Bulgaria women's national football team

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Bulgaria
Shirt badge/Association crest
Nickname(s)Лъвиците (The Lionesses)
AssociationBulgarian Football Union
ConfederationUEFA (Europe)
Head coachSilvia Radoyska
CaptainNikoleta Boycheva
Home stadiumVarious
FIFA codeBUL
First colours
Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current 95 Decrease 5 (15 March 2024)[1]
Highest42 (December 2008)
Lowest92 (August – December 2022)
First international
 Bulgaria 1–1 Spain 
(Sofia, Bulgaria; 11 October 1987)
Biggest win
 Estonia 0–5 Bulgaria 
(Otopeni, Romania; 18 November 2006)
 Bulgaria 5–0 Luxembourg 
(Ta' Qali, Malta; 5 June 2009)
 Bulgaria 5–0 Georgia 
(Lovech, Bulgaria; 21 November 2009)
Biggest defeat
 France 14–0 Bulgaria 
(Le Mans, France; 28 November 2013)

The Bulgaria women's national football team (Bulgarian: Български женски национален отбор по футбол) represents Bulgaria in international women's football, and is controlled by the Bulgarian Football Union. The team's major success came in 2008 when they won the Balkan Championship and the Albena Cup in the same year. These major tournament victories brought them up to their all-time highest FIFA world ranking of 33rd.

History[edit]

Team image[edit]

Nicknames[edit]

The Bulgaria women's national football team have been nicknamed as "Лъвиците (The Lionesses)".

Home stadium[edit]

Bulgaria plays their home matches on the Lovech Stadium.

Results and fixtures[edit]

The following is a list of match results in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.

Legend

  Win   Draw   Lose   Fixture

2023[edit]

6 April BFU International Women's Cup 2023 SF Bulgaria  3–0  Lithuania Sofia, Bulgaria
11:00 UTC+2
Stadium: Boyana Sports Complex
10 April BFU International Women's Cup 2023 F Bulgaria  0–1  Kosovo Sofia, Bulgaria
--:-- UTC+2 Stadium: Boyana Sports Complex
16 July Friendly Romania  2–0  Bulgaria
22 September 2023 (2023-09-22) Nations League C North Macedonia  0–1  Bulgaria Skopje
15:00 Report Stankova 4' Stadium: Petar Miloševski Training Centre
Attendance: 200
Referee: Miriama Bočková (Slovakia)
27 September Nations League C Bulgaria  0–0  Kosovo Plovdiv
17:00 (18:00 EEST) Report Stadium: Stadion Lokomotiv
Referee: Lovisa Johansson (Sweden)
1 December 2023 (2023-12-01) Nations League C Kosovo  5–1  Bulgaria Podujevo
13:00
Report
Stadium: Zahir Pajaziti Stadium
Attendance: 120
Referee: Meliz Özçiğdem (Turkey)
5 December 2023 (2023-12-05) Nations League C Bulgaria  2–2  North Macedonia Plovdiv
16:00 (17:00 EET) Report Stadium: Stadion Lokomotiv
Referee: Alexandra Collin (France)

2024[edit]

27 February 2023–24 UEFA Women's Nations League promotion/relegation matches Ukraine  3–0
(7–0 agg.)
 Bulgaria Antalya, Turkey[a]
14:00 (16:00 TRT) Report Stadium: Mardan Sports Complex
Note: Ukraine won 7–0 on aggregate, and therefore both teams remained in their respective leagues.

Coaching staff[edit]

Current coaching staff[edit]

As of 28 November 2022
Role Name
Head coach Bulgaria Silvia Radoyska
Assistant coaches Bulgaria Velizar Hristov
Bulgaria Trifon Panev
Goalkeeping coach Bulgaria Emil Varadinov
Team manager Bulgaria Doychin Bahov

Manager history[edit]

Name Period Matches Wins Draws Losses Winning % Notes Ref.
Bulgaria Emil Atanasov 18 November 2006–25 August 2010 21 11 4 6 52.38%
Bulgaria Valentin Chakarov 24 November 2010–19 September 2012 13 0 1 12 0%
Bulgaria Emil Kartselski 20 August 2013–21 August 2014 11 2 1 8 18.18%
Bulgaria Silviya Radoyska 17 September 2014–present 29 5 2 22 22.73%

