership. That soon changed after his first Premier League game on 11 August 2007 when he played an important role in Manchester City
's 2–0 win over West Ham United
at Upton Park
. Petrov made probing runs down his favoured left flank, wreaking havoc among the Hammers's defence, and never shying away from trying powerful long range shots at goal with his trademark left foot. He had to wait until 22 September 2007 to score his first goal in Manchester City
's sky blue colours, minutes before netting another one at Fulham's Craven Cottage
. One of the goals was a superb individual effort, and the other a one-two combination with Elano. Since then Petrov has scored 2 more goals, one in the 3–1 win over Newcastle United
the other one in the 2–1 win over Reading
and also notched up 6 assists. Making himself well known for his blistering pace, brilliant runs down the wing, and a great eye for a pass. He was sent off by referee Rob Styles
in the home loss to Everton
, for kicking Leon Osman
. The challenge earned him a straight red card which banned him for 3 games. The Bulgarian added to his tally with a goal against Portsmouth
. A goal hit with his weaker right foot, which managed to go between the legs of Sol Campbell
and into the net.
It was announced that Petrov's number would change from 15 up to 17 - his international number - for his second season with City. During the first round of the UEFA Cup in the 2008–09 season, Petrov scored a rifle of a shot after a Michael Johnson dummy against EB/Streymur
in City's 2–0 away win. He also scored a goal in the home leg against EB/Streymur along with Darius Vassell's late goal. He scored another trademark rocket from just inside the area against Celtic
in a pre-season friendly for Manchester City. He returned from injury to compete in the reserves game away at Newcastle United, playing 45 minutes. He scored the only goal in an emphatic 1–0 win over Barcelona
in a pre-season friendly. He marked his return to Premier League action in Manchester City's home clash against Fulham
on 12 April 2009, playing 63 minutes before being substituted by Robinho
.
Following the influx of new players at Manchester City
such as Carlos Tévez
and Emmanuel Adebayor
, Petrov was linked with a move away from the City of Manchester Stadium
. On 1 September 2009, the transfer deadline day, it was speculated that he would transfer to Tottenham Hotspur
, in a move, which would see David Bentley
heading to Eastlands. Tottenham would also receive £10 million as part of this deal, however Manchester City later denied they would be signing Bentley, either on-loan or permanently. Luchezar Tanev, Petrov's agent, later stated that the move broke down "because, in the final reckoning, Manchester City rejected the deal mainly due to manager Mark Hughes's unwillingness." He was often in and out of the first team. However, he scored goals in the first two games that he had started, prompting Hughes to start Petrov in place of Shaun Wright-Phillips
at home vs. Fulham. Though he scored, he also aggravated the knee injury that has plagued him. After the sacking of Mark Hughes
and arrival of Roberto Mancini
, he started both league games and scored in the 2–0 win over Stoke City
on 26 December. He also publicly expressed his anger against Hughes as Petrov was frequently moved in and out of the starting 11.
On 18 April 2010 Petrov announced that his season was over and that he would miss the four remaining Premier League games due to a knee injury.
On 8 June 2010, it was announced that Petrov's contract had expired and that he would be leaving the club, along with Benjani Mwaruwari
, Karl Moore and Sylvinho
.
on 26 September 2010, and finished the season with three goals.
for a Euro 2000 qualifier against England
. He came as a substitution at the place of his idol Hristo Stoichkov
. However, it proved to be an inauspicious start to his international career; he was sent off
for a second yellow card just eight minutes after coming on as a substitute. Petrov cried while he was leaving the pitch.
Petrov was the key player in Bulgaria's unsuccessful Euro 2004 participation, excelling in all three games and scoring Bulgaria's only goal at the finals; a penalty against Italy in Bulgaria's 1–2 loss.
On 2 September 2006, Petrov played a crucial role in the Bulgarian national team's Euro 2008 opening qualifying game against Romania
in Constanţa
, nailing two goals in two minutes to equalize from 2–0 in the last minutes of the game. This was seen as a remarkable comeback. He also went on to score against Slovenia
(in a 3–0 win) and the Netherlands
(in a 1–1 draw). His performances in the 2006 qualifying campaign earned him the 2006 Bulgarian Footballer of the Year
award.
