Kristian Dimitrov

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In this Bulgarian name, the patronymic is Traychev and the family name is Dimitrov.
Kristian Dimitrov
Personal information
Full name Kristian Traychev Dimitrov
Date of birth (1997-02-27) 27 February 1997 (age 27)
Place of birth Plovdiv, Bulgaria
Height 1.89 m (6 ft 2 in)[1]
Position(s) Centre-back
Team information
Current team
 Levski Sofia
Number 50
Youth career
2005–2013 Lokomotiv Plovdiv
2013–2016 Botev Plovdiv
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2016–2020 Botev Plovdiv 72 (6)
2018 → Montana (loan) 13 (1)
2020–2022 Hajduk Split 46 (3)
2022 → CFR Cluj (loan) 1 (1)
2023– Levski Sofia 33 (2)
International career‡
2015–2016 Bulgaria U19 6 (0)
2019– Bulgaria 17 (1)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 27 April 2024
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 14 October 2023

Kristian Traychev Dimitrov (Bulgarian: Кристиан Трайчев Димитров; born 27 February 1997) is a Bulgarian professional footballer who plays as a defender for Levski Sofia and the Bulgarian national team.[2]

Club career[edit]

Botev Plovdiv[edit]

In the summer of 2013, Dimitrov joined Botev Plovdiv at under-17 level from Lokomotiv Plovdiv and progressed through the club's academy system.[3]

Dimitrov made his first-team debut on 13 March 2016, when he came off the bench to replace Serkan Yusein in the 81st minute of a 3–1 league win over Cherno More Varna.[4] His first senior goal came in the last round of the 2015–16 season; he scored the second goal in a 2–1 win over Ludogorets Razgrad on 27 May.[5]

Dimitrov began to establish himself in the Botev first team from the 2016–17 season, making eight league starts. On 8 June 2017, he signed a new two-year contract with the club.[6]

On 5 February 2018, Dimitrov joined Second League club Montana on loan for the remainder of the 2017–18 season.[7] He made 13 appearances in total. His only goal came on 5 May 2018 when he opened the scoring in a 2–0 away win over Botev Galabovo.[8]

In June 2018, Dimitrov returned to Botev and continued his progress during 2018–19, becoming a regular in the defence. On 24 April 2019, he scored a last-minute goal against CSKA Sofia, bringing the score to 3:3 and enabling his team (which had been reduced to nine men) to progress to the final of the Bulgarian Cup 6:5 on aggregate.[9]

Hajduk Split and the loan to CFR Cluj[edit]

On 11 February 2020, it was announced that Dimitrov had signed a two-and-a-half year contract with Hajduk Split.[10][11]

Not finding much playing time in the 2021/22 season, he was loaned out to CFR Cluj in February 2022.[12] He became a Liga I champion with the Romanian club, featuring in a single game, 3-1 loss against FCSB, scoring in the 45th minute.[13]

Returning to Hajduk, he spent the first part of the 2022/23 season largely on the bench, starting a single cup match, a 5-1 away win against Tehničar Cvetkovec, where he received a red card for a counter-attack stopping foul in the 33rd minute,[14] and his contract was terminated by mutual consent on 17 December 2022.[15] Dimitrov had scored 3 goals in 40 league matches at the Croatian club.

Levski Sofia[edit]

On 30 December 2022, Dimitrov returned to Bulgaria, signing a one-and-a-half year deal with Levski Sofia.[16]

International career[edit]

In May 2019, following his good performances for Botev, Dimitrov was called up to the national team by new manager Krasimir Balakov. On 7 June 2019, he made his debut, playing the full 90 minutes in the 1–2 away loss against the Czech Republic in a Euro 2020 qualifier.[17]

Career statistics[edit]

Club[edit]

As of 3 April 2024
Club performance League Cup Continental Other Total
Club League Season Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Botev Plovdiv First League 2015–16 3 1 0 0 0[a] 0 – 3 1
2016–17 12 0 1 0 – – 13 0
2017–18 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 0
2018–19 31 4 5 1 – – 36 5
2019–20 18 0 0 0 – – 18 0
Total 64 5 8 1 0 0 0 0 72 6
Montana (loan) Second League 2017–18 13 1 0 0 – – 13 1
Hajduk Split 1. HNL 2019–20 14 1 0 0 – – 14 1
2020–21 20 2 1 0 0 0 – 21 2
2021–22 6 0 3 0 1 0 – 10 0
2022–23 0 0 1 0 0 0 – 1 0
Total 40 3 5 0 1 0 0 0 46 3
CFR Cluj (loan) Liga I 2021–22 1 1 – – – 1 1
Levski Sofia First League 2022–23 9 0 – – – 9 0
2023–24 20 2 1 0 4 0 – 25 2
Total 29 2 1 0 4 0 0 0 34 2
Career statistics 143 12 14 1 5 0 0 0 162 13
  1. ^ UEFA Europa League matches.

