Dimitar Berbatov
Encyclopedia
Dimitar Ivanov Berbatov (born 30 January 1981) is a Bulgarian footballer who plays as a forward for Manchester United
. He captain
ed the Bulgarian national team
from 2006 to 2010, and is its all-time leading goalscorer and has also won the Bulgarian Footballer of the Year
a record seven times, surpassing the number of wins by Hristo Stoichkov
.
Born in Blagoevgrad
, Berbatov started out with home-town club Pirin
before joining CSKA Sofia
as a 17-year-old in 1998. He was signed by Bayer Leverkusen of Germany in January 2001 and played in his first Champions League
final 18 months later, coming on as a substitute in the 2002 UEFA Champions League Final
, which Leverkusen lost 2–1 to Real Madrid
. After five-and-a-half years with Leverkusen, he joined English club Tottenham Hotspur
in July 2006, where he spent two years before moving to Manchester United. He played in his second Champions League final in 2009
, during his side's 2–0 defeat against FC Barcelona
. Berbatov is the first non-Englishman
in Premier League history to have scored five goals in a single match, having done so in Manchester United's 7–1 win over Blackburn Rovers
in November 2010.
and CSKA Sofia
, while Margarita was a handball
player. His favoured team was the Italian club Milan
, and he consequently modelled himself on Marco van Basten, the Dutch forward for that team. However, the 1996 European Championship, held in England, gave Berbatov a new role model; the 15-year-old Berbatov began to look up to the English front man Alan Shearer
, who played for Newcastle United
. Berbatov's mother later spoke of her son's teenage dream of playing for Newcastle United, and said that his admiration for Shearer was such that, during these years, he slept in a Newcastle shirt.
Berbatov began his youth career with his home-town club, Pirin
, where his talent was spotted and he scored 77 goals for their reserve team
in 92 appearances. He made nine appearances and scored two goals in their first team.
, after being spotted by scout and manager Dimitar Penev
in 1998. He made his début during the 1998–99 season, at the age of 18, and won the Bulgarian Cup
with CSKA at the end of that season. Berbatov's first game in Europe came in September 1999, in a 2–0 defeat against his childhood team Newcastle United; it was during that season, 1999–2000, that he started to make his name, scoring 14 goals in 27 league
matches.
At the age of 18, Berbatov was kidnapped following a training session by Bulgarian gangster Georgi Iliev
, who unsuccessfully attempted to convince the young forward to sign for his own club, Lokomotiv Plovdiv
. Berbatov nearly signed for Italian Serie A
side Lecce
in June 2000, even passing a medical before the move collapsed at the last minute.
1.3 million to sign a four-year contract with Berbatov on 1 January 2001. Berbatov played for the club's reserve team in the Oberliga Nordrhein
at first, and scored six goals in seven appearances before being promoted to the first team. He made his team début in a 4–3 pre-season friendly win against D.C. United
, scoring a hat-trick. His league début for the first team came on 10 February 2001, replacing Ulf Kirsten in a 4–1 victory against 1. FC Köln
. Berbatov found himself being used as a substitute by manager Berti Vogts
, making six appearances and scoring no goals as Leverkusen finished fourth and qualified for the following season's UEFA Champions League.
During the next season, Berbatov scored 16 goals and made important contributions to the club's Champions League campaign, scoring in a 4–2 win over English club Liverpool
in the quarter-finals as Leverkusen eventually reached the final. In the final
itself, against Real Madrid
, Berbatov came on as a substitute for Thomas Brdarić after 38 minutes before Leverkusen lost 2–1. Leverkusen also finished as runners-up in the Fußball-Bundesliga
behind Borussia Dortmund
, and lost the DFB–Pokal final 4–2 to Schalke 04
, thus completing an unusual treble of runners-up finishes. Berbatov established his place as the first-choice forward during the next season, 2002–03, and netted his team's goal against Manchester United
on 24 September 2002, during a 2–1 defeat for Leverkusen. He scored 16 goals in 24 league appearances during the 2003–04 season, before the following two seasons saw the Bulgarian raise awareness of his talent by netting 46 goals in the league over the two seasons and five times in the 2004–05 Champions League. During this time, he was linked with numerous foreign clubs, including Celtic
, Atlético Madrid and Liverpool.
reached an agreement with Bayer Leverkusen for Berbatov's transfer in May 2006; the fee of €16 million (£
10.9 million) made him the most expensive Bulgarian footballer ever. After he was granted a British work permit, the transfer was completed on 1 July 2006. After Tottenham lost 2–0 to Bolton Wanderers
in Berbatov's first league match in England on 19 August 2006, he scored his first goal for Spurs three days later in a 2–0 home victory against Sheffield United
.
