Top facts about Valeri Bojinov, Bulgarian striker

Valeri Emilov Bojinov (born February 15, 1986) is a Bulgarian striker who currently plays for Septemvri Sofia.

Valeri Bojinov’s age

is 36. Here, you can find the most important facts about Valeri Bojinov, ex-Man City and Juventus forward.

Valeri Bojinov was labeled the "next Wayne Rooney" and was destined for glory, but he ended up as a "lost wanderer." A narrative of Bulgaria's best striker, but never became one owing to poor judgments and a large ego.

Bulgaria used to be a footballing powerhouse. The golden generation, led by Hristo Stoichkov, reached its pinnacle in the 1994 World Cup in the United States.

They advanced to the semi-finals, when they were upset by Italy. This was the pinnacle of Bulgarian football, at least on the international stage, but it all came to an end.

This Bulgarian team is nothing like Stoichkov's. Bulgaria hasn't had a squad capable of competing at the top level in a long time.

The last "big" player to play for Bulgaria was

, although he couldn't match Stoichkov's abilities (worse teammates).

It's no surprise that a young Bulgarian kid who shattered the record by becoming the youngest foreign player to make his Serie A debut enthralled the whole nation and the rest of the world.

An important fact about Valeri Bojinov is that he has been well-known in recent years for his way of living. The athlete is constantly surrounded by attractive ladies, isn't afraid to share all sorts of things on social media, and I'm not sure whether soccer is his number one priority.

This is something we've seen time and time again with Balkan guys. They are unable to cope with fame and money. Once they achieve celebrity, the sport and the arduous labor necessary to be a top pro seem to be too much for them.

Bojinov, unfortunately, is one of many who have fallen into this trap. After beginning his career with teams like Fiorentina, Juventus, and

, the once-promising attacker will now play for a club no one has ever heard of.

Top facts about Valeri Bojinov:

The first fact about Valeri Bojinov is that he has played for seventeen different clubs in Italy, as well as England, Portugal, Bulgaria, Serbia, Croatia, China, and Switzerland, during the course of his career.

He was also a member of the Bulgarian national squad at the international level. Bozhinov is a transliteration of his surname.

Valeri Bojinov early life

Bojinov was born in Gorna Oryahovitsa, Bulgaria, and relocated to Malta with his mother Pepa, a former Bulgarian women's national football team player, and stepfather Sasho Angelov, a former Bulgarian national football team player, when he was 12 years old.

Regarding

Valeri Bojinov’s childhood

, it should be mentioned that he was signed for 30,000,000 ITL (approximately €15,000) by Lecce sports director Pantaleo Corvino when he was 14 years old while playing for Pietà Hotspurs. There is no information regarding

Valeri Bojinov’s parents

.

Valeri Bojinov personal life

Alisia, a Bulgarian singer, was Bojinov's girlfriend. He gave birth to a newborn boy on September 12, 2007. Valeri is also the name of his son. From 2011 until 2015, he was married to Bulgarian Playboy Playmate Nikoleta Lozanova.

Valeri Bojinov professional career

Valeri Bojinov has played for seventeen different clubs during his various spells in Italy, as well as in England, Portugal, Bulgaria, Serbia, Croatia, China, and Switzerland. At international level, he also played for the Bulgarian national team up to 2015.

Valeri Bojinov club career

Bojinov relocated to Lecce, where he finished his education while playing for the Lecce junior teams. At the age of 15 years and 11 months, he made his Serie A debut on January 27, 2002, becoming the youngest foreign player to play at the highest level of Italian football.

On January 6, 2004, he became the youngest non-national to score in Serie A when he scored his debut goal in a 2–1 home loss against Bologna.

Fiorentina

Fiorentina purchased Bojinov in January 2005.On February 2, 2005, he made his club debut against

, playing the whole match. He scored his first goal for Fiorentina against Udinese on February 26, 2005.

In a 2–1 away win over Chievo on May 8, 2005, Bojinov scored the game-winning goal in the 79th minute at Stadio Marc'Antonio Bentegodi. Bojinov appeared in nine games during the 2004–05 season, scoring two goals.

