Dimitar Penev
At a glance
| In Bulgarian | Димитър Душков Пенев |
|---|---|
| Born | 12 July 1945, Mirovyane, Bulgaria |
| Died | 3 January 2026, aged 80 |
| Position | Central defender |
| Clubs | Lokomotiv Sofia; CSKA Sofia |
| International career | Bulgaria, 1964–1977; 90 appearances |
| World Cup achievement | Fourth place with Bulgaria, 1994 |
Source: Wikipedia: Dimitar Penev1
Playing career
Penev was born in Mirovyane on 12 July 1945. He began his senior career at Lokomotiv Sofia, playing there from 1962 to 1964, before joining CSKA Sofia. He spent the rest of his playing career at CSKA, from 1964 to 1977. Across the two clubs he made 364 league appearances and scored 25 goals, playing as a central defender. He won Bulgarian Footballer of the Year in 1967 and 1971.1
Penev represented Bulgaria from 1964 to 1977, earning 90 appearances and scoring twice. He took part in three FIFA World Cups: in 1966, 1970 and 1974. As a player, he won the Bulgarian league with CSKA seven times and the Bulgarian Cup five times. He also won the A Group title with Lokomotiv Sofia in 1963–64.1
Coaching career
Penev managed clubs in Bulgaria and abroad, including CSKA Sofia, Al-Yarmouk in Kuwait, Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia and Liaoning in China. He first coached the Bulgaria national team in 1989, then managed it from 1991 to 1996. Under his leadership, Bulgaria reached the semi-finals of the 1994 FIFA World Cup and finished fourth after losing the bronze medal match to Sweden.1
At CSKA Sofia, Penev gave opportunities to young players, including Hristo Stoichkov, Emil Kostadinov, Lyuboslav Penev, Martin Petrov, Stiliyan Petrov and Dimitar Berbatov. He was appointed Bulgaria manager again in July 2007. He later coached CSKA Sofia, which dismissed him in March 2009, and returned to the club for a further spell in 2011–12.1
Honours and later life
As a player, Penev won seven A Group titles with CSKA Sofia and five Bulgarian Cups. His first A Group title came with Lokomotiv Sofia in 1963–64. His main achievement as a manager with Bulgaria was the team’s fourth-place finish at the 1994 World Cup. He was an Honorary President of CSKA Sofia and semi-professional side Nottingham United FC.1
Penev was the uncle of former Bulgarian international and national team coach Lyuboslav Penev. He died on 3 January 2026, aged 80. Two days later, thousands of people, including former Bulgarian presidents Petar Stoyanov and Georgi Parvanov, gathered at Vasil Levski National Stadium to pay their respects.1
Sources
Facts checked 13 October 2026. Prepared by InvestBulgaria for general information.
