Martin Petrov facts for kids
Petrov with Bolton Wanderers in 2011
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Martin Petyov Petrov | ||
| Date of birth | 15 January 1979 | ||
| Place of birth | Vratsa, PR Bulgaria | ||
| Height | 1.80 m | ||
| Playing position | Winger | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1995–1996 | Botev Vratsa | 18 | (4) |
| 1996–1998 | CSKA Sofia | 19 | (3) |
| 1998–2001 | Servette | 77 | (27) |
| 2001–2005 | VfL Wolfsburg | 116 | (28) |
| 2005–2007 | Atlético Madrid | 49 | (3) |
| 2007–2010 | Manchester City | 59 | (9) |
| 2010–2013 | Bolton Wanderers | 73 | (10) |
| 2013 | Espanyol | 8 | (0) |
| 2013–2014 | CSKA Sofia | 17 | (3) |
| Total | 436 | (87) | |
| National team | |||
| 1999–2011 | Bulgaria | 90 | (19) |
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Martin Petyov Petrov (born 15 January 1979) is a famous Bulgarian former football player. He was known as a winger, which means he played on the sides of the field.
Martin Petrov played for several big clubs. These include VfL Wolfsburg, Atlético Madrid, Manchester City, and Bolton Wanderers. He also played 90 games for the Bulgarian national team.
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Club Career Highlights
Martin Petrov started his football journey at FC Botev Vratsa. After playing well there, he joined PFC CSKA Sofia. He then moved to the Swiss team Servette when he was 19.
Playing for VfL Wolfsburg
In 2001, Petrov joined VfL Wolfsburg in Germany. He quickly became known as an exciting player. He played his first game for Wolfsburg on 14 July 2001. In that game, he scored a goal and helped with another!
In his first season, he played 32 league games. He scored 6 goals and helped set up 11 more. On 30 October 2004, he had an amazing game. He scored all four goals in Wolfsburg's 4–3 win against Mainz 05. He was the top scorer for his club in the 2004–05 season with 12 goals. He also made 14 assists that season.
Time at Atlético Madrid
In the summer of 2005, Petrov moved to Atlético Madrid in Spain. This was a big move for him.
On 14 October 2006, he got a serious knee injury. This kept him off the field for over six months. He returned to play on 28 April 2007. A few days later, on 6 May, he scored his only goal for Atlético in a game against Espanyol.
In July 2007, there was a lot of talk about him leaving Atlético Madrid. Both Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City were interested in him. He eventually signed with Manchester City.
Joining Manchester City
Martin Petrov joined Manchester City on 26 July 2007. His first game in the Premier League was on 11 August 2007. He helped Manchester City win 2–0 against West Ham United.
He scored his first goals for the club on 22 September 2007 against Fulham. He scored two more goals that season. He also helped set up six goals for his teammates. He was sent off in a game against Everton, which meant he missed three games.
Later, new players like Carlos Tevez joined Manchester City. Petrov sometimes found himself not starting games. However, he kept scoring goals when he did play. He scored in a 2–0 win against Stoke City on 26 December. In April 2010, he announced his season was over due to another knee injury.
On 8 June 2010, Petrov left Manchester City after his contract ended.
Moving to Bolton Wanderers
On 22 June 2010, Petrov joined Bolton Wanderers. He scored his first goal for them against Manchester United on 26 September 2010. He scored three goals in his first season with Bolton.
In his second season, he scored six goals. Bolton Wanderers were unfortunately moved down from the Premier League that season. Petrov played enough games to extend his contract for another year.
Short Time at Espanyol
On 14 January 2013, Petrov signed with Espanyol in Spain. He found it hard to get a regular spot in the team. He left the club at the end of the season.
Return to CSKA Sofia
After 15 years playing abroad, Martin Petrov returned to his old club, CSKA Sofia, in October 2013. He played his first game back on 31 October 2013. His first goal came on 25 November in a 3–1 win.
He played his last professional football match on 17 May 2014. This was a game against Lokomotiv Plovdiv.
International Career for Bulgaria
Martin Petrov first played for the Bulgarian national team in June 1999. It was a game against England. He came on as a substitute, playing alongside his hero Hristo Stoichkov. However, he was sent off with two yellow cards just eight minutes after coming on! He was very upset when he left the field.
Petrov was a very important player for Bulgaria in the Euro 2004 tournament. He played very well in all three games. He scored Bulgaria's only goal in the tournament, which was a penalty against Italy.
On 2 September 2006, Petrov played a key role in a Euro 2008 qualifying game against Romania. He scored two goals in just two minutes! This helped Bulgaria come back from being 2–0 down to draw 2–2. He also scored against Slovenia and the Netherlands. Because of his great performances in 2006, he won the Bulgarian Footballer of the Year award.
On 7 September 2010, Petrov played his 80th game for Bulgaria. This was in a Euro 2012 qualifier against Montenegro.
Honours
Martin Petrov won several trophies during his career:
CSKA Sofia
- Bulgarian A Group: 1996–97
- Bulgarian Cup: 1996–97
Servette
- Swiss Super League: 1998–99
- Swiss Cup: 2000–01
Atlético Madrid
- UEFA Intertoto Cup: 2007
Individual Awards
- Bulgarian Footballer of the Year: 2006
Images for kids
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Petrov playing for Bulgaria in 2010
See also
In Spanish: Martin Petrov para niños