Juventus

Fiorentina loaned Bojinov to Juventus, who had just been relegated to Serie B, for the 2006–07 season.

Manchester City

On August 3, 2007, it was announced that Bojinov had completed his transfer to Manchester City of the English Premier League, signing a four-year contract for an undisclosed fee.

An important fact about Valeri Bojinov is that he made his debut for the club in a 2–0 away win against

at the Boleyn Ground on August 11, 2007, coming on as a 60th-minute substitute for Rolando Bianchi in league play.

After sustaining a knee ligament injury against Manchester United in August 2007, Bojinov was out for five months.

On January 22, 2008, he returned to full training and scored five goals in a bounce game. Bojinov came on as a substitute in a Manchester City reserve game on February 11, 2008, and scored a header from a cross by Émile Mpenza.

Sven-Göran Eriksson, Manchester City's manager, informed Bojinov that he would not be fit to play against

on February 25, 2008. In the 2007–08 season, he did not make it back into the first-team squad, but he did make some appearances for the reserve squad and was part of City's Asian tour.

In a pre-season friendly against Stockport County, Bojinov scored his first goal for the club in almost a year. On August 9, 2008, he also scored the game-winning goal in a friendly against Milan.

Bojinov was ruled out for six months on August 17, 2008, after suffering an Achilles injury while warming up for a match against

.

Manchester City manager Mark Hughes announced in mid-February 2009 that Bojinov would play a practice match "behind closed doors" as he neared his return to first-team football.

On February 17, 2009, he played 65 minutes for the reserves. While regaining match fitness, he even scored a penalty against Manchester United in a reserve game.

Bojinov made his Premier League comeback on March 1, 2009, when he came on as an 89th-minute substitute against West Ham. He then made his second appearance as a late substitute for Manchester City, replacing Elano in the 83rd minute against Aston Villa.

On March 22, 2009, Bojinov made his first start since 2007 in a 1–0 home victory against Sunderland, however he was replaced in the 65th minute due to the return of injured Craig Bellamy.

In 16 May 2009, four minutes after coming on as a replacement for compatriot Martin Petrov in the 61st minute away at White Hart Lane, he scored his first league goal in a 2–1 defeat to

.

Parma

On July 29, 2009, it was announced that Bojinov will be joining

on a season-long loan. He chose to wear the number 86. He scored his first official goal for Parma against Lazio at Stadio Olimpico on September 23, 2009. He also scored a penalty for his club, who won 2–1 on the road.

An important

fact about Valeri Bojinov

is that he scored in the 90th minute of a 1–0 home victory against Milan on March 24, 2010. Bojinov scored eight goals in 31 games across all competitions during the 2009–10 season. On July 4, 2010, Parma announced that Bojinov had signed a permanent contract with the club.

Bojinov, on the other hand, had a rough season, mostly due to a combination of his own poor performances, the team's constant deployment of just one striker, and consistent goals from Hernán Crespo and Amauri in the early and late stages of the season, respectively.

Sporting

Bojinov signed a five-year deal with Sporting CP in Portugal on July 6, 2011, for €2.6 million for 80 percent of his registration rights, which may have increased to €3.5 million depending on his performance.

Jaime Valdés, a Chilean midfielder, was loaned to Parma as part of his trade to Sporting. Coach Domingos Paciência largely utilized him as a substitute during his stint with the Lisbon side. On August 25, he made his first-team debut in a UEFA Europa League play-off meeting against Nordsjlland of Denmark.

On the 24th of October, he would score his first goal for Sporting against Gil Vicente. Bojinov scored a brace against Barcelos in a gameweek eight Primeira Liga match, helping his team to a 6–1 victory.

Due to his behavior in a Taça da Liga match against Moreirense the day before, Sporting declared Bojinov persona non grata on January 20, 2012, preventing him from attending the stadium or training school.

