Bulgarian football mourns Dimitar Penev
Monday, January 5, 2026
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Dimitar Penev, who excelled as both a player and coach with PFC CSKA Sofia and guided Bulgaria to the 1994 FIFA World Cup semi-finals, has died aged 80.
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A stylish yet physical centre-back, Penev came through the academy at Lokomotiv Sofia, where he won a Bulgarian league title in 1964, before moving to PFC CSKA Sofia. With CSKA he won seven league titles and five Bulgarian Cups, and reached the semi-finals of the 1966/67 European Champion Clubs' Cup, losing to Inter Milan in a replay after two draws.
Penev was capped 90 times for Bulgaria between 1964 and 1977, scoring two goals and appearing in three consecutive FIFA World Cup finals. He was voted Bulgarian Player of the Year in 1967 and 1971.
Having made 364 league appearances and never been sent off, Penev retired in 1977 aged 32. He was appointed coach of CSKA in 1985, leading them to three league titles and four domestic cups, and guiding a team featuring Hristo Stoichkov to the last four of the 1989 European Cup Winners' Cup, where they lost to eventual champions Barcelona.
Penev’s most famous achievement as a coach came in 1994, when his Bulgaria side stunned the world by reaching the FIFA World Cup semi-finals in the USA, defeating Argentina and Germany on the way. Penev also led Bulgaria to qualification for UEFA EURO '96, and received the greatest recognition of his career when voted Bulgaria’s coach of the 20th century.
Bulgaria Football Union president Georgi Ivanov paid tribute to Penev: “A genuine legend has left us. Dimitar Penev was a man loved by everyone not only because of his success as a player and as a coach but also because he was an extraordinary personality and human being. Until his last day he worked for the good of Bulgarian football. His legacy will be unmatched. We will forever be thankful because he put Bulgaria among the best teams on the planet.”
Bulgarian legend Hristo Stoichkov, who starred in Penev’s CSKA and Bulgaria sides, added: “His smile was unforgettable. He was always smiling. Dimitar Penev was a coach, a father and a friend. I had the luck to work under him for many years and will forever be thankful to him.”