On 7 September 2010, Petrov earned his 80th cap for Bulgaria in the 0:1 home loss in a UEFA Euro 2012 qualifier against Montenegro
.
|1995–96||Botev Vratsa
||V AFG
||18||4||||||||||||||||
|-
|1996–97||rowspan="3"|CSKA Sofia
||rowspan="3"|A PFG
||3||1||||||||||||||||
|-
|1997–98||10||2||||||||||||||||
|-
|1998–99||12||3||||||||||||||||
|-
|1998–99||rowspan="3"|Servette
||rowspan="3"|Super League
||14||3||||||||||||||||
|-
|1999–00||31||9||||||||||||||||
|-
|2000–01
||32||15||||||||||||||||
|-
|2001–02||rowspan="4"|Wolfsburg
||rowspan="4"|Bundesliga
||32||6||3||1||||||||||35||7
|-
|2002–03||26||2||2||0||||||||||28||2
|-
|2003–04||28||8||1||2||||||||||29||10
|-
|2004–05||30||12||-||-||||||3||2||33||14
|-
|2005–06||rowspan="2"|Atlético Madrid||rowspan="2"|La Liga
||36||1||||||||||||||36||1
|-
|2006–07||13||2|||||||||||1||0||14||2
|-
|2007–08
||rowspan="3"|Manchester City||rowspan="3"|Premier League||34||5||3||0||1||0||||||38||5
|-
|2008–09
||9||0||-||-||-||-||5||2||14||2
|-
|2009–10
||16||4||3||1||1||0||||||20||5
|-
|2010–11
||rowspan="2"|Bolton Wanderers||rowspan="2"|Premier League||28||3||6||0||0||0||||||34||3
|-
|2011-12||11||1||0||0||1||1||||||12||2
43||10||||||||||||||||
77||27|||||||||||||||||
116||28||6||3||-||-||3||2||125||33
49||3||-||-||-|||-|||1|||0||50||3
98||13||12||1||3||1||5||2||118||17
382||85||||||||||||||||
|-
|1999||1||0
|-
|2000||10||1
|-
|2001||11||2
|-
|2002||7||0
|-
|2003||6||1
|-
|2004||10||2
|-
|2005||10||3
|-
|2006||7||4
|-
|2007||8||2
|-
|2008||5||1
|-
|2009||6||2
|-
|2010||4||0
|-
|2011||1||1
|-
!Total||83||19
|}
Servette FC
Atlético Madrid
Manchester City
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
n footballer, currently playing for Bolton Wanderers
Bolton Wanderers F.C.
Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....
in the Premier League.
Club career
Petrov began his career for Botev VratsaFC Botev Vratsa
OFC Botev Vratsa , founded in 1921, is a Bulgarian football club from the city of Vratsa. The club currently plays in A PFG, the first level of Bulgarian football....
. After a few good seasons, he signed with CSKA Sofia
PFC CSKA Sofia
PFC CSKA Sofia , commonly known as CSKA or CSKA Sofia is a professional football club based in Sofia, Bulgaria. The club was officially founded on May 5, 1948. CSKA's abbreviation stands for Central Sports Club of the Army...
and after two successful games against Servette
Servette FC
Servette FC is a Swiss football club, based in Geneva currently playing in the Swiss Super League. They were playing in the Swiss Challenge League, the second highest tier of Swiss football having been relegated from the Swiss Super League at the end of 2004/05 season...
in the UEFA Cup, the Swiss
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
side bought the 19-year-old for 1,2 million German marks.
He later moved to Wolfsburg
VfL Wolfsburg
VfL Wolfsburg is a professional German association football club based in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony, who play in the Bundesliga football competition. Wolfsburg have won the Bundesliga once in their history, in the 2008–09 season, and were DFB-Pokal runners-up in 1995. The current head coach is Felix...
, where he established himself as an explosive player. In the summer 2005, he was bought by Atlético Madrid for a fee of €10 million.
On 24 July 2007, after constant press speculation about him leaving the club, it was reported that Atletico Madrid had placed a £6,2 million price on the player. Later that day he left the Atletico Madrid training camp to think over his future with Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
and Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
reputedly interested in the player.