Sporting was awarded a crucial penalty kick in the 92nd minute that, if converted, would give the side the victory.

Matas Fernández, Sporting's normal penalty taker, was about to take the shot when Bojinov grabbed the ball from him, pushed him away, and insisted on taking the spot, despite the fact that he had never taken a penalty for Sporting and had not scored a penalty in an official game since 2006.

A notable

fact about Valeri Bojinov

is that he failed to score, aggravating Sporting's followers and management, who therefore suspended Bojinov on the grounds that he disobeyed the coach's decision and hence the club's regulations. He was later loaned back to his previous club,

.

Verona and Vicenza

On August 31, 2012, it was announced that Bojinov had signed a one-year loan agreement with Verona.He did, however, sign a six-month loan agreement with Vicenza in the second division on Janu ary 17, 2013.

On February 2, he scored his first goal for Vicenza against Juve Stabia in his second game for the club. Bojinov would score a brace against Grosseto in a 2–1 away victory on February 26. Bojinov's contract with Sporting was terminated on September 6, 2013.

Levski

An important fact about Valeri Bojinov is that he signed with Bulgarian club Levski Sofia on the last day of January 2014, marking the first time in his career that he would play for a club in his home country. On February 7, he made his unofficial debut, scoring a goal in a 4–2 loss to Czech side Teplice in a friendly match.

On March 12, Bojinov scored his first goal in an official match, a 3–1 win over Botev Plovdiv in a Bulgarian Cup match. Bojinov scored two goals in a 3–2 home loss to champions Ludogorets Razgrad on May 11, 2014.

Ternana

In September 2014, Bojinov terminated his contract with Levski and signed a one-year free agent deal with Ternana of the Italian Serie B.

On September 23, he made his debut against Bologna, playing the whole 90 minutes. In a 2–1 defeat against Virtus Entella at the Stadio Comunale on November 4, Bojinov scored his first goal for Ternana with a 49th-minute equalizer.

A notable fact about Valeri Bojinov is that he scored a double in a 2–1 home victory against Crotone on January 17, 2015; the second goal was a spectacular 40-meter shot.

Partizan

Bojinov signed a two-year contract with Serbian club Partizan on June 14, 2015. Partizan was recommended to Bojinov by former Partizan player and Bulgarian international Ivan Ivanov.

Bojinov claimed that number 86 was his lucky number and that he chose to wear it on the jersey. On 14 July 2015, he made his official debut for the club in a UEFA Champions League second qualifying round match against Dila Gori. He was on the pitch for 77 minutes without scoring throughout the game.

Bojinov scored his first goal for Partizan against Metalac on July 17, 2015. In that game, he recorded one goal and two assists in a 4–0 triumph at home. Bojinov scored twice against Jagodina in a 6–0 home triumph on July 25, 2015.

Bojinov made his debut appearance in the 2015–16 UEFA Europa League group stage against

on October 22, 2015.

A notable fact about Valeri Bojinov is that he scored a brace against Rad on December 13, 2015, after coming in as a 59th-minute replacement for Ivan Aponji. Partizan turned down separate €2 million proposals for Bojinov from Sporting de Gijón and Rayo Vallecano in the winter of 2016.

During an interview in January 2016, he said that every teammate who assisted one of his goals would get €500. He mutually ended his contract with Partizan on February 17, 2017.

Meizhou

He joined with Meizhou Hakka, a Chinese second-tier team, in March 2017.

Lausanne

An important fact about Valeri Bojinov is that he signed a two-year deal with Swiss club Lausanne in July 2017; however, he terminated the contract in October.

Rijeka

A notable fact about Valeri Bojinov is that he signed as a free agent with Rijeka in Croatia in February 2018. He was originally contracted through June 2018 with the possibility of an extension.

In 4 April 2018, he made his official debut for the club in the 2017–18 Croatian Football Cup semi-final against

, coming on as a substitute in the 78th minute.

Bojinov made his league debut against Inter Zaprei on May 8, 2018, coming in as a 76th-minute replacement and assisting on Rijeka's fifth goal within three minutes of his arrival.

