Aleksandar Shalamanov

Aleksandar Shalamanov
Shalamanov at the 1970 FIFA World Cup
Personal information
Full name Aleksandar Stefanov Shalamanov
Date of birth (1941-09-04)4 September 1941
Place of birth Boyana, Bulgaria
Date of death 25 October 2021(2021-10-25) (aged 80)
Place of death Boyana, Bulgaria
Position(s) Defender
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1960–1961 CSKA Sofia 2 (0)
1962–1974 Slavia Sofia 263 (10)
Total 265 (10)
International career
1964–1971 Bulgaria 42 (1)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Aleksandar Stefanov Shalamanov (Bulgarian: Александър Cтефанов Шаламанов; 4 September 1941 – 25 October 2021) was a football player and professional alpine skier and is known as the only Bulgarian who has participated in the Winter Olympics (as an alpine skier in 1960)[1] and in the FIFA World Cup. The 1964 Summer Olympics saw him as a reserve player of the volleyball team, but he did not play in a match.

Shalamanov began his career as a defender with CSKA Sofia in 1960–61, but moved to Slavia Sofia in 1961 to remain there until 1974, when he retired after 263 matches in the Bulgarian Championship, three Bulgarian Cup trophies (1963, 1964 and 1966) and a Cup Winners' Cup semi-final in 1967.Shalamanov has twice been selected Best Bulgarian Footballer, in 1963 and 1966, and twice Best Bulgarian Sportsman, in 1967 and 1973. He has 42 caps for the Bulgaria national team, with which he participated in the 1966 and 1970 World Cups.

On 26 October 2021, a day after his death, the team announced that the Slavia Sofia's stadium would be renamed in his honor to Aleksandar Shalamanov Stadium.[2]

  1. ^ "Aleksandar Shalamanov Bio, Stats, and Results | Olympics at Sports-Reference.com". 18 April 2020. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020.
  2. ^ "Славия кръщава стадиона си на Александър Шаламанов | Професионален Футболен Клуб СЛАВИЯ". www.pfcslavia.com.