Martin Minchev

Martin Yankov Minchev (Bulgarian: Мартин Янков Минчев; born 22 April 2001) is a Bulgarian professional footballer who plays as a winger or forward for Czech First League club Sparta Prague and the Bulgarian national team.

In this Bulgarian name, the patronymic is Yankov and the family name is Minchev.

Martin Minchev
Minchev in 2019
Personal information
Full name Martin Yankov Minchev
Date of birth (2001-04-22) 22 April 2001
Place of birth Varna, Bulgaria
Height 1.84 m (6 ft 0 in)[1]
Position(s) Winger, forward
Team information
Current team
 Sparta Prague
Number 11
Youth career
2008–2018 Cherno More
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2017–2020 Cherno More 78 (10)
2020– Sparta Prague B 10 (7)
2020– Sparta Prague 63 (9)
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 11 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 20:26, 7 May 2023 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 23:32, 23 September 2022 (UTC)

Career

Cherno More

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

On 26 June 2020, Minchev moved abroad, signing a four-year contract with Sparta Prague.[7]

International career

Youth teams

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.[8]

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.[9]

Senior team

After a good run of form with Cherno More, on 11 March 2019 Minchev was called up by manager Petar Hubchev to the senior Bulgarian squad for the UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying matches against Montenegro and Kosovo.[10] 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.[11] Minutes later he had a great opportunity to score a winning goal, but the ball ran inches wide.[12]

Career statistics

Club
As of 5 April 2023
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club League Season League Cup Continental Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Cherno More First League 2016–17 4000—40
2017–18 22250—272
2018–19 27231—303
2019–20 25621—277
Total 7810102008812
Sparta Prague B ČFL 2020–21 11——11
FNL 2021–22 55——55
2022–23 41——41
Total 1070000107
Sparta Prague Fortuna liga 2020–21 1403040210
2021–22 2445170365
2022–23 2143220266
Total 5981131308311
Career total 1472521513018130

International
As of match played 23 September 2022
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National teamYearAppsGoals
Bulgaria 201930
202010
202100
202270
Total110

References
  1. "Профил на Мартин Янков Минчев" (in Bulgarian). fpleague.bg. Retrieved 15 June 2018.
  2. "Мартин Минчев стъпил на "Тича" с фланелка на Юнайтед с №7 и Роналдо на гърба" (in Bulgarian). petel.bg. 23 April 2018.
  3. "Cherno More vs. Lokomotiv Plovdiv". soccerway.com. 23 April 2017.
  4. "16-годишен дебютира за Черно море ден след рождения си ден" (in Bulgarian). varnautre.bg. 23 April 2017.
  5. "Нападател на Черно море впечатли Торино" (in Bulgarian). sportal.bg. 12 June 2017.
  6. "Мартин Минчев – за него ще се говори още дълго време" (in Bulgarian). temasport.com. 1 April 2018.
  7. "Spartu posiluje Martin Minčev" [Sparta signs Martin Minchev] (in Czech). Sparta Prague. 26 June 2020.
  8. "България U17 загуби от Турция U17 в контрола" (in Bulgarian). Bulgarian Football Union. 19 September 2017.
  9. "Мартин Минчев най-добър на турнира в Чехия" (in Bulgarian). viasport.bg. 26 August 2018.
  10. "The Bulgarian squad for the games against Montenegro and Kosovo has been announced". bfunion.bg. 11 March 2019.
  11. "European Qualifier: Bulgaria 1–1 Montenegro". uefa.com. 22 March 2019.
  12. Мартин Минчев: Само шанс не ми достигна да вкарам
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