Georgi Naydenov (footballer, born 1931)
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Georgi Spirov Naydenov | ||
Date of birth | 21 December 1931 | ||
Place of birth | Sofia, Bulgaria | ||
Date of death | 28 May 1970 | (aged 38)||
Place of death | Damascus, Syria | ||
Height | 1.79 m (5 ft 10 in) | ||
Position(s) | Goalkeeper | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
1949–1950 | Cherveno Zname | 10 | (0) |
1950–1954 | Spartak Sofia | 84 | (0) |
1955–1965 | CSKA Sofia | 176 | (0) |
1966–1967 | Spartak Sofia | 28 | (0) |
Total | 298 | (0) | |
National team | |||
1955–1966 | Bulgaria | 51 | (0) |
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only |
Olympic medal record | ||
---|---|---|
Men's Football | ||
1956 Melbourne | Team Competition |
Georgi Spirov Naydenov (Bulgarian: Георги Спиров Найденов) (21 December 1931 – 28 May 1970) was Bulgarian football goalkeeper and manager. He is considered the greatest Bulgarian goalkeeper of all time. Between 1955 and 1965 he played in 176 matches for CSKA Sofia. He was honoured as Bulgarian Footballer of the Year in 1961. Naydenov won the top Bulgarian league, the A PFG, 8 times (all with CSKA), as well as the Bulgarian Cup, 3 times (all with CSKA). He was respected for his incredible work ethic and his determination during training and matches alike.
International career[]
For the Bulgaria national football team Naydenov featured in 51 games and won a bronze medal at the 1956 Summer Olympics.[1] He played for his country at the 1962 and 1966 World Cups. Even after he had retired from competing he still remained one of the fittest players in Bulgaria and this made his death all the more mysterious. He died in Damascus, Syria and initial reports claimed he had suffered a heart attack although members of his family and people close to him suspected he had been poisoned by a Bulgarian interior minister whom he had recently had an argument with regarding the joining of teams Levski Sofia and Spartak Sofia.[2]
Honours[]
Player[]
- CSKA Sofia
- Bulgarian League: 8 times – 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962
- Bulgarian Cup: 3 times – 1955, 1961, 1965
References[]
- ^ "Georgi Naydenov". Olympedia. Retrieved 1 December 2021.
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 29 September 2011. Retrieved 29 August 2011.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
- 1931 births
- 1970 deaths
- Bulgarian footballers
- Bulgaria international footballers
- Association football goalkeepers
- Sportspeople from Sofia
- 1962 FIFA World Cup players
- 1966 FIFA World Cup players
- PFC CSKA Sofia players
- Footballers at the 1956 Summer Olympics
- Footballers at the 1960 Summer Olympics
- Olympic footballers of Bulgaria
- Olympic bronze medalists for Bulgaria
- Olympic medalists in football
- First Professional Football League (Bulgaria) players
- Medalists at the 1956 Summer Olympics