On 25 July, reports in the Spanish press suggested that Petrov had already agreed terms and had medical tests with Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
and that only minor details needed completing before finalising a move to Eastlands
City of Manchester Stadium
The City of Manchester Stadium in Manchester, England – also known as the Etihad Stadium for sponsorship purposes– is the home ground of...
. Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
confirmed the £4,7 million (€7 million) move on a three-year contract on 26 July 2007.
Manchester City
Petrov left Atlético Madrid for Manchester CityManchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
on 26 July 2007, and although having a big reputation on the European stage, he was a relatively unknown talent to the Premiership. That soon changed after his first Premier League game on 11 August 2007 when he played an important role in Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
's 2–0 win over West Ham United
West Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
at Upton Park
Boleyn Ground
The Boleyn Ground, more commonly referred to as Upton Park due to its location in Upton Park, London is the football stadium of West Ham United.-History:...
. Petrov made probing runs down his favoured left flank, wreaking havoc among the Hammers's defence, and never shying away from trying powerful long range shots at goal with his trademark left foot. He had to wait until 22 September 2007 to score his first goal in Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
's sky blue colours, minutes before netting another one at Fulham's Craven Cottage
Craven Cottage
Craven Cottage is the name of a football stadium in the Hammersmith and Fulham area that has been the home ground of the association football team Fulham F.C. since 1896....
. One of the goals was a superb individual effort, and the other a one-two combination with Elano. Since then Petrov has scored 2 more goals, one in the 3–1 win over Newcastle United
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
the other one in the 2–1 win over Reading
Reading F.C.
Reading Football Club is an English association football club based in the town of Reading, Berkshire who currently play in the Championship...
and also notched up 6 assists. Making himself well known for his blistering pace, brilliant runs down the wing, and a great eye for a pass. He was sent off by referee Rob Styles
Rob Styles
Robert Styles is an English football Referee from Waterlooville, Hampshire, who officiates in the FA Premier League, and for FIFA. He has now retired.- Career :...
in the home loss to Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
, for kicking Leon Osman
Leon Osman
Leon Osman is an English football player who plays for Everton in the Premier League. He has spent his whole career as an Everton player, though he has spent time on loan at Carlisle United and Derby County.-Biography:...
. The challenge earned him a straight red card which banned him for 3 games. The Bulgarian added to his tally with a goal against Portsmouth
Portsmouth F.C.
Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...
. A goal hit with his weaker right foot, which managed to go between the legs of Sol Campbell
Sol Campbell
Sulzeer Jeremiah "Sol" Campbell is an English footballer who is currently a free agent. A central defender, Campbell has played for Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal, Portsmouth, Notts County and Newcastle United, as well as the English national team.Born in East London to Jamaican parents, Campbell's...
and into the net.
It was announced that Petrov's number would change from 15 up to 17 - his international number - for his second season with City. During the first round of the UEFA Cup in the 2008–09 season, Petrov scored a rifle of a shot after a Michael Johnson dummy against EB/Streymur
EB/Streymur
EB/Streymur is an Faroese football club based in Streymnes. They play in the Vodafonedeildin, the top division in Faroese football.-History:...
in City's 2–0 away win. He also scored a goal in the home leg against EB/Streymur along with Darius Vassell's late goal. He scored another trademark rocket from just inside the area against Celtic
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
in a pre-season friendly for Manchester City. He returned from injury to compete in the reserves game away at Newcastle United, playing 45 minutes. He scored the only goal in an emphatic 1–0 win over Barcelona
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
in a pre-season friendly. He marked his return to Premier League action in Manchester City's home clash against Fulham
Fulham F.C.
Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season...
on 12 April 2009, playing 63 minutes before being substituted by Robinho
Robinho
Robson de Souza , more commonly known as Robinho, is a Brazilian professional footballer who currently plays as second striker and winger for Serie A club AC Milan...
.
Following the influx of new players at Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
such as Carlos Tévez
Carlos Tévez
Carlos Alberto Tévez is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a forward for English club Manchester City...
and Emmanuel Adebayor
Emmanuel Adebayor
Sheyi Emmanuel Adebayor is a Togolese footballer who plays for Tottenham Hotspur as a striker on loan from Manchester City. He plays in the same position for the Togo national team. Adebayor previously played for Metz, Monaco and Arsenal and was voted African Footballer of the Year for 2008...