Players[edit]

Current squad[edit]

No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
1 1GK Martina Ilieva (2007-02-08) 8 February 2007 (age 17) 0 0 Bulgaria Ludogorets
12 1GK Roksana Shahanska (1992-04-23) 23 April 1992 (age 31) 29 0 Bulgaria Lokomotiv

3 2DF Yanitsa Ivanova (2001-01-05) 5 January 2001 (age 23) 15 0 Bulgaria Lokomotiv
5 2DF Nora Dimitrova (captain) (1996-07-26) 26 July 1996 (age 27) 14 1 Bulgaria Lokomotiv
4 2DF Mariela Nedeva (2000-07-12) 12 July 2000 (age 23) 4 0 Bulgaria Lokomotiv
6 2DF Silviya Kefalova (2001-06-06) 6 June 2001 (age 22) 2 0 Bulgaria NSA
18 2DF Zhasmina Atanasova (1996-06-25) 25 June 1996 (age 27) 6 0 Bulgaria Lokomotiv
20 2DF Yana Dineva (2002-11-08) 8 November 2002 (age 21) 9 0 Bulgaria Lokomotiv
11 2DF Kristiana Karaivanova (2004-07-11) 11 July 2004 (age 19) 6 0 Italy Spezia

22 3MF Ivana Naydenova (2001-12-21) 21 December 2001 (age 22) 14 3 Italy Res Roma
9 3MF Lora Petrova (1998-10-12) 12 October 1998 (age 25) 25 1 Italy Res Roma
8 3MF Leonora Zheleva (1999-05-13) 13 May 1999 (age 24) 8 1 Greece AEL
2 3MF Nikoleta Boycheva (1994-08-20) 20 August 1994 (age 29) 19 0 Bulgaria Lokomotiv
19 3MF Yoana Stankova (2005-08-20) 20 August 2005 (age 18) 12 1 Italy Sassuolo U19
16 3MF Zdravka Parapunova (2003-08-06) 6 August 2003 (age 20) 0 0 Austria SPG Lustenau/Dornbirn

7 4FW Evdokiya Popadinova (1996-10-26) 26 October 1996 (age 27) 8 3 Italy Lazio
8 3MF Victoria Yavorova Bulgaria
14 4FW Dimitra Ivanova (2004-01-26) 26 January 2004 (age 20) 9 0 Romania Politehnica Timișoara
21 4FW Aleksandra Sergeeva (2005-11-03) 3 November 2005 (age 18) 2 0 Germany VfL Wolfsburg II
15 4FW Nadezhda Ivanova (2004-12-17) 17 December 2004 (age 19) 0 0 Germany SC Sand
13 4FW Aleksandra Yaneva (2001-02-24) 24 February 2001 (age 23) 2 2 Greece AEL
8 4FW Polina Rusina Bulgaria NSA
17 4FW Simona Petkova (1993-09-03) 3 September 1993 (age 30) 13 0 Switzerland Aarau
4FW Catherine Karadjov (1998-06-19) 19 June 1998 (age 25) 1 0 France Orvault

Recent call-ups[edit]

The following players have been called up to a Bulgaria squad in the past 12 months.
Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club Latest call-up
GK Viktoria Dimova (2002-01-08) 8 January 2002 (age 22) 0 0 Bulgaria NSA 2023 Turkish Women's Cup
GK Victoria Ivanova (2001-01-25) 25 January 2001 (age 23) 0 0 Bulgaria Sevlievo Ladies 2023 Turkish Women's Cup
GK Milena Karakoleva (2004-04-03) 3 April 2004 (age 19) 1 0 Bulgaria Sportika v.  North Macedonia , 5 December 2023

DF Ivet Vasileva (1998-07-12) 12 July 1998 (age 25) 0 0 Bulgaria LP Super Sport 2023 Turkish Women's Cup
DF Gergana Iliycheva (2002-02-24) 24 February 2002 (age 22) 2 0 Italy Chita di Matera 2023 Turkish Women's Cup