Berbatov's seven goals in eight European games during his début season for Tottenham helped the club to secure top spot during the UEFA Cup's group stage, making his second European debut in October 2006, scoring a goal during a 2–0 victory against Beşiktaş
. He made a total of eight matches, scoring seven goals as Tottenham were eliminated 3–4 on aggregate against Sevilla
. However, he took a while to adapt to the Premier League, taking a few months to regain the league form he had shown at Leverkusen. He gave a strong performance against Wigan Athletic
in November 2006, scoring one and creating the other two in a 3–1 win for Spurs, and began to score regularly. He scored his first FA Cup
goals on 18 February 2007 when he came on as a second-half substitute in a 4–0 win over Fulham
and netted two of the four goals. Berbatov and Spurs team-mate Robbie Keane were named joint winners of the Premier League Player of the Month
award for April 2007, and in doing so became the first players to share the award since February 2004. He ended the 2006–07 season with 12 goals in 33 appearances in the Premier League, and won both the Tottenham Hotspur Player of the Season award and a place in the PFA Premier League Team of the Year.
Berbatov scored his first Premier League hat-trick
on 29 December 2007, scoring four in a 6–4 win over Reading
. His first cup final for Tottenham came on 24 February 2008 in the Football League Cup
; Spurs faced Chelsea
at Wembley Stadium
. Berbatov scored an equalising penalty as Tottenham went on to win the game 2–1 after extra time. He ended the season with 15 league goals. Before the next season, 2008–09, Manchester United
manager Alex Ferguson
was quoted by newspapers as saying he expected to sign Berbatov; Tottenham submitted a complaint to the Premier League alleging that Manchester United had broken league rules. Ongoing rumours of a substantial bid by Ferguson's club unsettled him, and Berbatov was dropped for the games against Sunderland
and Chelsea during August, the season's first month.
, but Berbatov claimed after signing for United that he "would not even have thought about Manchester City". Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger
, meanwhile, accused Tottenham of having used the complaint to the Premier League to negotiate a higher price for Berbatov from Manchester United.
Berbatov marked his Manchester United début at the age of 26, with an assist to a Carlos Tévez
goal away at Liverpool, but United lost the game 2–1. His first two goals for the club came in the 3–0 win away to Aalborg BK
in the Champions League group stage
on 30 September 2008. He netted his first league goals in Manchester United colours during a 4–0 victory over West Bromwich Albion
. Alex Ferguson defended Berbatov after he was criticised for missing a penalty during the 2008–09 FA Cup semi-final against Everton
, which Manchester United eventually lost by a penalty shoot-out. Soon after, Berbatov scored the fifth of United's goals as they came back from 2–0 down at half-time to win 5–2 against his former team, Tottenham Hotspur. When Manchester United won the Premier League on 16 May 2009, Berbatov became the first Bulgarian to win an English league title. After Berbatov struggled to make an impact during the 2009–10 season, Berbatov was linked with away from Old Trafford
, but this was denied by Ferguson.
Berbatov scored United's third goal in the 92nd minute of their 3–1 win over Chelsea
in the 2010 Community Shield
on 8 August. Eight days later, Berbatov scored his and United's first league goal of the season, opening the scoring in their 3–0 home victory over Newcastle United
in the club's first match of the campaign. He scored his first hat-trick for United on 19 September, scoring all three of his team's goals in a 3–2 home win over rivals Liverpool
; the second goal, an overhead kick, became a contender for the league's Goal of the Season
. It was the first treble by a Manchester United player against Liverpool in 64 years. He made his 100th appearance for United on 10 November in a 0–0 away league draw in the Manchester derby
on 11 November 2010. Sixteen days later, Berbatov tied a league record by scoring five goals in a game during a 7–1 home victory over Blackburn Rovers
; he was the first non-Englishman to net five in a Premier League match, and joined Andrew Cole, Alan Shearer
and Jermain Defoe
as the only players overall to do so. He was named Bulgarian Footballer of the Year
for a record seventh time on 20 December.
