Ivaylo Yordanov

Ivaylo Yordanov
Personal information
Full name Ivaylo Stoimenov Yordanov
Date of birth (1968-04-22) 22 April 1968
Place of birth Samokov, Bulgaria
Height 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Playing position Striker / Midfielder
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1982–1989 Rilski Sportist 199 (23)
1989–1991 Lokomotiv GO 51 (23)
1991–2001 Sporting CP 184 (56)
Total 434 (102)
National team
1991–2000 Bulgaria 51 (4)

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.


This name uses Eastern Slavic naming customs; the patronymic is Stoimenov and the family name is Yordanov.

Ivaylo Stoimenov Yordanov (Bulgarian: Ивайло Йорданов; born 22 April 1968) is a Bulgarian retired footballer. Known for his professional approach to the game, he played mainly as a striker.

During his career, he represented mainly Sporting in Portugal, appearing in more than 250 official games in one full decade and winning two major titles.

A Bulgarian international for nine years, Yordanov represented the nation in one World Cup and one European Championship.

Club career

Born in Samokov, Yordanov began his career at local PFC Rilski Sportist, where he first appeared professionally at not yet 15, moving to FC Lokomotiv Gorna Oryahovitsa in 1989. In the last of his two seasons, he topped the first division scoring charts, at 21 goals, helping lowly Lokomotiv to a comfortable ninth place.

In 1991–92, Yordanov joined Sporting Clube de Portugal, signing alongside compatriot Boncho Genchev – who had been his predecessor at Lokomotiv GO – where he would play in a variety of positions (including central defender, due to injuries to teammates). Persistent injury problems and multiple sclerosis led to a 2001 retirement,[1] still with the Lisbon club (he contributed with 11 matches and one goal in the team's Primeira Liga conquest the previous year).

Upon retiring, Yordanov stayed connected with Sporting, in its youth teams.[2] On 7 June 2010, he joined Angel Chervenkov's staff at PFC Litex Lovech, as part of the scouting departments.[3]

International career

Yordanov was capped 51 times and scored four goals for the Bulgarian national team, including seven FIFA World Cup games in the 1994 and 1998 editions combined.

In the former, in another display of "team-first" attitude – and first discovering his versatile qualities – during the round-of-16 contest against Mexico (as Bulgaria prevailed in a penalty shootout) he filled in at stopper, due to the absence of Trifon Ivanov (suspension) and Nikolay Iliev (injury). During the match, he set up Hristo Stoichkov's goal in the 1–1 draw.[4]

Yordanov would also appear at UEFA Euro 1996, playing all three group stage matches (two complete) as Bulgaria finished third in its group.

Honours

References

  1. ↑ Unlucky seven; UEFA.com, 11 July 2003
  2. ↑ Iordanov sees hope for Bulgaria; UEFA.com, 17 June 2004
  3. ↑ "Ивайло Йорданов почна с Литекс" [Ivaylo Yordanov started at Litex] (in Bulgarian). Gong.bg. 7 June 2010. Retrieved 7 June 2010.
  4. ↑ "World Cup '94; Bulgaria has winning touch at shootout time". The New York Times. 6 July 1994. Retrieved 16 July 2015.
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