MF Dessi Dupuy (1993-06-10) 10 June 1993 (age 30) 3 0 Sweden Växjö DFF 2023 Turkish Women's Cup
MF Ivelina Pavlova (2003-07-18) 18 July 2003 (age 20) 1 0 Bulgaria NSA 2023 Turkish Women's Cup
MF Eva Atanasova (2005-06-05) 5 June 2005 (age 18) 1 0 Bulgaria Ludogorets v.  Kosovo, 23 September 2023
MF Eva Atanasova (2005-06-05) 5 June 2005 (age 18) 1 0 Bulgaria Ludogorets v.  Kosovo , 23 September 2023
MF Preslava Yordanova Bulgaria NSA v.  North Macedonia , 5 December 2023
MF Veni Donna Srpbinska Bulgaria Sportika v.  North Macedonia , 5 December 2023

FW Polina Rasina (1999-03-12) 12 March 1999 (age 25) 9 0 Bulgaria NSA 2023 Turkish Women's Cup
FW Bilyana Pencheva (1997-05-23) 23 May 1997 (age 26) 3 0 Bulgaria Lokomotiv 2023 Turkish Women's Cup
FW Mirela Moeva (2000-09-29) 29 September 2000 (age 23) 0 0 Bulgaria Etar VT 2023 Turkish Women's Cup
FW Leonora Zheleva (1999-05-13) 13 May 1999 (age 24) 6 0 Greece AEL v.  Kosovo, 23 September 2023
FW Viky Adrianova (2003-05-12) 12 May 2003 (age 20) 2 0 United States Jacksonville State University v.  North Macedonia , 5 December 2023

Captains[edit]

  • Radoslava Slavcheva (????–)

Records[edit]

As of 23 May 2021
Active players in bold, statistics correct as of 2021.

Competitive record[edit]

FIFA Women's World Cup[edit]

FIFA Women's World Cup record Qualification record
Year Result GP W D* L GF GA GP W D* L GF GA
China 1991 did not qualify UEFA Euro 1991
Sweden 1995 UEFA Euro 1995
United States 1999 6 2 1 3 11 12
United States 2003 did not enter did not enter
China 2007
Germany 2011 did not qualify 8 2 2 4 9 25
Canada 2015 10 0 1 9 3 62
France 2019 did not enter did not enter
AustraliaNew Zealand 2023 did not qualify 10 0 0 10 1 37
2027 to be determined to be determined
Total - - - - - - - 34 4 4 26 24 136
*Draws include knockout matches decided on penalty kicks.

UEFA Women's Championship[edit]

UEFA Women's Championship record Qualifying record
Year Result GP W D* L GF GA GP W D* L GF GA
EnglandItalyNorwaySweden 1984 did not enter did not enter
Norway 1987
West Germany 1989 did not qualify 8 0 2 6 1 18
Denmark 1991 6 0 0 6 3 18
Italy 1993 4 0 0 4 1 9
EnglandGermanyNorwaySweden 1995 4 1 1 2 3 11
NorwaySweden 1997 6 4 0 2 13 6
Germany 2001 did not enter did not enter
England 2005
Finland 2009 did not qualify 3 2 0 1 8 1
Sweden 2013 10 0 0 10 1 54
Netherlands 2017 did not enter did not enter
England 2022
Switzerland 2025 to be determined to be determined
Total - - - - - - - 41 7 3 31 30 117
*Draws include knockout matches decided on penalty kicks.

Honours[edit]

Albena Cup

  • Champions : 2008

Balkan Cup

  • Champions : 2008

See also[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ Due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Ukraine are required to play their home matches at neutral venues until further notice.[2]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "The FIFA/Coca-Cola Women's World Ranking". FIFA. 15 March 2024. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
  2. ^ "Decisions from today's extraordinary UEFA Executive Committee meeting". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 25 February 2022. Retrieved 25 February 2022.
  3. ^ Състав на женския национален отбор за плейофа с Украйна в УЕФА Лига на нациите

External links[edit]