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 | ||
| Playing position | Striker | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Rilski Sportist Samokov | ||
| Number | 86 | ||
| 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) |
| 2023–2024 | Kostenets | 1 | (4) |
| 2024 | Kazichene | 1 | (0) |
| 2025– | Rilski Sportist Samokov | 0 | (0) |
| National team‡ | |||
| 2004–2015 | Bulgaria | 43 | (6) |
| Teams managed | |||
| 2022 | Septemvri Sofia (assistant) | ||
| 2023 | Dobrudzha Dobrich (assistant) | ||
† Appearances (Goals). |
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Valeri Emilov Bojinov (Bulgarian: Валери Емилов Божинов, pronounced [vɐˈlɛri ɛˈmiɫof boˈʒinof]; born on February 15, 1986) is a retired professional footballer from Bulgaria.
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 Bulgarian national team. Sometimes, his last name is spelled as Bozhinov.
Contents
- Valeri Bojinov's Early Life
- Valeri Bojinov's Club Career
- Playing for Lecce
- Playing for Fiorentina
- Playing for Juventus
- Playing for Manchester City
- Playing for Parma
- Playing for Sporting CP
- Playing for Levski Sofia
- Playing for Ternana
- Playing for Partizan
- Playing for Meizhou Hakka
- Playing for Lausanne
- Playing for Rijeka
- Returning to Bulgaria
- Playing for Pescara
- Third Time at Levski Sofia
- Valeri Bojinov's Managerial Career
- Valeri Bojinov's International Career
- Valeri Bojinov's Playing Style
- Valeri Bojinov's Personal Life
- Images for kids
- Career Statistics
- Honours
- See also
Valeri Bojinov's Early Life
Valeri Bojinov was born in Gorna Oryahovitsa, Bulgaria. When he was 12, he moved to Malta with his mother, Pepa. His mother was also a football player for the Bulgaria women's national football team. His stepfather, Sasho Angelov, played for the Bulgaria national football team in the 1990s.
When Valeri was 14, a sports director from Lecce, Pantaleo Corvino, noticed him. Valeri was playing for Pietà Hotspurs at the time. Lecce signed him for about €15,000.
Valeri Bojinov's Club Career
Playing for Lecce
Valeri settled in the city of Lecce in Italy. He continued his studies and played for Lecce's youth teams. He made his first appearance in Italy's top football league, Serie A, on January 27, 2002. He was only 15 years and 11 months old. This made him the youngest foreign player to play in Italy's top league.
He scored his first goal in Serie A on January 6, 2004. This made him the youngest non-Italian player to score in the league.
Playing for Fiorentina
In January 2005, Fiorentina bought Valeri. He played his first game for Fiorentina on February 2, 2005, against Palermo. On February 26, 2005, he scored his first goal for the club against Udinese.
During the 2004–05 season, Valeri played nine matches and scored two goals.
Playing for Juventus
For the 2006–07 season, Fiorentina loaned Valeri to Juventus. Juventus had just moved down to a lower league called Serie B.
Playing for Manchester City
On August 3, 2007, Valeri moved to the English Premier League club Manchester City. He signed a four-year contract. He played his first game for Manchester City on August 11, 2007. It was an away game against West Ham United.
Injuries and Comebacks
Valeri faced some tough luck with injuries at Manchester City. In August 2007, he hurt his knee and couldn't play for five months. He returned to training in January 2008.
In August 2008, he got another serious injury, this time to his Achilles tendon. This kept him out of action for six months. He finally returned to Premier League games in March 2009. He scored his first league goal for Manchester City on May 16, 2009, against Tottenham Hotspur.
Playing for Parma
On July 29, 2009, Valeri joined Parma in Italy on a loan deal for the season. He chose to wear the number 86 jersey. He scored his first goal for Parma on September 23, 2009, against Lazio.
On March 24, 2010, Valeri scored a winning goal against Milan in the last minute of the game. During the 2009–10 season, he played 31 matches and scored eight goals. Parma then signed him permanently on July 4, 2010.