, Petrov was linked with a move away from the City of Manchester Stadium
City of Manchester Stadium
The City of Manchester Stadium in Manchester, England – also known as the Etihad Stadium for sponsorship purposes– is the home ground of...
. On 1 September 2009, the transfer deadline day, it was speculated that he would transfer to Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
, in a move, which would see David Bentley
David Bentley
David Michael Bentley is an English footballer who plays for West Ham United as a winger, on loan from Tottenham Hotspur....
heading to Eastlands. Tottenham would also receive £10 million as part of this deal, however Manchester City later denied they would be signing Bentley, either on-loan or permanently. Luchezar Tanev, Petrov's agent, later stated that the move broke down "because, in the final reckoning, Manchester City rejected the deal mainly due to manager Mark Hughes's unwillingness." He was often in and out of the first team. However, he scored goals in the first two games that he had started, prompting Hughes to start Petrov in place of Shaun Wright-Phillips
Shaun Wright-Phillips
Shaun Cameron Wright-Phillips is an English footballer who plays for Queens Park Rangers and the England national team. He is the adopted son of former England international, Ian Wright and the half-brother of fellow professional football player Bradley Wright-Phillips...
at home vs. Fulham. Though he scored, he also aggravated the knee injury that has plagued him. After the sacking of Mark Hughes
Mark Hughes
Leslie Mark Hughes, OBE , is a former Welsh international footballer. As an international footballer, he made 72 appearances and scored 16 goals....
and arrival of Roberto Mancini
Roberto Mancini
Roberto Mancini is an Italian football manager, formerly an international player and current manager of Premier League club Manchester City.As a player Mancini was best known for his time at Sampdoria, where he played more than 550 matches, and helped them win the Serie A league title, four Coppa...
, he started both league games and scored in the 2–0 win over Stoke City
Stoke City F.C.
Stoke City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire that plays in the Premier League. Founded in 1863, it is the oldest club in the Premier League, and considered to be the second oldest professional football club in the world, after Notts...
on 26 December. He also publicly expressed his anger against Hughes as Petrov was frequently moved in and out of the starting 11.
On 18 April 2010 Petrov announced that his season was over and that he would miss the four remaining Premier League games due to a knee injury.
On 8 June 2010, it was announced that Petrov's contract had expired and that he would be leaving the club, along with Benjani Mwaruwari
Benjani Mwaruwari
Benjamin Mwaruwari , known as Benjani, is a Zimbabwean footballer who currently plays for Portsmouth in the Football League Championship, where he plays as a striker....
, Karl Moore and Sylvinho
Sylvinho
Sylvio Mendes Campos Junior , commonly known as Sylvinho is a retired Brazilian footballer, who played for Corinthians, Arsenal, Celta Vigo, FC Barcelona and Manchester City...
.
Bolton Wanderers
On 22 June 2010, it was announced that Petrov had agreed terms with Bolton Wanderers and the free transfer was completed when the transfer window opened on 1 July. He scored his first goal for the club against Manchester UnitedManchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
on 26 September 2010, and finished the season with three goals.
International career
In June 1999, he received his first call-up to the Bulgarian national teamBulgaria national football team
The FIFA Bulgaria national football team is an association football team fielded by the Bulgarian Football Union, a member association of UEFA. The team's home ground is Vasil Levski in Sofia and Luboslav Penev is in charge manager after replacement of Lothar Matthäus...
for a Euro 2000 qualifier against England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
. He came as a substitution at the place of his idol Hristo Stoichkov
Hristo Stoichkov
Hristo Stoichkov Stoichkov , sometimes Stoitchkov; born 8 February 1966 in Plovdiv) is a retired Bulgarian footballer. He is regarded as one of the best footballers of his generation and the greatest Bulgarian footballer of all time. Nicknamed The Dagger , The Dog , The Modern Left...
. However, it proved to be an inauspicious start to his international career; he was sent off
Ejection (sports)
In sports, an ejection is one of several disqualifying actions assessed to a player or coach by a game official , usually for unsportsmanlike conduct....
for a second yellow card just eight minutes after coming on as a substitute. Petrov cried while he was leaving the pitch.
