Valeri Bojinov facts for kids
Bojinov with Levski in 2014
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Valeri Emilov Bojinov | ||
| Date of birth | 15 February 1986 | ||
| Place of birth | Gorna Oryahovitsa, Bulgaria | ||
| Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Striker | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1998–2000 | Pietà Hotspurs | ||
| 2000–2002 | Lecce | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2002–2005 | Lecce | 65 | (16) |
| 2005–2007 | Fiorentina | 36 | (8) |
| 2006–2007 | → Juventus (loan) | 18 | (5) |
| 2007–2010 | Manchester City | 11 | (1) |
| 2009–2010 | → Parma (loan) | 30 | (8) |
| 2010–2011 | Parma | 31 | (3) |
| 2011–2013 | Sporting CP | 8 | (2) |
| 2012 | → Lecce (loan) | 10 | (1) |
| 2012 | → Verona (loan) | 13 | (1) |
| 2013 | → Vicenza (loan) | 18 | (4) |
| 2014 | Levski Sofia | 19 | (7) |
| 2014–2015 | Ternana | 27 | (6) |
| 2015–2017 | Partizan | 51 | (23) |
| 2017 | Meizhou Hakka | 13 | (3) |
| 2017 | Lausanne | 7 | (0) |
| 2018 | Rijeka | 1 | (0) |
| 2018 | Botev Vratsa | 11 | (7) |
| 2019 | Levski Sofia | 11 | (4) |
| 2019 | Botev Vratsa | 9 | (0) |
| 2020 | Pescara | 3 | (0) |
| 2020–2021 | Levski Sofia | 12 | (1) |
| 2022 | Septemvri Sofia | 12 | (1) |
| 2023 | Vitosha Bistritsa | 6 | (1) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2004–2015 | Bulgaria | 43 | (6) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2022 | Septemvri Sofia (assistant) | ||
| 2023 | Dobrudzha Dobrich (assistant) | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 04 June 2023 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 17 August 2016 |
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Valeri Emilov Bojinov (Bulgarian: Валери Емилов Божинов; born 15 February 1986) is a retired Bulgarian professional footballer. He played as a striker.
Throughout his career, Bojinov played for many different clubs. He played in Italy, England, Portugal, Bulgaria, Serbia, Croatia, China, and Switzerland. He also played for the Bulgaria national team.
Contents
Early Life and Discovery
Valeri Bojinov was born in Gorna Oryahovitsa, Bulgaria. When he was 12, he moved to Malta with his mother, Pepa. His mother was a former player for the Bulgaria women's national football team. His stepfather, Sasho Angelov, also played for the Bulgaria national football team in the 1990s.
When Valeri was 14, a sports director from Lecce named Pantaleo Corvino discovered him. Valeri was playing for Pietà Hotspurs at the time. Lecce signed him for about €15,000.
Club Career Highlights
Starting at Lecce
Valeri moved to the city of Lecce in Italy. He continued his studies and played for Lecce's youth teams. On 27 January 2002, he made his first appearance in the Italian Serie A. He was only 15 years and 11 months old, making him the youngest foreign player to play in Italy's top football league.
He scored his first goal in Serie A on 6 January 2004. This made him the youngest non-Italian player to score in the league.
Moving to Fiorentina
In January 2005, Fiorentina bought Bojinov. He played his first game for them on 2 February 2005 against Palermo. On 26 February 2005, he scored his first goal for Fiorentina against Udinese. He scored a winning goal against Chievo on 8 May 2005.
Loan to Juventus
For the 2006–07 season, Fiorentina loaned Bojinov to Juventus. Juventus had recently moved down to Serie B, a lower league.
Playing for Manchester City
On 3 August 2007, Valeri Bojinov joined the English Premier League club Manchester City. He signed a four-year contract. He played his first game for them on 11 August 2007 against West Ham United.
Bojinov faced some tough luck with injuries at Manchester City. He was out for five months after a knee injury in August 2007. Later, in August 2008, he was out for six months due to an Achilles injury. Despite these setbacks, he worked hard to return to the team.
He scored his first league goal for Manchester City on 16 May 2009. This was in a match against Tottenham Hotspur.