Playing for Sporting CP
On July 6, 2011, Valeri signed a five-year contract with Portuguese club Sporting CP. He made his first team debut on August 25. He scored his first goals for Sporting on October 24, scoring two goals against Gil Vicente.
Loan Spells in Italy
In January 2012, Valeri had a disagreement with Sporting and was loaned back to his former club, Lecce. Later, on August 31, 2012, he was loaned to Verona. In January 2013, he moved to another second-division team, Vicenza, on a six-month loan. His contract with Sporting ended on September 6, 2013.
Playing for Levski Sofia
On the last day of January 2014, Valeri signed with Levski Sofia in Bulgaria. This was the first time he played for a club in his home country. He scored his first official goal for Levski on March 12 in a cup game.
Playing for Ternana
In September 2014, Valeri joined Italian Serie B team Ternana. He scored his first goal for Ternana on November 4. On January 17, 2015, he scored two goals in a game against Crotone. One of his goals was an amazing shot from 40 meters away!
Playing for Partizan
On June 14, 2015, Valeri 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 July 14, 2015. On July 17, he scored his first goal for Partizan and also helped with two assists.
In January 2016, Valeri even promised to give €500 to any teammate who helped him score a goal! He left Partizan on February 17, 2017.
Playing for Meizhou Hakka
In March 2017, Valeri signed with Meizhou Hakka, a Chinese club.
Playing for Lausanne
In July 2017, Valeri signed a two-year contract with the Swiss team Lausanne. However, he left the club in October of the same year.
Playing for Rijeka
In February 2018, Valeri joined Rijeka in Croatia. He played his first official game for them on April 4, 2018. His contract was extended in June 2018, but he left the club in August 2018.
Returning to Bulgaria
Valeri played for Levski Sofia again in the spring of 2019. He scored a very important goal that helped the team qualify for the UEFA Europa League. He also played for Botev Vratsa before and after his time at Levski in 2019.
Playing for Pescara
In February 2020, Valeri joined Pescara, an Italian club. He made his first official appearance for them on March 4.
Third Time at Levski Sofia
In September 2020, Valeri rejoined Levski Sofia for the third time. Even though he didn't play every game, fans loved him for his dedication and leadership. He scored his first goal of this spell on October 21, 2020. His contract was extended for another season on July 16, 2021.
Valeri Bojinov's Managerial Career
On June 25, 2022, Valeri Bojinov became the assistant manager for Septemvri Sofia. He was still playing for the club at the time.
Valeri Bojinov's International Career
Valeri made his first appearance for the Bulgarian national team at UEFA Euro 2004. This was on June 22, 2004, in a game against Italy. He scored his first goal for Bulgaria on August 19, 2004, in a friendly game against the Republic of Ireland.
On November 17, 2005, Valeri scored a goal against Mexico in a friendly match. On September 6, 2006, he scored his first goal in a competition match for Bulgaria against Slovenia.
Valeri Bojinov's 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 of his 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 was sometimes known for not being consistent throughout his career.
Valeri Bojinov's Personal Life
Valeri Bojinov has a son, also named Valeri, who was born on September 12, 2007.
