Martin Minchev
 Minchev in 2019 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Martin Yankov Minchev | ||
| Date of birth | 22 April 2001 | ||
| Place of birth | Varna, Bulgaria | ||
| Height | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)[1] | ||
| Position(s) | Winger, forward | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Cracovia | ||
| Number | 10 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2008–2018 | Cherno More | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2017–2020 | Cherno More | 78 | (10) |
| 2020–2023 | Sparta Prague | 70 | (10) |
| 2020–2023 | Sparta Prague B | 10 | (7) |
| 2023–2025 | Çaykur Rizespor | 38 | (3) |
| 2025– | Cracovia | 0 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2017 | Bulgaria U17 | 4 | (1) |
| 2017–2018 | Bulgaria U18 | 4 | (3) |
| 2018–2019 | Bulgaria U19 | 4 | (0) |
| 2019–2022 | Bulgaria U21 | 14 | (2) |
| 2019– | Bulgaria | 22 | (0) |
|
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 21:45, 20 February 2025 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 15 October 2024 (UTC) | |||
Martin Yankov Minchev (Bulgarian: Мартин Янков Минчев; born 22 April 2001) is a Bulgarian professional footballer who plays as a winger or forward for Ekstraklasa club Cracovia and the Bulgaria national team.
Career
[edit]Cherno More
[edit]Born in Varna, Minchev joined Cherno More's youth academy at the age of seven in 2008 and progressed through the age groups.[2]
On 23 April 2017, a day after his 16th birthday, Minchev was given his professional debut by manager Georgi Ivanov in a 3–2 league victory over Lokomotiv Plovdiv, replacing Ivan Kokonov in the 76th minute.[3] In doing so, he became Cherno More's youngest-ever first team player in the Bulgarian league, aged 16 years and one day.[4] In the beginning of June 2017 he spent five days on trial at Serie A club Torino, where he trained with the U17 team and took part in one friendly match, scoring a hat-trick.[5]
Minchev began to establish himself in the Cherno More first team during the 2017–18 season. On 30 March 2018, he scored his first competitive goal for the club, netting Cherno More's first in a 2–1 league victory against Pirin Blagoevgrad.[6]
Sparta Prague
[edit]On 26 June 2020, Minchev moved abroad, signing a four-year contract with Sparta Prague.[7]
Çaykur Rizespor
[edit]On 10 September 2023, Minchev signed a three-year contract with Turkish club Çaykur Rizespor.[8]
Cracovia
[edit]On 19 February 2025, Minchev moved to Polish club Cracovia on a three-and-a-half-year deal for an undisclosed fee.[9]
International career
[edit]Youth teams
[edit]Minchev made his Bulgaria under-18 debut at the age of 15 in January 2017 during the 2017 Granatkin Memorial Cup. He scored his first goal in the Bulgaria's fifth game of the tournament against Slovakia on 18 January.
On 19 September 2017, Minchev made his debut for Bulgaria U17 in a friendly against Turkey U17, scoring the second consolation goal in a 2–5 home defeat.[10]
In August 2018, Minchev took part in the Vaclav Jezek Tournament with Bulgaria U18. He scored three goals during the tournament in Vrchlabí, Czech Republic, and was named Player of the Tournament.[11]
National team
[edit]After a good run of form with Cherno More, on 11 March 2019 Minchev was called up by manager Petar Hubchev to the Bulgaria squad for the UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying matches against Montenegro and Kosovo.[12] He made his first senior appearance for Bulgaria in a 1–1 home draw against Montenegro on 22 March at the Vasil Levski National Stadium, coming on as a substitute for Spas Delev in the 82nd minute.[13] Minutes later he had a great opportunity to score a winning goal, but the ball ran inches wide.[14]
Career statistics
[edit]Club
[edit]- As of match played 5 February 2025
| Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | Continental | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Cherno More | 2016–17 | First League | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 4 | 0 | |
| 2017–18 | First League | 22 | 2 | 5 | 0 | — | 27 | 2 | ||
| 2018–19 | First League | 27 | 2 | 3 | 1 | — | 30 | 3 | ||
| 2019–20 | First League | 25 | 6 | 2 | 1 | — | 27 | 7 | ||
| Total | 78 | 10 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 88 | 12 | ||
| Sparta Prague | 2020–21 | Czech First League | 14 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 4[b] | 0 | 21 | 0 |
