Zhivko Zhelev

Zhivko Dinchev Zhelev (Bulgarian: Живко Желев; born 23 July 1979 in Stara Zagora) is a retired Bulgarian football defender.

Zhivko Zhelev
Zhelev as a player in 2015
Personal information
Full name Zhivko Dinchev Zhelev
Date of birth (1979-07-23) 23 July 1979
Place of birth Stara Zagora, Bulgaria
Height 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in)
Position(s) Centre back
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1995–1996 Beroe Stara Zagora 3 (0)
1996–2007 Litex Lovech 196 (29)
1996–1998 → Olimpik Teteven (loan) 37 (3)
2007–2009 Oțelul Galați 73 (7)
2010 Steaua București 16 (1)
2010 Inter Baku 1 (0)
2011 Simurq Zagatala 2 (0)
2011–2013 Slavia Sofia 66 (4)
2013–2016 Vereya Stara Zagora 64 (11)
Total 458 (55)
International career
Bulgaria U-21
2001–2006 Bulgaria 6 (0)
Managerial career
2014–2015 Vereya (assistant)
2015–2016 Vereya (playing manager)
2016–2022 Litex Lovech
2022 CSKA Sofia II (assistant)
2022–2023 Yantra Gabrovo
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 11:48, 18 June 2016 (UTC)

Club career

Litex

Zhelev joined Litex Lovech quite young but fought hard to get a place in the first team. He formed a formidable duet with ex-Bulgarian national defender Rosen Kirilov. However, due to a lack of strikers Zhelev was also used by managers to play as a striker for Litex and scored a lot of goals in this position. He is the defender who has scored the most goals in the whole history of Bulgarian football.[1]

He has been considered one of the favourite players by Litex fans, due to his dedicated and selfless manner of playing, and his loyalty to the club. He has been awarded the title "The best player of Litex" in 2006.

Oţelul

On 12 July 2007, Zhelev joined Romanian club Oţelul Galaţi for a fee of €125,000

On 8 November 2009, after a game against FC Timişoara, he and his teammate Stoyan Kolev decided to leave Oţelul because of the financial situation of the club.

Steaua

"Coming to Steaua is a very important step in my career. I wanted to come to Steaua, because it is a very big club."

Zhivko Zhelev after the first training at Steaua.[2]

On 5 January 2010, Steaua and Oţelul agree Zhelev and Ochiroşii swap deal. On 10 January 2010, Steaua signed the Bulgarian centre-back on a free transfer until June 2011.

First match in Liga I for Steaua: 20 February 2010 • Steaua-Ceahlăul 1–3.

First goal in Liga I for Steaua: 25 April 2010 • Steaua-FC Timişoara 3–3.

In June 2010, Steaua has terminated the contract with Zhelev.

Inter Baku

On 25 June 2010, Zhelev signed a one-year deal with the Azerbaijani football club Inter Baku.[3] Thus, he joins compatriot Petar Zlatinov in the club squad.

Slavia Sofia

At the end of the 2010–11 season, Zhelev returned to Bulgaria and joined Slavia Sofia on a free transfer. He made his comeback league debut at the start of the 2011–12 season in a 1–0 defeat to Levski Sofia on 8 August. Zhelev was frozen out of the first team in October 2013 (after Asen Bukarev had been replaced as coach) and in December 2013 joined Vereya Stara Zagora in the third division of Bulgarian football.[4]

Vereya Stara Zagora

In March 2015, Zhelev took over from Radostin Kishishev as head coach of Vereya Stara Zagora. However, his assistant Vladislav Yanush was officially registered as the manager, as Zhelev had not yet obtained the coaching license to manage in the B PFG.[5]

Litex Lovech

In July 2016, Zhelev became the manager of Litex Lovech and coached them in the third tier of Bulgarian football.[6]

Honours

Player
Litex Lovech

Head coach
Litex Lovech

References
  1. "Zhivko Zhelev este jucatorul Stelei!". FCSB. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2010-01-06.
  2. "Zhivko Zhelev: Sper sa luam titlul". Archived from the original on 2018-08-25. Retrieved 2010-01-07.
  3. "Живко Желев премина в Интер" (in Bulgarian). Gong.bg. 25 June 2010. Retrieved 27 June 2010.
  4. "Живко Желев заигра във "В" група, разбра се с Верея". topsport.bg.
  5. "Живко Желев наследи Кишишев във Верея, помощник ще му бъде Владислав Януш". topsport.bg. 9 March 2015. Retrieved 17 March 2015.
  6. "Живко Желев ще води Литекс във "В" група". football24.bg. 3 July 2016. Retrieved 15 July 2016.
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