Images for kids
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Bojinov playing for Bulgaria in October 2011
Career Statistics
Club
| Club | Season | League | National Cup | League Cup | Europe | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Lecce | 2001–02 | Serie A | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 2 | 0 | ||
| 2002–03 | Serie B | 15 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 15 | 2 | |||
| 2003–04 | Serie A | 28 | 3 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 28 | 3 | |||
| 2004–05 | 20 | 11 | 3 | 3 | — | — | 23 | 14 | ||||
| Total | 65 | 16 | 3 | 3 | — | — | 68 | 19 | ||||
| Fiorentina | 2004–05 | Serie A | 9 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 9 | 2 | ||
| 2005–06 | 27 | 6 | 5 | 3 | — | — | 32 | 9 | ||||
| Total | 36 | 8 | 5 | 3 | — | — | 41 | 11 | ||||
| Juventus (loan) | 2006–07 | Serie B | 18 | 5 | 3 | 2 | — | — | 21 | 7 | ||
| Manchester City | 2007–08 | Premier League | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 2008–09 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 1 | ||
| Total | 11 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 1 | ||
| Parma (loan) | 2009–10 | Serie A | 30 | 8 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 31 | 8 | ||
| Parma | 2010–11 | Serie A | 31 | 3 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 33 | 3 | ||
| Sporting CP | 2011–12 | Primeira Liga | 8 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 16 | 3 |
| Lecce (loan) | 2011–12 | Serie A | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 10 | 1 | ||
| Verona (loan) | 2012–13 | Serie B | 13 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 15 | 1 | ||
| Vicenza (loan) | 2012–13 | Serie B | 18 | 4 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 18 | 4 | ||
| Levski Sofia | 2013–14 | Bulgarian First League | 14 | 6 | 1 | 1 | — | 0 | 0 | 15 | 7 | |
| 2014–15 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 5 | 1 | ||||
| Total | 19 | 7 | 1 | 1 | — | 0 | 0 | 20 | 8 | |||
| Ternana | 2014–15 | Serie B | 27 | 6 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 27 | 6 | ||
| Partizan | 2015–16 | Serbian SuperLiga | 31 | 18 | 4 | 0 | — | 10 | 0 | 45 | 18 | |
| 2016–17 | 20 | 5 | 1 | 2 | — | 1 | 0 | 22 | 7 | |||
| Total | 51 | 23 | 5 | 2 | — | 11 | 0 | 67 | 25 | |||
| Meizhou Hakka | 2017 | China League One | 13 | 3 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 13 | 3 | ||
| Lausanne | 2017–18 | Swiss Super League | 7 | 0 | 2 | 1 | — | — | 9 | 1 | ||
| Rijeka | 2017–18 | 1. HNL | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
| Botev Vratsa | 2018–19 | Bulgarian First League | 11 | 7 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 12 | 7 | ||
| Levski Sofia | 2018–19 | Bulgarian First League | 11 | 4 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 11 | 4 | |
| Botev Vratsa | 2019–20 | Bulgarian First League | 9 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 11 | 0 | ||
| Pescara | 2019–20 | Serie B | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 3 | 0 | ||
| Levski Sofia | 2020–21 | Bulgarian First League | 10 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | 0 | 0 | 11 | 2 | |
| 2021–22 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 2 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 12 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | 0 | 0 | 13 | 2 | |||
| Septemvri Sofia | 2021–22 | Second Professional Football League | 12 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 12 | 1 | ||
| Vitosha Bistritsa | 2022–23 | Second Professional Football League | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 6 | 1 | ||
| Career total | 422 | 102 | 31 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 17 | 1 | 471 | 116 | ||
International
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bulgaria | 2004 | 6 | 1 |
| 2005 | 5 | 1 | |
| 2006 | 6 | 1 | |
| 2007 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2008 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2009 | 6 | 1 | |
| 2010 | 7 | 1 | |
| 2011 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2012 | 5 | 1 | |
| 2013 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2014 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2015 | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 43 | 6 |
- Scores and results list Bulgaria's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Bojinov goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 19 August 2004 | Lansdowne Road, Dublin, Republic of Ireland |  Republic of Ireland |
1–1 | 1–1 | Friendly |
| 2 | 17 November 2005 | Reliant Stadium, Houston, United States |  Mexico |
2–0 | 3–0 | Friendly |
| 3 | 6 September 2006 | Vasil Levski, Sofia, Bulgaria |  Slovenia |
1–0 | 3–0 | UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying |
| 4 | 18 November 2009 | Hibernians Ground, Paola, Malta |  Malta |
1–0 | 4–1 | Friendly |
| 5 | 24 May 2010 | Orlando Stadium, Johannesburg, South Africa |  South Africa |
1–1 | 1–1 | Friendly |
| 6 | 29 February 2012 | ETO Park, Győr, Hungary |  Hungary |
1–1 | 1–1 | Friendly |
Honours
Juventus
- Serie B: 2006–07
Partizan
- Serbian SuperLiga: 2016–17
- Serbian Cup (2): 2015–16, 2016–17
See also
In Spanish: Valeri Bojinov para niños