International stats[edit]

As of match played 14 October 2023
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team Year Apps Goals
Bulgaria 2019 6 1
2020 6 0
2021 2 0
2023 3 0
Total 17 1

International goals[edit]

Scores and results list Bulgaria's goal tally first.[2]
No Date Venue Cap Opponent Score Result Competition
1 10 June 2019 Vasil Levski National Stadium, Sofia, Bulgaria 6  Kosovo 2–1 2–3 UEFA Euro 2020 qualification

Style of play[edit]

Krasimir Balakov compared Dimitrov with the legendary Bulgarian defender Trifon Ivanov, while being manager of Bulgaria.[18]

Honours[edit]

Club[edit]

Botev Plovdiv

CFR Cluj

Hajduk Split

Individual[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Kristian Dimitrov at Soccerway
  2. ^ a b "Dimitrov, Kristian". National Football Teams. Retrieved 10 June 2019.
  3. ^ "Школата на Ботев с най-много трансферни удари" (in Bulgarian). viasport.bg. 20 August 2013.
  4. ^ "Botev Plovdiv 3–1 Cherno More". soccerway.com. 13 March 2016.
  5. ^ "Botev Plovdiv 2–1 Ludogorets Razgrad". soccerway.com. 27 May 2016.
  6. ^ "Кристиан Димитров подписа нов договор с Ботев" (in Bulgarian). botevplovdiv.bg. 8 June 2017.
  7. ^ "Ботев преотстъпи двама във Втора лига" (in Bulgarian). botevplovdiv.bg. 5 February 2018.
  8. ^ "Botev Galabovo vs. Montana" (in Bulgarian). soccerway.com. 5 May 2018.
  9. ^ Vutov, Viktor (24 April 2019). "Пловдивско дерби във финала за Купата на България! Героичен Ботев постави ЦСКА на колене с девет души в истински трилър" (in Bulgarian). topsport.bg. Retrieved 9 June 2019.
  10. ^ "Ботев трансферира Кристиан Димитров в Хайдук" [Botev transferred Kristian Dimitrov to Hajduk]. www.botevplovdiv.bg (in Bulgarian). Botev Plovdiv. 11 February 2020. Retrieved 11 February 2020.
  11. ^ "Kristian Dimitrov novi je igrač Hajduka". www.hajduk.hr (in Croatian). HNK Hajduk Split. 11 February 2020. Retrieved 11 February 2020.
  12. ^ "Kristian Dimitrov odlazi na posudbu u CFR Cluj". www.hajduk.hr (in Croatian). HNK Hajduk Split. 7 February 2022. Retrieved 17 December 2022.
  13. ^ Na zimu je otišao iz Hajduka, zaigrao jednom i osvojio naslov at 24 Sata
  14. ^ Hajduk bez problema pobijedio u Cvetkovcu i plasirao se u osminu finala Kupa: Mlakar, Vuković i Šarić zabijali, Dimitrov ‘pocrvenio‘ at Slobodna Dalmacija
  15. ^ "Kristian Dimitrov više nije igrač Hajduka". www.hajduk.hr (in Croatian). HNK Hajduk Split. 17 December 2022. Retrieved 17 December 2022.
  16. ^ "ПФК Левски подписа с Кристиан Димитров". levski.bg (in Bulgarian). Retrieved 30 December 2022.
  17. ^ "Czech Republic vs. Bulgaria 2-1". flashscore.com. 7 June 2019. Retrieved 13 June 2019.
  18. ^ Кристиан Димитров разкри какво му е казал Балъков
  19. ^ "EXCLUSIV | U Craiova, aproape de a transfera un internațional bulgar! În sezonul trecut a fost declarat cel mai bun fundaș central din prima ligă a Bulgariei". 15 July 2019.
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