Vasil Metodiev facts for kids
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 6 January 1935 | ||
| Place of birth | Sandanski, Bulgaria | ||
| Date of death | 29 July 2019 (aged 84) | ||
| Place of death | Sofia, Bulgaria | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1952–1955 | Vihren Sandanski | ||
| 1956–1958 | Akademik Sofia | ||
| 1959–1967 | Lokomotiv Sofia | 202 | (14) |
| 1967–1969 | Dobrudzha Dobrich | 53 | (3) |
| 1969–1971 | Tundzha Yambol | 21 | (1) |
| International career | |||
| 1960–1965 | Bulgaria | 17 | (0) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 1973 | Lokomotiv Sofia | ||
| 1978–1980 | Lokomotiv Sofia | ||
| 1981–1983 | Pirin Blagoevgrad | ||
| 1983–1985 | Levski Sofia | ||
| 1987–1988 | Levski Sofia | ||
| 1990–1991 | Levski Sofia | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Vasil Metodiev (Bulgarian: Васил Методиев) was a famous Bulgarian football player and coach. He was born on January 6, 1935, in Sandanski, Bulgaria. Vasil Metodiev played as a midfielder and later became a very successful coach. He is especially remembered for his time with Lokomotiv Sofia as a player and Levski Sofia as a coach.
Contents
Playing Career: A Midfielder's Journey
Vasil Metodiev started his football journey playing for Vihren Sandanski from 1952 to 1955. He then moved to Akademik Sofia, where he played for three years.
Time with Lokomotiv Sofia
From 1959 to 1967, Metodiev played for Lokomotiv Sofia. He played in 202 games for the club and scored 14 goals. This was a very important part of his playing career.
Playing for Bulgaria
Vasil Metodiev also played for the Bulgaria national team. He represented his country in 17 matches between 1960 and 1965. He was part of the Bulgarian team that played in the 1966 FIFA World Cup, a major international football tournament. After Lokomotiv Sofia, he played for Dobrudzha Dobrich and Tundzha Yambol before ending his playing career.
Coaching Success: Leading Teams to Victory
After retiring as a player, Vasil Metodiev became a football coach. He coached several teams, including Lokomotiv Sofia and Pirin Blagoevgrad.
Winning Trophies with Levski Sofia
Metodiev is most famous for his coaching time with Levski Sofia. He coached the team multiple times, including from 1983 to 1985, 1987 to 1988, and 1990 to 1991. During his time as coach, Levski Sofia won many important titles:
- Three Bulgarian championships (winning the top league title).
- Two Bulgarian Cup titles (winning a major knockout competition).
- Two Cup of the Soviet Army titles (another cup competition).
In one incredible season, his team achieved a "treble". This means they won three major trophies in a single year, which is a very rare and impressive achievement in football.
European Adventures
In 1984, while coaching Levski Sofia, Metodiev led his team to a big victory in the 1984-85 European Cup. They managed to beat the German champions, VfB Stuttgart, in this important European competition. This was a huge moment for the club and showed Metodiev's skill as a coach.
Later Life
Vasil Metodiev passed away on July 29, 2019, in Sofia, Bulgaria. He was 84 years old. He is remembered as a key figure in Bulgarian football, both as a talented player and a highly successful coach.
