Strahil Popov

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Strahil Popov
Personal information
Full name Strahil Venkov Popov[1]
Date of birth (1990-08-31) 31 August 1990 (age 33)
Place of birth Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria
Height 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Position(s) Right back
Team information
Current team
Ümraniyespor
Number 90
Youth career
Pirin Blagoevgrad
Pirin 2001
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2008–2016 Litex Lovech 138 (6)
2009Lokomotiv Mezdra (loan) 14 (0)
2010Montana (loan) 2 (0)
2016–2019 Kasımpaşa 125 (1)
2020–2021 Hatayspor 57 (0)
2022 Eyüpspor 16 (0)
2022– Ümraniyespor 30 (1)
International career
2008 Bulgaria U19 3 (0)
2009–2012 Bulgaria U21 3 (0)
2014–2021 Bulgaria 35 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 07:50, 26 October 2023 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 21:29, 25 March 2021 (UTC)

Strahil Popov (Bulgarian: Страхил Попов; born 31 August 1990) is a Bulgarian professional footballer who plays for Turkish club Ümraniyespor. He mainly plays as a right back.

Popov began his professional career at Litex Lovech in 2008. After loan spells at Lokomotiv Mezdra and Montana he became a regular in their team, playing 159 total games and scoring 6 goals for Litex. He signed for Kasımpaşa in January 2016.

Popov is a Bulgaria international, having represented his country at under-19 and under-21 level. He made his senior international debut in May 2014, aged 23, in a friendly match against Canada.

Club career[edit]

Born in Blagoevgrad, Popov began his career playing for Pirin Blagoevgrad before departing for Pirin 2001.[2]

Litex Lovech[edit]

In 2008, Popov joined Litex Lovech.[3]

Lokomotiv Mezdra (loan)[edit]

On 9 July 2009, Popov joined Lokomotiv Mezdra on loan until December 2009.[4] He made his team début on 10 July, scoring goal in a 1–2 friendly loss against Sivasspor.

Montana (loan)[edit]

On 18 January 2010, Popov was loaned out to Montana for the rest of the season.[5] He made his competitive debut on 20 March in a 0–0 home league draw against Litex, coming on as a second-half substitute, and participated in only one more game to the end of the season.

Return to Litex[edit]

Popov returned to Litex at the end of the 2009–10 season. He played only three league games during a following campaign and became a regular first team player in the 2011–12 season. On 21 March 2012, Popov was sent off for the first time in his professional career in a 1–1 away draw against Beroe Stara Zagora.

On 21 July 2013, Popov scored his first goal for Litex, with a header, netting the third in a 4–1 home win over Neftochimic Burgas. He then scored the winning goal in Litex's 2–1 away win against Slavia Sofia on 7 December.

On 3 August 2014, Popov was announced as Litex's new club captain.[6] Six days later, he added his third goal for Litex against Botev Plovdiv in a 3–3 away draw.

Kasımpaşa[edit]

On 5 January 2016, he moved to the Turkish Süper Lig team Kasımpaşa for a reported fee of €750 000. He was given the number 90 jersey.[7]

On 27 October 2017, he scored his first league goal in a match against Göztepe.[8]

International career[edit]

After first being called up for a friendly match against Belarus in March 2014, but remaining an unused substitute,[9] Popov made his debut for the national side on 23 May 2014, in the 1–1 draw with Canada.[10] He played as a starter on 10 October 2015, in the 0–3 loss against Croatia in a Euro 2016 qualifier, remaining on the pitch for the full 90 minutes.[11]

On 13 October 2018, he provided two decisive assists in a 2–1 home win against Cyprus, in a match for the 2018–19 UEFA Nations League. He became second top assistant with four assists in all over group in the competition.[12]

Statistics[edit]

Club[edit]

As of 25 December 2019[13]
Club performance League Cup Continental Other Total
Club League Season Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Bulgaria League Bulgarian Cup Europe Other[a] Total
Litex Lovech A Group 2008–09 3 0 0 0 0 0 3 0
Lokomotiv Mezdra (loan) 2009–10 14 0 0 0 14 0
Montana (loan) 2 0 0 0 2 0
Litex Lovech 2010–11 3 0 0 0 0 0 3 0
2011–12 18 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 21 0
2012–13 27 0 3 0 30 0
2013–14 37 2 3 0 40 2
2014–15 31 3 4 0 4 0 39 3
2015–16 19 1 2 0 2 0 23 1
Total 138 6 14 0 6 0 1 0 159 6
Turkey League Turkish Cup Europe Other[b] Total
Kasımpaşa Süper Lig 2015–16 13 0 0 0 13 0
2016–17 33 0 7 1 40 1
2017–18 32 1 0 0 32 1
2018–19 33 0 3 0 36 0
2019–20 14 0 0 0 14 0
Total 125 1 10 1 0 0 0 0 135 2
Career statistics 280 7 25 1 6 0 1 0 312 8

International[edit]

As of 22 November 2018
Team Year Tournament Friendly Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Bulgaria
2014 0 0 1 0 1 0
2015 1 0 0 0 1 0
2016 4 0 4 0 8 0
2017 6 0 0 0 6 0
2018 4 0 2 0 6 0
Total 15 0 7 0 22 0
Career total 21 0 8 0 29 0
  1. ^ Includes Bulgarian Supercup matches.
  2. ^ Includes Turkish Super Cup matches.

Awards[edit]

Club[edit]

Litex Lovech

Individual[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "European Championship 2020: Booking List before Qualifying Round Matchday 10" (PDF). UEFA. 17 November 2019. p. 1. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
  2. ^ "Интервю със Страхил Попов от Литекс" (in Bulgarian). fmbulgaria.com.
  3. ^ "Stats Centre: Strahil Popov Facts". Guardian.co.uk. Retrieved 2010-03-30.
  4. ^ "Литекс даде Страхил Попов на Локо (Мездра)" (in Bulgarian). sportal.bg. 9 July 2009.
  5. ^ "Младежки национал от Литекс под наем в Монтана" (in Bulgarian). sportal.bg. 18 January 2010.
  6. ^ "Страхил Попов е новият капитан на Литекс" (in Bulgarian). gong.bg. 3 August 2014.
  7. ^ Капитанът на Литекс подписа с турски отбор
  8. ^ Страхил Попов с важен гол за Касъмпаша
  9. ^ "Националите тренираха в пълен състав, "лъвовете" ще тренират и преди мача с Беларус" (in Bulgarian). topsport.bg. 4 March 2014.
  10. ^ "Bulgaria vs. Canada 1-1". flashscore.com. 23 May 2014.
  11. ^ "Ново начало? Хърватия ни развинти за 3:0" (in Bulgarian). news7.bg. 10 October 2015. Retrieved 12 October 2015.
  12. ^ Страхил Попов изпревари едни от най-големите европейски звезди в Лигата на нациите
  13. ^ Popov Stats

External links[edit]