Time at Parma
On 29 July 2009, Bojinov joined Italian team Parma on a loan deal for one season. He chose to wear the number 86 jersey. He scored his first official goal for Parma on 23 September 2009 against Lazio. He also helped his team win a penalty in that game.
On 4 July 2010, Parma signed Bojinov permanently. However, he had a challenging season, often sitting on the bench.
Joining Sporting CP
On 6 July 2011, the Portuguese club Sporting CP signed Bojinov. He signed a five-year contract. He made his first team debut on 25 August in a UEFA Europa League match.
He scored his first goals for Sporting on 24 October, scoring twice against Gil Vicente. In January 2012, there was an incident during a cup match. Bojinov tried to take a penalty kick instead of the team's usual penalty taker. He missed the shot, which upset the fans and the club. Because of this, Sporting decided to loan him out.
Loan Spells in Italy
After the incident at Sporting, Bojinov was loaned back to his former club Lecce. Later, in August 2012, he joined Verona on a year-long loan. In January 2013, he moved to Vicenza on another loan deal. He scored his first goal for Vicenza in his second game. On 6 September 2013, his contract with Sporting was ended.
Returning to Bulgaria with Levski Sofia
On the last day of January 2014, Bojinov signed with the Bulgarian team Levski Sofia. This was the first time he played for a club in his home country. He scored his first official goal for Levski on 12 March in a cup game.
Playing for Ternana
In September 2014, Bojinov joined the Italian team Ternana as a free agent. He scored his first goal for Ternana on 4 November. On 17 January 2015, he scored two goals in a game, including a fantastic long-range shot.
Time at Partizan
On 14 June 2015, Bojinov signed a two-year contract with the Serbian team Partizan. He chose the number 86 jersey, saying it was his lucky number. He made his official debut for Partizan on 14 July 2015.
He scored his first goal for Partizan on 17 July 2015 against Metalac. In that game, he also provided two assists. In January 2016, he even promised to give €500 to any teammate who assisted one of his goals! He left Partizan in February 2017.
Other Clubs and Returns to Bulgaria
After Partizan, Bojinov played for Meizhou Hakka in China and Lausanne in Switzerland. In February 2018, he joined Rijeka in Croatia.
He returned to Bulgaria to play for Botev Vratsa and Levski Sofia again. In 2019, he scored a crucial goal for Levski Sofia that helped them qualify for the UEFA Europa League.
In February 2020, Bojinov joined the Italian club Pescara. He had a difficult start, being sent off from the bench in his first game for using inappropriate language.
In September 2020, Bojinov rejoined Levski Sofia for a third time. Even though he didn't play every game, he became a fan favorite because of his dedication and leadership. He scored important goals during this period. He later played for Septemvri Sofia and Vitosha Bistritsa.
Managerial Career
In June 2022, Valeri Bojinov became an assistant manager for Septemvri Sofia. He was still playing for the club at the time. In 2023, he also worked as an assistant manager for Dobrudzha Dobrich.
International Career
Bojinov made his debut for the Bulgaria national team at UEFA Euro 2004. He played his first game for Bulgaria on 22 June 2004 against Italy.
He earned his second cap and scored his first international goal on 19 August 2004. This was in a friendly match against the Republic of Ireland. He continued to score important goals for his country in friendly matches and qualifying games.
Playing Style
When he was younger, Valeri Bojinov was seen as a very promising player. He was known for his skills and ability to score goals as a striker. He could score with both feet because he had powerful and accurate shots. This also meant he could play alongside another forward or as a winger on either side of the field.
He was a fast player, known for his quickness over short distances and his agility. He also had good control of the ball in small spaces. Even with all his talent, he sometimes had inconsistent performances throughout his career.
Personal Life
Valeri Bojinov has a son, also named Valeri, who was born in September 2007.
Honours
Juventus
- Serie B: 2006–07 (This is a league title in Italy's second division)
Partizan
- Serbian SuperLiga: 2016–17 (This is the top league title in Serbia)
- Serbian Cup (2): 2015–16, 2016–17 (This is a cup competition in Serbia)
Images for kids
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Bojinov with Levski in 2014
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Bojinov playing for Bulgaria in October 2011
See also
In Spanish: Valeri Bojinov para niños