Bojinov's contract was extended for another season on June 5, 2018. HNK Rijeka and Bojinov mutually decided to end his contract with the club on August 20, 2018.

Return to Bulgaria

During the spring of 2019, Bojinov played for Levski Sofia, scoring the game-winning playoff goal against Etar to help the club qualify for the UEFA Europa League.

His tenure with the "bluemen" was divided between two stints with Botev Vratsa, the first in the second half of 2018, during which he established himself as a key player for the club, and the second in the fall of 2019, which ended in disappointment.

Pescara

Bojinov signed Serie B team Pescara in February 2020. The match referee threw him out for disrespectful language on February 23, 2020, before he could make his debut (while sitting on the substitutes' bench against Crotone).

In 4 March, he made his debut appearance in an official match, coming on as a second-half replacement in a 2–0 away defeat to Spezia.

Levski Sofia

Bojinov returned to Levski Sofia for the third time in his career in September 2020. Despite his lack of playing time, he became a fan favorite owing to his commitment to the team and leadership characteristics.

He scored his first goal of the season in his first start after his comeback against Partizan Cherven Bryag in the Bulgarian Cup Round of 32 on October 21, 2020. He scored the game-winning goal against Cherno More on May 23, 2021. His contract with the organization was extended for another season on July 16, 2021.

Valeri Bojinov international career

An important fact about Valeri Bojinov is that he made his UEFA Euro 2004 debut on June 22, 2004, when he came in as a substitute in Bulgaria's 1–2 defeat to Italy. On August 19, 2004, he won his second cap in a 1–1 friendly tie against the Republic of Ireland, in which he also scored his first international goal.

Bojinov scored a goal in a friendly match against Mexico at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas on November 17, 2005, helping the team to a 3–0 victory.

Bojinov scored his first international goal in a competitive encounter against Slovenia on September 6, 2006, in a 3–0 home victory in UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying. In addition, it was Bulgaria's first goal in Euro 2008 qualification.

Valeri Bojinov style of play

A notable fact about Valeri Bojinov is that he is known for his skill and goalscoring abilities as a striker, and is capable of scoring with either foot, due to his powerful and accurate striking ability, which also allowed him to play alongside another forward as a second striker, or as a winger on either flank, as well as in the center of the pitch.

A fast footballer in his prime, he was also known for his speed over short distances, agility, and quickness. Despite his skill, he has developed a reputation for being inconsistent throughout the course of his career.

Valeri Bojinov failed potentials

In football, the margins between success and failure are razor-thin: one terrible season, one failed loan period, six months of poor form, or simply 90 dreadful minutes on the field may all be enough to end a career. Bojan Krki, Alen Halilovi, Anderson, Royston Drenthe, Freddy Adu, and others are among the most well-known players who are acquainted with this on a global scale.

Valeri Bojinov, the primary character of today's essay, is one Bulgarian who deserves to be included on this list.

Valeri Emilov Bojinov was born in Gorna Oryahovitsa, Bulgaria, on February 5, 1986. Valeri began training at a young age at Maritsa Plovdiv's youth schools and the famed Lokomotiv Sofia, which was thought to be one of the best places in Bulgaria at the time to acquire the ABCs of football.

Bojinov and his family were forced to relocate to Malta when he was 12, which meant the boy had to join a brand-new club where he was unknown to everyone. Pietà Hotspurs, a Maltese first division club, opted to give him a shot in their youth systems.

After spending two years on the southern European island, Pantaleo Corvino, the sports director of US Lecce, decided to take a chance on Valeri, paying roughly €15 000 for Bojinov's services.

The Bulgarian made his home in the little town, where he also continued his schooling. Despite being just 15 years old at the time, the youth coaches and the team's manager at the time, Delio Rossi, thought that Bojinov was ready for first-team play two years after his arrival in Italy.

