Aleksandar Tunchev
Encyclopedia
Aleksandar Blagov Tunchev (born 10 July 1981) is a Bulgaria
n footballer who plays for Leicester City
as a defender
.
with local team Hebar. After that he played for Belasitsa Petrich, later joining Lokomotiv Plovdiv in June, 2002. With Lokomotiv they became Champions of Bulgaria in 2004 and also won the Bulgarian Super Cup that same year. In 2006, he signed for CSKA Sofia. In 2007 he was appointed captain after Valentin Iliev
was stripped of the CSKA captaincy. They were crowned champions in 2008, and also won the Bulgarian Cup
and Supercup
in 2006. In June 2008, CSKA was in a deep financial crisis and were forced to sell their key players, including Tunchev.
Tunchev joined Leicester City
on 5 July 2008 for a fee of £375,000, signing a three-year contract. He made his debut in a 2–0 home win over MK Dons on 9 August 2008, scoring his first league goal in a 2–2 home draw against Walsall
on 21 October. Tunchev was peerless as he guided the club's defence through the first half of the 2008–09 season, losing just two league games.
in his right knee during a 2–1 FA Cup
replay defeat to Crystal Palace
on 14 January 2009. It was Tunchev's "first big injury," his previous being a pulled hamstring. Nonetheless, he was awarded a medal after Leicester finished the season as League One champions, winning promotion to the Championship
.
On 20 July 2009, Tunchev was back in full training after recovering from injury. He played his first game a day later as a substitute in a pre-season friendly against Mansfield Town
. He made his first competitive appearance in a 2–1 League Cup
defeat to Preston North End on 25 August. However, he suffered an injury to his left knee in a 2–1 defeat to Preston on 26 September. Tunchev had managed two league games before undergoing another operation on his right knee on 30 September. Restricted to crutches ever since, he returned to the training ground in early October for his rehabilitation. It was thought that Tunchev could return to training in November. Then-manager Nigel Pearson
however, refused to rush him back into the first team, instead wanting him to be "absolutely spot on" before returning. Suffering several setbacks during rehabilitation, Tunchev flew to Barcelona
, Spain
in early February 2010 to see the specialist who originally treated his injury problem. He returned to England after undergoing the last of a series of injections to his knee in the hope of avoiding another operation. On 4 February 2010, Pearson said it was unlikely Tunchev would play again in the 2009–10 season. He was ruled out for six months after undergoing another knee operation on 2 March 2010.
in a behind-closed-doors friendly
on 24 February 2011 at Belvoir Drive. He played for 65 minutes before being substituted. He finally played his first competitive game since September 2009 in a 4-2 win over Watford
on 25 April 2011, albeit as a substitute during stoppage time. On 7 May 2011, Tunchev came on as a 30th minute substitute in a 4-2 win over Ipswich Town
, the final game of the 2010-11 season
as Leicester finished in 10th place. By this time, he had played only five games in two seasons as a result of his two knee injuries.
, on 5 August 2011 Tunchev signed a one year contract extension which was set to expire in 2012 and was sent on a month's loan to Crystal Palace
.
. He made his debut in a 3–1 win over Turkey
on 18 August 2005, playing for six minutes. The defender has been a regular for the Bulgarian team since making his official debut against Romania
in a UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying match. On 11 October 2006, Tunchev scored his first international goal in a 1–0 away win over Luxembourg
during a UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying match.
Kingdom of Bulgaria Lokomotiv Plovdiv
Kingdom of Bulgaria CSKA Sofia
Kingdom of England Leicester City
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
n footballer who plays for Leicester City
Leicester City F.C.
Leicester City Football Club , also known as The Foxes, is an English professional football club based at the King Power Stadium in Leicester...
as a defender
Defender (association football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....
.
Bulgaria
Tunchev started his career in his hometown of PazardzhikPazardzhik
Pazardzhik is a city situated along the banks of the Maritsa river, Southern Bulgaria. It is the capital of Pazardzhik Province and centre for the homonymous Pazardzhik Municipality...
with local team Hebar. After that he played for Belasitsa Petrich, later joining Lokomotiv Plovdiv in June, 2002. With Lokomotiv they became Champions of Bulgaria in 2004 and also won the Bulgarian Super Cup that same year. In 2006, he signed for CSKA Sofia. In 2007 he was appointed captain after Valentin Iliev
Valentin Iliev
Valentin Iliev is a Bulgarian footballer currently playing for the Romanian team Steaua Bucureşti in Liga I.-Background:Iliev's father, Iliya Valov, was goalkeeper for CSKA and Bulgaria's national team...
was stripped of the CSKA captaincy. They were crowned champions in 2008, and also won the Bulgarian Cup
Bulgarian Cup
The Bulgarian Cup is a Bulgarian annual football competition. It is the country's main cup competition and all officially registered Bulgarian football teams take part in it. It is sponsored by the Bulgarian Corporate Commercial Bank....
and Supercup
Bulgarian Supercup
The Bulgarian Supercup is an annually held football match between the football club that has won the Bulgarian A Professional Football Group and the club that has won the Bulgarian Cup...
in 2006. In June 2008, CSKA was in a deep financial crisis and were forced to sell their key players, including Tunchev.
