Nikola Spasov

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Nikola Spasov
Personal information
Full name Nikola Asenov Spasov
Date of birth (1958-12-15)15 December 1958
Place of birth Sofia, Bulgaria
Date of death 23 November 2020(2020-11-23) (aged 61)
Place of death Montana, Bulgaria
Height 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Position(s) Striker
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1977–1981 Lokomotiv Sofia 53 (0)
1981–1983 Dunav Ruse 67 (30)
1983–1986 Cherno More 84 (46)
1986 Levski Sofia 0 (0)
1986 Spartak Varna 12 (9)
1986–1988 Farense 28 (5)
1988–1989 Salgueiros 30 (18)
1989–1990 Paços Ferreira 33 (34)
1990–1991 Beira-Mar 15 (6)
1991–1992 Paços Ferreira 22 (10)
1992–1993 Rio Ave 31 (16)
1993–1994 Cherno More 12 (4)
1994–1995 Freamunde 17 (4)
Total 404 (182)
Managerial career
1998–1999 Verín
1999–2002 Imortal
2004 Cherno More (assistant)
2004–2005 Marek Dupnitsa (assistant)
2005 Bregalnica Štip
2006–2007 Cherno More (assistant)
2007–2009 Cherno More
2011 Bregalnica Štip
2011 Svetkavitsa
2012 Spartak Varna
2012 Bregalnica Štip
2013–2014 Kaliakra Kavarna
2014–2016 Cherno More
2016–2017 Tsarsko Selo
2018 Kyzylzhar
2018–2020 Tsarsko Selo
2020 Montana
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Nikola Spasov (Bulgarian: Никола Спасов; 15 December 1958 – 23 November 2020) was a Bulgarian professional footballer and coach.

Playing career

Born in Sofia, Spasov played for PFC Lokomotiv Sofia, FC Dunav Ruse, PFC Cherno More Varna and PFC Spartak Varna in his country. With the first club, he won the Bulgarian League in his first professional season.

Spasov moved to Portugal in December 1986, and remained in the nation for the following seven years, representing five teams. In the 1989–90 campaign he scored a career-best 34 goals for F.C. Paços de Ferreira, which however failed to promote them from the second division; in the top flight he played with S.C. Farense, S.C. Beira-Mar and Paços.

In June 1994, after one season in his homeland with former team Cherno More, Spasov retired from football at nearly 36 years of age.

Coaching career

Spasov started managing in Portugal and Spain, in both countries at amateur level. In 2003, he was appointed at PFC Marek Dupnitsa in his country, switching to the Republic of Macedonia and FK Bregalnica Štip the following season.

From 2006 and during four years, Spasov worked with former club Cherno More, as assistant, head coach and scout.[1] In 2011, he returned to Bregalnica.

On 3 January 2018, he was announced as the new manager of the Kazakhstan Premier League team Kyzylzhar.[2] Spasov has managed Tsarsko Selo on two occasions – during 2016/2017 as well as between June 2018 and April 2020.[3]

Honours

Player

Lokomotiv Sofia

Manager

Cherno More
Tsarsko Selo

Personal life

Spasov's younger brother, Yulian (born 1963), was also a footballer. A midfielder, he too represented Spartak and Cherno More Varna, and also spent several years as a professional in Portugal (nine seasons, including eight with Paços de Ferreira).

On 23 November 2020, Spasov died from COVID-19 in Montana, amid the COVID-19 pandemic in Bulgaria.[4]

References

  1. ^ Spasov's Sailors aim to torpedo PSV; UEFA.com, 6 August 2009
  2. ^ Бивш президент на Астана посрещна Никола Спасов в Казахстан
  3. ^ "Никола Спасов напусна "Царско село"" (in Bulgarian). 24chasa.bg. 1 April 2020. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
  4. ^ Трагедия! Никола Спасов почина след битка с COVID-19