| 2021–22 | Czech First League | 24 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 7[c] | 0 | 36 | 5 | |
| 2022–23 | Czech First League | 29 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 2[d] | 0 | 35 | 7 | |
| 2023–24 | Czech First League | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3[e] | 0 | 6 | 1 | |
| Total | 70 | 10 | 12 | 3 | 16 | 0 | 98 | 13 | ||
| Sparta Prague B | 2020–21 | ČFL | 1 | 1 | — | — | 1 | 1 | ||
| 2021–22 | FNL | 5 | 5 | — | — | 5 | 5 | |||
| 2022–23 | FNL | 4 | 1 | — | — | 4 | 1 | |||
| Total | 10 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 7 | ||
| Çaykur Rizespor | 2023–24 | Süper Lig | 33 | 3 | 1 | 0 | — | 34 | 3 | |
| 2024–25 | Süper Lig | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 7 | 0 | ||
| Total | 38 | 3 | 3 | 0 | — | 41 | 3 | |||
| Cracovia | 2024–25 | Ekstraklasa | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | ||
| Career total | 196 | 30 | 25 | 5 | 16 | 0 | 237 | 35 | ||
- ^ Includes Bulgarian Cup, Czech Cup, Turkish Cup
- ^ Appearances in UEFA Europa League
- ^ One appearance in UEFA Champions League, five appearances in UEFA Europa League, one appearance in UEFA Europa Conference League
- ^ Appearances in UEFA Europa Conference League
- ^ Two appearances in UEFA Champions League, one appearance in UEFA Europa League
International
[edit]- As of match played 15 October 2024
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bulgaria | 2019 | 3 | 0 |
| 2020 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2022 | 7 | 0 | |
| 2023 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2024 | 7 | 0 | |
| Total | 22 | 0 | |
Honours
[edit]Sparta Prague
References
[edit]- ^ "Kadra" (in Polish). Cracovia. Retrieved 20 February 2025.
- ^ "Мартин Минчев стъпил на "Тича" с фланелка на Юнайтед с №7 и Роналдо на гърба" (in Bulgarian). petel.bg. 23 April 2018.
- ^ "Cherno More vs. Lokomotiv Plovdiv". soccerway.com. 23 April 2017.
- ^ "16-годишен дебютира за Черно море ден след рождения си ден" (in Bulgarian). varnautre.bg. 23 April 2017.
- ^ "Нападател на Черно море впечатли Торино" (in Bulgarian). sportal.bg. 12 June 2017.
- ^ "Мартин Минчев – за него ще се говори още дълго време" (in Bulgarian). temasport.com. 1 April 2018.
- ^ "Spartu posiluje Martin Minčev" [Sparta signs Martin Minchev] (in Czech). Sparta Prague. 26 June 2020.
- ^ Šťastný, Pavel (10 September 2023). "Sparta hlásí odchody: Höjer a Minčev do Turecka, podpisy na tři roky" [Sparta reports departures: Höjer and Minčev to Turkey, signing for three years]. Blesk (in Czech). Czech News Center.
- ^ Galiński, Tomasz (19 February 2025). "Cracovia ruszyła na zakupy. Dawid Kroczek doczekał się nowego zawodnika". sportowefakty.wp.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 20 February 2025.
- ^ "България U17 загуби от Турция U17 в контрола" (in Bulgarian). Bulgarian Football Union. 19 September 2017.
- ^ "Мартин Минчев най-добър на турнира в Чехия" (in Bulgarian). viasport.bg. 26 August 2018.
- ^ "The Bulgarian squad for the games against Montenegro and Kosovo has been announced". bfunion.bg. 11 March 2019.
- ^ "European Qualifier: Bulgaria 1–1 Montenegro". uefa.com. 22 March 2019.
- ^ Мартин Минчев: Само шанс не ми достигна да вкарам
- ^ "Sparta v euforii! Remíza na Slovácku odstartovala mistrovské oslavy". Sport.cz (in Czech). Czech News Agency. 23 May 2023. Retrieved 23 May 2023.
External links
[edit]- Martin Minchev at Soccerway
- Martin Minchev – UEFA competition record (archive)
- Martin Minchev at National-Football-Teams.com
- 2001 births
- Living people
- Footballers from Varna, Bulgaria
- Bulgarian men's footballers
- Bulgaria men's youth international footballers
- Bulgaria men's under-21 international footballers
- Bulgaria men's international footballers
- Men's association football midfielders
- PFC Cherno More Varna players
- AC Sparta Prague players
- Çaykur Rizespor footballers
- KS Cracovia players
- First Professional Football League (Bulgaria) players
- Czech First League players
- Czech National Football League players
- Bohemian Football League players
- Süper Lig players
- Expatriate men's footballers in the Czech Republic
- Bulgarian expatriate sportspeople in the Czech Republic
- Expatriate men's footballers in Turkey
- Bulgarian expatriate sportspeople in Turkey
- Expatriate men's footballers in Poland
- Bulgarian expatriate sportspeople in Poland
- 21st-century Bulgarian sportsmen