2008–09 season
Leicester City F.C.
Leicester City Football Club , also known as The Foxes, is an English professional football club based at the King Power Stadium in Leicester...
on 5 July 2008 for a fee of £375,000, signing a three-year contract. He made his debut in a 2–0 home win over MK Dons on 9 August 2008, scoring his first league goal in a 2–2 home draw against Walsall
Walsall F.C.
Walsall Football Club are an English association football club based in Walsall, West Midlands. They currently play in League One. The club was founded in 1888 as Walsall Town Swifts, an amalgamation of Walsall Town F.C. and Walsall Swifts F.C. The club was one of the founder members of the Second...
on 21 October. Tunchev was peerless as he guided the club's defence through the first half of the 2008–09 season, losing just two league games.
Knee injury
His season was cut short when he suffered a partial tear of his anterior cruciate ligamentAnterior cruciate ligament
The anterior cruciate ligament is a cruciate ligament which is one of the four major ligaments of the human knee. In the quadruped stifle , based on its anatomical position, it is referred to as the cranial cruciate ligament.The ACL originates from deep within the notch of the distal femur...
in his right knee during a 2–1 FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
replay defeat to Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace F.C.
Crystal Palace Football Club are an English Football league club based in South Norwood, London. The team plays its home matches at Selhurst Park, where they have been based since 1924. The club currently competes in the second tier of English Football, The Championship.Crystal Palace was formed in...
on 14 January 2009. It was Tunchev's "first big injury," his previous being a pulled hamstring. Nonetheless, he was awarded a medal after Leicester finished the season as League One champions, winning promotion to the Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
.
On 20 July 2009, Tunchev was back in full training after recovering from injury. He played his first game a day later as a substitute in a pre-season friendly against Mansfield Town
Mansfield Town F.C.
Mansfield Town Football Club is an English football club from the former mining town of Mansfield, Nottinghamshire. The club was formed in 1897 as Mansfield Wesleyans and changed its name to Mansfield Wesley in 1906 before settling on Mansfield Town in 1910...
. He made his first competitive appearance in a 2–1 League Cup
League Cup
In association football, a League Cup or Secondary Cup generally signifies a cup competition for which entry is restricted only to teams in a particular league. The first national association football tournament to be called "League Cup" was held in Scotland in 1946/47 and was entitled the Scottish...
defeat to Preston North End on 25 August. However, he suffered an injury to his left knee in a 2–1 defeat to Preston on 26 September. Tunchev had managed two league games before undergoing another operation on his right knee on 30 September. Restricted to crutches ever since, he returned to the training ground in early October for his rehabilitation. It was thought that Tunchev could return to training in November. Then-manager Nigel Pearson
Nigel Pearson
Nigel Graham Pearson is an English football manager and former professional player. He is currently in his second spell as manager of Leicester City, having previously managed Hull City, Southampton and Carlisle United, and been assistant manager for England Under-21s and Newcastle United...
however, refused to rush him back into the first team, instead wanting him to be "absolutely spot on" before returning. Suffering several setbacks during rehabilitation, Tunchev flew to Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
in early February 2010 to see the specialist who originally treated his injury problem. He returned to England after undergoing the last of a series of injections to his knee in the hope of avoiding another operation. On 4 February 2010, Pearson said it was unlikely Tunchev would play again in the 2009–10 season. He was ruled out for six months after undergoing another knee operation on 2 March 2010.
Return to fitness
Tunchev made his return against San Jose EarthquakesSan Jose Earthquakes
The San Jose Earthquakes professional soccer team is located in the San Jose, California, United States suburb of Santa Clara, and participates in Major League Soccer , the top level soccer league in the United States and Canada....
in a behind-closed-doors friendly
Behind closed doors (football)
The term "Behind Closed Doors" is used in several sports, primarily association football, to describe matches played where spectators are not allowed in the stadium to watch...
on 24 February 2011 at Belvoir Drive. He played for 65 minutes before being substituted. He finally played his first competitive game since September 2009 in a 4-2 win over Watford
Watford F.C.
Watford Football Club is an English professional football club based in Watford, Hertfordshire. It is often referred to as Watford F.C., Watford, or by the team's nickname The Hornets . Watford Rovers, Founded in 1881, entered the FA Cup for the first time in 1886, and the Southern League a decade...
on 25 April 2011, albeit as a substitute during stoppage time. On 7 May 2011, Tunchev came on as a 30th minute substitute in a 4-2 win over Ipswich Town
Ipswich Town F.C.
Ipswich Town Football Club are an English professional football team based in Ipswich, Suffolk. As of 2011, they play in the Football League Championship, having last appeared in the Premier League in 2001–02....