Petrov was the key player in Bulgaria's unsuccessful Euro 2004 participation, excelling in all three games and scoring Bulgaria's only goal at the finals; a penalty against Italy in Bulgaria's 1–2 loss.
On 2 September 2006, Petrov played a crucial role in the Bulgarian national team's Euro 2008 opening qualifying game against Romania
Romania national football team
The Romania national football team is the national football team of Romania and is controlled by the Romanian Football Federation.Romania is one of only four national teams, the other three being Brazil, France, and Belgium, that took part in the first three World Cups.However, after that...
in Constanţa
Constanta
Constanța is the oldest extant city in Romania, founded around 600 BC. The city is located in the Dobruja region of Romania, on the Black Sea coast. It is the capital of Constanța County and the largest city in the region....
, nailing two goals in two minutes to equalize from 2–0 in the last minutes of the game. This was seen as a remarkable comeback. He also went on to score against Slovenia
Slovenia national football team
The Slovenia national football team is the national football team of Slovenia and is controlled by the Football Association of Slovenia. The team played their first match in 1992 after the split of Yugoslavia in 1991....
(in a 3–0 win) and the Netherlands
Netherlands national football team
The Netherlands National Football Team represents the Netherlands in association football and is controlled by the Royal Dutch Football Association , the governing body for football in the Netherlands...
(in a 1–1 draw). His performances in the 2006 qualifying campaign earned him the 2006 Bulgarian Footballer of the Year
Bulgarian Footballer of the Year
Bulgarian Footballer of the Year is an annual title awarded to the best Bulgarian 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....
award.
On 7 September 2010, Petrov earned his 80th cap for Bulgaria in the 0:1 home loss in a UEFA Euro 2012 qualifier against Montenegro
Montenegro national football team
The Montenegro national football team represents Montenegro in association football and is controlled by the Football Association of Montenegro, the governing body for football in Montenegro...
.
Career statistics
|-|1995–96||Botev Vratsa
FC Botev Vratsa
OFC Botev Vratsa , founded in 1921, is a Bulgarian football club from the city of Vratsa. The club currently plays in A PFG, the first level of Bulgarian football....
||V AFG
Bulgarian V AFG
The Bulgarian V Amateur Football Group is the third level of the Bulgarian football league system. While the first division and the second division are professional, the third division V AFG is amateur division...
||18||4||||||||||||||||
|-
|1996–97||rowspan="3"|CSKA Sofia
PFC CSKA Sofia
PFC CSKA Sofia , commonly known as CSKA or CSKA Sofia is a professional football club based in Sofia, Bulgaria. The club was officially founded on May 5, 1948. CSKA's abbreviation stands for Central Sports Club of the Army...
||rowspan="3"|A PFG
Bulgarian A Professional Football Group
The Bulgarian A Professional Football Group commonly known as A PFG is the top division of the Bulgarian football league system. The league is sponsored by Victoria FATA Insurance and therefore is officially known as Victoria A Football Group since 2011...
||3||1||||||||||||||||
|-
|1997–98||10||2||||||||||||||||
|-
|1998–99||12||3||||||||||||||||
|-
|1998–99||rowspan="3"|Servette
Servette FC
Servette FC is a Swiss football club, based in Geneva currently playing in the Swiss Super League. They were playing in the Swiss Challenge League, the second highest tier of Swiss football having been relegated from the Swiss Super League at the end of 2004/05 season...
||rowspan="3"|Super League
Swiss Super League
The Swiss Super League or Axpo Super League is the top tier of the Swiss Football League. The Swiss Super League is currently ranked 16th according to UEFA's ranking of league coefficients, which is based upon Swiss team performances in European competitions.-Names:-Participating clubs:The teams...
||14||3||||||||||||||||
|-
|1999–00||31||9||||||||||||||||
|-
|2000–01
Swiss Football League 2000–01
-Regular season:The regular season started on 15 July and ended on 10 December.-Champion playoffs:Each team awarded half of the points from regular season-Regular season:-Relegation playoffs:...