 The adolescent was quickly promoted to the first team and began appearing in the starting lineup on a regular basis in the 2002/03 season, making him the youngest foreign player to play in Italy's top division. Bojinov made his breakthrough in the 2004/05 season, when he scored 11 goals in 20 games while playing for Zdenk Zeman's team.

A notable

fact about Valeri Bojinov

is that he was at the height of his game and seemed to be one of the most exciting football prospects, with The Guardian including him with Wayne Rooney, Wesley Sneijder, and Robin van Persie on a list of the 'world's most sought young players' for 2004.

His excellent form helped him clinch a €13 million move to ACF Fiorentina back in the day. It's worth noting that Pantaleo Corvino, the sports director who identified his potential, transferred him back to his side.

Even by today's standards, this is a good transfer price, but you can image how incredible this kind of money sounds since the most expensive transactions back then were approximately €35 million (excluding Florentino Perez's craziness in 2001 when he lavished €77.5 million on

).

Despite this, Bojinov was unable to secure a first-team spot during his first season with 'The Violets,' leading to a season-long loan to

, who was in Serie B at the time.

Fiorentina was hesitant to retain him after his return from 'The Old Lady.' A month later, they were able to locate him a new team, and the Bulgarian was on his way to Manchester, especially the blue side of the city.

Manchester City paid slightly under €10 million for Bojinov, although it's worth noting that 'The Cityzens' weren't the elite team we know today, but they did finish in the top half of the Premier League standings.

Valeri's stint at his new club did not match his hopes once again, as he was out for 5 months due to an early knee ligament injury. He was largely employed in the reserve squad after his complete recovery.

Bojinov sustained an Achilles injury just as he was getting back into shape and ready to play in the main team on a regular basis, putting him out for another six months.

On March 1, 2009, the Bulgarian made his comeback to Premier League football. After that, he wore a Manchester City jersey for the next seven games. Parma Calcio 1913 secured the prodigy on a loan with the potential of a future price.

He had a good season in Serie A, scoring eight goals in 30 games. Parma made Bojinov's move permanent on July 4, 2010, with the hopes of discovering the 'Hristo Stoichkov' in him.

It didn't take long for them to see that wasn't going to happen: the next season, he played in one more game than the previous one, but scored five less goals, and his overall performance was far poorer.

It was inevitable that the Bulgarian and I would part ways. Valeri signed a five-year deal with Sporting Lisbon, with the Portuguese club paying Parma €2.8 million for his services. Bojinov's spot in the starting lineup was not assured, so he had to make the most of his opportunities as a replacement.

Not only did he fail to do so, but on January 20, 2012, the Bulgarian's career reached an all-time low when Sporting proclaimed him a persona non-grata, preventing him from attending the stadium or training facilities.

This occurred because Bojinov insisted on taking a key penalty despite never having taken one before for the team or being the first to take one.

He then went on to miss from the spot, enraging everyone at the club, especially the supporters. Valeri's contract with Sporting was cancelled in 2013, and he never donned the team's colors again.

This was the start of his inescapable drop in form, which saw the long-forgotten wonderkid become a 'journeyman,' changing eleven teams in different nations including Serbia, Croatia, Switzerland, and China over the course of seven years.

Some of the reasons for his failure to realize his immense potential include an unhealthy lifestyle, a lack of desire, and significant injuries at the worst possible moment.

Nonetheless, many think that, despite his ability to carve his name in history, Bojinov's goals differed from those of world-class players, causing his demise to be unavoidable.

Valeri Bojinov, a dozen clubs in nine years

The Bulgarian attacker made headlines from a young age, but as his enthralling career draws to a close, he has struggled to find any sense of stability.

Valeri Bojinov is a name few people outside of Bulgaria are familiar with these days, but the striker was on the verge of becoming a household name just over a decade ago.

Bojinov, who was born in Bulgaria, was scouted by Italian club Lecce when he was 14 years old, and he made his Serie A debut a year later.

The year was 2002, and Bojinov was 15 years and 341 days old, making him the youngest foreign player to ever play in Italy's top flight – a record that he still holds.