, the final game of the 2010-11 season
2010–11 in English football
The 2010–11 season was the 131st season of competitive football in England.The season began on 6 August 2010 for the Football Leagues, with the Premier League and Football Conference both starting eight days later on 14 August 2010. The Championship, League One, and League Two ended on 7 May...
as Leicester finished in 10th place. By this time, he had played only five games in two seasons as a result of his two knee injuries.
Loan to Crystal Palace
After a successful pre-season with Leicester CityLeicester City F.C.
Leicester City Football Club , also known as The Foxes, is an English professional football club based at the King Power Stadium in Leicester...
, on 5 August 2011 Tunchev signed a one year contract extension which was set to expire in 2012 and was sent on a month's loan to Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace F.C.
Crystal Palace Football Club are an English Football league club based in South Norwood, London. The team plays its home matches at Selhurst Park, where they have been based since 1924. The club currently competes in the second tier of English Football, The Championship.Crystal Palace was formed in...
.
International
Tunchev currently plays for BulgariaBulgaria national football team
The FIFA Bulgaria national football team is an association football team fielded by the Bulgarian Football Union, a member association of UEFA. The team's home ground is Vasil Levski in Sofia and Luboslav Penev is in charge manager after replacement of Lothar Matthäus...
. He made his debut in a 3–1 win over Turkey
Turkey national football team
The Turkey national football team represents Turkey in association football and is controlled by the Turkish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Turkey. They are affiliated with UEFA...
on 18 August 2005, playing for six minutes. The defender has been a regular for the Bulgarian team since making his official debut against Romania
Romania national football team
The Romania national football team is the national football team of Romania and is controlled by the Romanian Football Federation.Romania is one of only four national teams, the other three being Brazil, France, and Belgium, that took part in the first three World Cups.However, after that...
in a UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying match. On 11 October 2006, Tunchev scored his first international goal in a 1–0 away win over Luxembourg
Luxembourg national football team
The Luxembourg national football team is the national football team of Luxembourg, and is controlled by the Luxembourg Football Federation. The team play most of their home matches at the Stade Josy Barthel, in Luxembourg.- History :...
during a UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying match.
International goals
- As of 4 September 2009.
# Date Location Opponent Score Result Competition 1 11 October 2006 Luxembourg City Luxembourg (city)The city of Luxembourg , also known as Luxembourg City , is a commune with city status, and the capital of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. It is located at the confluence of the Alzette and Pétrusse Rivers in southern Luxembourg...
, LuxembourgLuxembourgLuxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
1–0 Win UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying 2008 UEFA European Football ChampionshipThe 2008 UEFA European Football Championship, commonly referred to as Euro 2008, was the 13th UEFA European Football Championship, a quadrennial football tournament contested by European nations. It took place in Austria and Switzerland from 7 to 29 June 2008...
Honours
Kingdom of Bulgaria Lokomotiv PlovdivPFC Lokomotiv Plovdiv
PFC Lokomotiv Plovdiv is a Bulgarian football club from the city of Plovdiv, which competes in Bulgaria's top football league, the A PFG. The club was founded on July 25, 1926 when two of the oldest Plovdiv clubs - Atletic and Karadzha united into a new club named Sports Club Plovdiv...
- Champion of Bulgaria: 2004
- Bulgarian SupercupBulgarian SupercupThe Bulgarian Supercup is an annually held football match between the football club that has won the Bulgarian A Professional Football Group and the club that has won the Bulgarian Cup...
: 20042004 Bulgarian SupercupThe 2004 Bulgarian Supercup was the 2nd Bulgarian Supercup match, a football match which was contested between the 2003-04 A PFG champion, Lokomotiv Plovdiv, and the winner of the 2004 Bulgarian Cup Final, Litex Lovech. The match was held on 31 July 2004 at the Lazur Stadium in Burgas, Bulgaria...
Kingdom of Bulgaria CSKA SofiaPFC CSKA Sofia
PFC CSKA Sofia , commonly known as CSKA or CSKA Sofia is a professional football club based in Sofia, Bulgaria. The club was officially founded on May 5, 1948. CSKA's abbreviation stands for Central Sports Club of the Army...
- Champion of Bulgaria: 2008
- Bulgarian CupBulgarian CupThe Bulgarian Cup is a Bulgarian annual football competition. It is the country's main cup competition and all officially registered Bulgarian football teams take part in it. It is sponsored by the Bulgarian Corporate Commercial Bank....
: 2006 - Bulgarian SupercupBulgarian SupercupThe Bulgarian Supercup is an annually held football match between the football club that has won the Bulgarian A Professional Football Group and the club that has won the Bulgarian Cup...
: 20062006 Bulgarian SupercupThe 2006 Bulgarian Supercup was the 4th Bulgarian Supercup match, a football match which was contested between the "A" professional football group champion, Levski Sofia, and the winner of Bulgarian Cup, CSKA Sofia. The match was held on 30 July 2006 at the Vasil Levski National Stadium in Sofia,...
Kingdom of England Leicester CityLeicester City F.C.
Leicester City Football Club , also known as The Foxes, is an English professional football club based at the King Power Stadium in Leicester...
- League OneFootball League OneFootball League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....
: 2008–09