||32||15||||||||||||||||
|-
|2001–02||rowspan="4"|Wolfsburg
VfL Wolfsburg
VfL Wolfsburg is a professional German association football club based in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony, who play in the Bundesliga football competition. Wolfsburg have won the Bundesliga once in their history, in the 2008–09 season, and were DFB-Pokal runners-up in 1995. The current head coach is Felix...
||rowspan="4"|Bundesliga
Fußball-Bundesliga
The Fußball-Bundesliga is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of Germany's football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 18 teams and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the 2. Bundesliga...
||32||6||3||1||||||||||35||7
|-
|2002–03||26||2||2||0||||||||||28||2
|-
|2003–04||28||8||1||2||||||||||29||10
|-
|2004–05||30||12||-||-||||||3||2||33||14
|-
|2005–06||rowspan="2"|Atlético Madrid||rowspan="2"|La Liga
La Liga
The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...
||36||1||||||||||||||36||1
|-
|2006–07||13||2|||||||||||1||0||14||2
|-
|2007–08
Premier League 2007–08
The 2007–08 Premier League season was the sixteenth since its establishment. The first matches of the season were played on 11 August 2007, and the season ended on 11 May 2008...
||rowspan="3"|Manchester City||rowspan="3"|Premier League||34||5||3||0||1||0||||||38||5
|-
|2008–09
Premier League 2008–09
The 2008–09 Premier League season was the seventeenth since its establishment in 1992. Manchester United became champions for the eleventh time on the penultimate weekend of the season, defending their crown after winning their tenth Premier League title on the final day of the previous season...
||9||0||-||-||-||-||5||2||14||2
|-
|2009–10
Premier League 2009–10
The 2009–10 Premier League was the 18th season of the Premier League since its establishment in 1992. A total of 20 teams competed in the league, with Chelsea unseating the three-time defending champions Manchester United, scoring a Premier League record 103 goals in the process...
||16||4||3||1||1||0||||||20||5
|-
|2010–11
2010–11 Premier League
The 2010–11 Premier League was the 19th season of the Premier League since its establishment in 1992. The 2010–11 fixtures were released on 17 June 2010 at 09:00 BST. The season began on 14 August 2010, and ended on 22 May 2011...
||rowspan="2"|Bolton Wanderers||rowspan="2"|Premier League||28||3||6||0||0||0||||||34||3
|-
|2011-12||11||1||0||0||1||1||||||12||2
43||10||||||||||||||||
77||27|||||||||||||||||
116||28||6||3||-||-||3||2||125||33
49||3||-||-||-|||-|||1|||0||50||3
98||13||12||1||3||1||5||2||118||17
382||85||||||||||||||||
|-
|1999||1||0
|-
|2000||10||1
|-
|2001||11||2
|-
|2002||7||0
|-
|2003||6||1
|-
|2004||10||2
|-
|2005||10||3
|-
|2006||7||4
|-
|2007||8||2
|-
|2008||5||1
|-
|2009||6||2
|-
|2010||4||0
|-
|2011||1||1
|-
!Total||83||19
|}
International goals
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | November 14, 2000 | Algiers Algiers ' is the capital and largest city of Algeria. According to the 1998 census, the population of the city proper was 1,519,570 and that of the urban agglomeration was 2,135,630. In 2009, the population was about 3,500,000... , Algeria Algeria Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab... |
2–1 | Win | Friendly | |
| 2. | March 28, 2001 | Sofia Sofia Sofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria and the 12th largest city in the European Union with a population of 1.27 million people. It is located in western Bulgaria, at the foot of Mount Vitosha and approximately at the centre of the Balkan Peninsula.Prehistoric settlements were excavated... , Bulgaria Bulgaria Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east... |
4–3 | Win | FIFA World Cup 2002 Qualification 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA) Listed below are the dates and results for the 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds for the European zone . For an overview of the qualification rounds, see the article 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification.... |
|
| 3. | March 28, 2001 | Sofia Sofia Sofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria and the 12th largest city in the European Union with a population of 1.27 million people. It is located in western Bulgaria, at the foot of Mount Vitosha and approximately at the centre of the Balkan Peninsula.Prehistoric settlements were excavated... , Bulgaria Bulgaria Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east... |
4–3 | Win | FIFA World Cup 2002 Qualification 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA) Listed below are the dates and results for the 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds for the European zone . For an overview of the qualification rounds, see the article 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification.... |
|