The well-built teenager would prove more than useful in front of goal during stints with Lecce and

, scoring 24 league goals before being loaned out to Juventus in 2006.

While it is a glamorous move today, Juve had just been relegated to Serie B for their role in a match-fixing scandal at the time, so Bojinov's move was a step down in some ways.

However, the player did not look back, scoring a handful of goals as the club won the second-division title and secured a quick return to Serie A.

Bojinov's next transfer, however, would take him away from Italy and to England, where Manchester City, then managed by Sven-Goran Eriksson and still trying to establish themselves in the Premier League, took a chance on him.

"Our acquisition of Valeri is another proof of Dr Thaksin Shiniwatra and Sven-Goran Eriksson's effect," Alistair Mackintosh, City's chief executive, remarked at the time. "Valeri is a dynamic young player who will be a valuable addition to the team."

Bojinov, like City at the time, did not live up to his potential at the Etihad, as injuries hampered his attempts to break into the Premier League.

The rising star was sidelined for five months in the same month he joined the club after suffering a knee ligament injury just six minutes after making his starting debut against Manchester United.

After missing the whole 2007-08 season, the then 21-year-old was looking well in City's next pre-season, only to be sidelined for six months by an Achilles injury in August.

Bojinov would only make 11 Premier League appearances for the Citizens, scoring one goal, before returning to Italy on a season-long loan with Parma.

Bojinov would hit a brick wall in the form of Hernan Crespo and Amauri, who severely limited his playing minutes throughout the 2010-11 season after a promising start in Serie A and inheriting his preferred No.86 jersey.

Fit again and in dire need of regular playing time, he signed for Sporting CP in 2011, where he'd collapse in dramatic circumstances, ravenous for goals.

When Sporting was handed an injury-time penalty in a league match against Moreirense and the scores were equal, Bojinov aggressively snatched the ball away from customary taker Matias Fernandez and failed to convert from the spot, prompting a backlash from both fans and the team.

"The board has decided to begin disciplinary procedures against Valeri Bojinov in light of the events that occurred during the match between Sporting and Moreirense," the club said in a statement.

"Until these actions are completed, the player is temporarily banned from all activities and is prohibited from using any of the club's facilities, including the Alcochete Academy and the Estadio de Alvalade."

Shunned by his own club, this was a watershed moment in Bojinov's career as he frantically sought an exit - a narrative that would swiftly repeat itself as he hopped from club to team and nation to country in the years to come.

After returning to Italy for spells with Verona and Vicenza, the striker signed with Bulgarian club Levski Sofia in 2014 and made his debut in his hometown.

Bojinov would return to Italy nine months later, this time with Ternana of Serie B, where he featured frequently and scored six goals.

Not willing to stay idle, he relocated to Serbia in 2015, joining Partizan and, perhaps, beginning to live up to some of his promise – although eight years too late.

The Bulgarian international won the Serbian Cup in 2015-16 and the domestic championship the following season after scoring 25 goals in 67 games.

Bojinov's nomadic club life ruined what might have been his greatest season when he accepted a transfer to Chinese second-division team Meizhou Hakka in March 2017.

After just 13 games in Asia, he returned to Europe and signed with Lausanne, a Swiss club. He would only make nine appearances before his contract was terminated and he moved to Croatian side Rijeka in 2018.

Bojinov could only manage two games this time, and he was obliged to return to Bulgaria, this time to play for Botev Vratsa.

Bojinov has struggled to find a place in his country, transferring mid-season to Levski Sofia before returning to Botev for the 2019-20 season.

Valeri Bojinov social media

Regarding

Valeri Bojinov social media

, it should be mentioned that he has an Instagram page (

) with more than 97k followers. on the page, we can see various pictures of him with the fans and his family.

Valeri Bojinov body measurements

Speaking about

Valeri Bojinov body measurements

, it should be mentioned that the player is 179cm and 78kg.

Valeri Bojinov net worth and salary

Valeri Bojinov's net worth

is estimated to be around $4 million, according to Wikipedia, Forbes, and Business Insider.

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