| 4. | September 6, 2003 | Sofia Sofia Sofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria and the 12th largest city in the European Union with a population of 1.27 million people. It is located in western Bulgaria, at the foot of Mount Vitosha and approximately at the centre of the Balkan Peninsula.Prehistoric settlements were excavated... , Bulgaria Bulgaria Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east... |
2–0 | Win | UEFA Euro 2004 Qualification | |
| 5. | June 22, 2004 | Guimaraes Guimarães Guimarães Municipality is located in northwestern Portugal in the province of Minho and in the Braga District. It contains the city of Guimarães.The present Mayor is António Magalhães Silva, elected by the Socialist Party.-Parishes:-Economy:... , Portugal Portugal Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the... |
0-1 | 2-1 | UEFA Euro 2004 | |
| 6. | October 9, 2004 | Zagreb Zagreb Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city... , Croatia Croatia Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ... |
2–2 | Draw | FIFA World Cup 2006 Qualification 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA) Listed below are the dates and results for the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds for UEFA teams. A total of 51 teams took part, divided in 8 Groups - five groups of 6 teams each and three groups of 7 teams each - competing for 13 places in the World Cup... |
|
| 7. | June 4, 2005 | Sofia Sofia Sofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria and the 12th largest city in the European Union with a population of 1.27 million people. It is located in western Bulgaria, at the foot of Mount Vitosha and approximately at the centre of the Balkan Peninsula.Prehistoric settlements were excavated... , Bulgaria Bulgaria Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east... |
1–3 | Loss | FIFA World Cup 2006 Qualification 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA) Listed below are the dates and results for the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds for UEFA teams. A total of 51 teams took part, divided in 8 Groups - five groups of 6 teams each and three groups of 7 teams each - competing for 13 places in the World Cup... |
|
| 8. | August 17, 2005 | Sofia Sofia Sofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria and the 12th largest city in the European Union with a population of 1.27 million people. It is located in western Bulgaria, at the foot of Mount Vitosha and approximately at the centre of the Balkan Peninsula.Prehistoric settlements were excavated... , Bulgaria Bulgaria Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east... |
3–1 | Win | Friendly | |
| 9. | September 7, 2005 | Sofia Sofia Sofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria and the 12th largest city in the European Union with a population of 1.27 million people. It is located in western Bulgaria, at the foot of Mount Vitosha and approximately at the centre of the Balkan Peninsula.Prehistoric settlements were excavated... , Bulgaria Bulgaria Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east... |
3–2 | Win | FIFA World Cup 2006 Qualification 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA) Listed below are the dates and results for the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds for UEFA teams. A total of 51 teams took part, divided in 8 Groups - five groups of 6 teams each and three groups of 7 teams each - competing for 13 places in the World Cup... |
|
| 10. | September 2, 2006 | Constanţa Constanta Constanța is the oldest extant city in Romania, founded around 600 BC. The city is located in the Dobruja region of Romania, on the Black Sea coast. It is the capital of Constanța County and the largest city in the region.... , Romania Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea... |
2–1 | 2-2 | UEFA Euro 2008 Qualification | |
| 11. | September 2, 2006 | Constanţa Constanta Constanța is the oldest extant city in Romania, founded around 600 BC. The city is located in the Dobruja region of Romania, on the Black Sea coast. It is the capital of Constanța County and the largest city in the region.... , Romania Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea... |
2–2 | 2-2 | UEFA Euro 2008 Qualification | |
| 12. | September 6, 2006 | Sofia Sofia Sofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria and the 12th largest city in the European Union with a population of 1.27 million people. It is located in western Bulgaria, at the foot of Mount Vitosha and approximately at the centre of the Balkan Peninsula.Prehistoric settlements were excavated... , Bulgaria Bulgaria Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east... |
2–0 | 3-0 | UEFA Euro 2008 Qualification | |
| 13. | October 7, 2006 | Sofia Sofia Sofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria and the 12th largest city in the European Union with a population of 1.27 million people. It is located in western Bulgaria, at the foot of Mount Vitosha and approximately at the centre of the Balkan Peninsula.Prehistoric settlements were excavated... , Bulgaria Bulgaria Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east... |
1–0 | 1-1 | UEFA Euro 2008 Qualification | |
| 14. | June 6, 2007 | Sofia Sofia Sofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria and the 12th largest city in the European Union with a population of 1.27 million people. It is located in western Bulgaria, at the foot of Mount Vitosha and approximately at the centre of the Balkan Peninsula.Prehistoric settlements were excavated... , Bulgaria Bulgaria Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east... |
1–1 | 2-1 | UEFA Euro 2008 Qualification | |
| 15. | September 12, 2007 | Sofia Sofia Sofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria and the 12th largest city in the European Union with a population of 1.27 million people. It is located in western Bulgaria, at the foot of Mount Vitosha and approximately at the centre of the Balkan Peninsula.Prehistoric settlements were excavated... , Bulgaria Bulgaria Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east... |
3–0 | 3-0 | UEFA Euro 2008 Qualification | |
| 16. | February 6, 2008 | Belfast Belfast Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly... , Northern Ireland Northern Ireland Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west... |
1–0 | Win | Friendly | |
| 17. | October 14, 2009 | Sofia Sofia Sofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria and the 12th largest city in the European Union with a population of 1.27 million people. It is located in western Bulgaria, at the foot of Mount Vitosha and approximately at the centre of the Balkan Peninsula.Prehistoric settlements were excavated... , Bulgaria Bulgaria Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east... |
2-0 | 6-2 | FIFA World Cup 2010 Qualification 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA) The European zone of qualification for the 2010 FIFA World Cup saw 53 teams competing for 13 places at the finals. The qualification process started on 20 August 2008, after UEFA Euro 2008, and ended on 18 November 2009. The qualification process saw the first competitive matches of... |
|
| 18. | October 14, 2009 | Sofia Sofia Sofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria and the 12th largest city in the European Union with a population of 1.27 million people. It is located in western Bulgaria, at the foot of Mount Vitosha and approximately at the centre of the Balkan Peninsula.Prehistoric settlements were excavated... , Bulgaria Bulgaria Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east... |
6–1 | 6-2 | FIFA World Cup 2010 Qualification 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA) The European zone of qualification for the 2010 FIFA World Cup saw 53 teams competing for 13 places at the finals. The qualification process started on 20 August 2008, after UEFA Euro 2008, and ended on 18 November 2009. The qualification process saw the first competitive matches of... |
|
| 19. | March 29, 2011 | Larnaca Larnaca Larnaca, is the third largest city on the southern coast of Cyprus after Nicosia and Limassol. It has a population of 72,000 and is the island's second largest commercial port and an important tourist resort... , Cyprus Cyprus Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the... |
0-1 | 0-1 | Friendly | |
Honours
CSKA Sofia- Bulgarian Championship 1 time – 1997
- Bulgarian CupBulgarian CupThe Bulgarian Cup is a Bulgarian annual football competition. It is the country's main cup competition and all officially registered Bulgarian football teams take part in it. It is sponsored by the Bulgarian Corporate Commercial Bank....
1 time – 1997
Servette FC
Servette FC
Servette FC is a Swiss football club, based in Geneva currently playing in the Swiss Super League. They were playing in the Swiss Challenge League, the second highest tier of Swiss football having been relegated from the Swiss Super League at the end of 2004/05 season...
- Swiss Super LeagueSwiss Super LeagueThe Swiss Super League or Axpo Super League is the top tier of the Swiss Football League. The Swiss Super League is currently ranked 16th according to UEFA's ranking of league coefficients, which is based upon Swiss team performances in European competitions.-Names:-Participating clubs:The teams...
1 time 1999 - Swiss Cup 1 time 2001
Atlético Madrid
- UEFA Intertoto CupUEFA Intertoto CupThe UEFA Intertoto Cup, also abbreviated as UI Cup and originally called the International Football Cup, was a summer football competition for European clubs that had not qualified for one of the two major UEFA competitions, the Champions League and the UEFA Cup. The competition was discontinued...
1 time 2007
Manchester City
- Vodacom ChallengeVodacom ChallengeThe Vodacom Challenge is a association football pre-season tournament that features Vodacom-sponsored South African giants Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs plus from 2006 onwards an invited European club...
Runner-up: 2009