Berbatov netted his first goals of the 2011 calendar year with his third hat-trick of the season in a 5–0 home win over Birmingham City on 22 January. This made him the first United player since Ruud van Nistelrooy
(in 2002–03) to score three hat-tricks in the same season. In January 2011, Berbatov was named by the International Federation of Football History & Statistics
as Europe's most popular footballer among active players for 2010. After being dropped to the bench for games against Arsenal and Marseille, Berbatov returned as a second half substitute for Javier Hernandez against Bolton Wanderers on 19 March and scored the winner in the 88th minute (his 20th goal of the season), giving United a 1–0 victory. He scored his 21st in a following Premier League start against Fulham where United won 2–0. As top scorer of Premier League, Berbatov was a member of the PFA Team of the Year for the 2010–11 season alongside Carlos Tévez
. Berbatov also shared the Premier League Golden Boot
award with his former Manchester United teammate. On 28 May 2011, he was left out of the Manchester United squad for the Champions League Final
, in which United lost 3–1 to Barcelona
.
Berbatov played his first game of the season in an away match against West Brom, as a substitute replacing Danny Welbeck, a game which United won 2–1. Berbatov appear from the substitutes bench against Chelsea replacing the injured Javier Hernandez. United won the game 3–1. Berbatov made his first start of the season in the following game, a Carling Cup third round clash with rivals Leeds United. He played the full game and was required to play at centre back for the last 10 minutes, when youngster Ezekiel Fryers
picked up an injury and United had already used all three permitted substitutes. Berbatov struggled for chances on the night, but United did win the game 3–0. On 25th October 2011, Berbatov scored the first goal, after a neat passing build up and also created a goal for Michael Owen in a 3-0 win against Aldershot Town in the 4th round of the Carling Cup. On 22nd November, Berbatov ended his long run without a goal in the UEFA Champions League
by scoring the equaliser in a home match against S.L. Benfica. The match ended in a 2-2 draw.
on 17 November 1999, aged 18, when he came on as a substitute for Aleksandar Aleksandrov
in a 1–0 friendly
loss against Greece
. He scored his first goal for his country on 12 February 2000 in another friendly defeat, 3–2 against Chile
, and represented Bulgaria at Euro 2004. This was the only major tournament he played at for his country, owing to the team's failure to qualify for other tournaments. He scored a hat-trick in the 6–2 home win in a 2010 World Cup qualification
match against Georgia
in October 2009, enabling him to bring his goal tally for the national side to 46 goals, just one short of the then all-time top scorer for Bulgaria
, Hristo Bonev
; after scoring two goals against Malta
during a 4–1 friendly away win during the following month, he took the record. Berbatov captained the team from 2006 until May 2010, when he announced his retirement from international football, leaving his tally for Bulgaria standing at 48 goals from 77 matches.
s Tom Lappin as "elegant and calm". He also possesses exceptional precision when passing and shooting, and takes his time when on attack in order to ensure the best move possible. As such, he is often used as a deep-lying centre forward, receiving passes from the midfield, holding the ball up and then using his tactical acumen and well-honed skill to bring his team-mates into the game. His impressive physical stature combines with these attributes to form a strong all-round attacking player.
It is because of these characteristics that was signed by Manchester United, who intended for Berbatov to complement the combative and busy style of their English striker Wayne Rooney
. Whereas Rooney is known for exerting himself vigorously for the entirety of a match, Berbatov employs a more laid-back and composed style, and because of this is sometimes criticised by observers who interpret this as laziness. On signing for Manchester United, Berbatov attracted comparisons with former United forward Eric Cantona
, not only because of his languid and impeccable touch, but also because of his bravado and perceived arrogance. Berbatov is, however, capable of adapting his style to play more directly when required; in April 2010, for example, with Rooney absent, Berbatov gave a performance against his former side Tottenham which, in James Ducker's words, was as if he had "decided to take it upon himself to impersonate the England striker". Combining uncharacteristic determination and effort with his regular technical skill, he contributed to the first Manchester United goal and helped United to a 3–1 victory.
|1999||1||0
|-
|2000||3||2
|-
|2001||8||4
|-
|2002||5||2
|-
|2003||8||7
|-
|2004||13||10
|-
|2005||10||7
|-
|2006||6||0
|-
|2007||9||8
|-
|2008||7||2
|-
|2009||8||7
|-
|2010||1||0
|-
!Total||77||49
|}
Tottenham Hotspur
Manchester United
(*Jointly shared with Robbie Keane
)
(**Jointly shared with Carlos Tévez
)
by watching the American Godfather series of films; outside of football, he lists his hobbies as drawing
and basketball
. Berbatov is a sponsor of children's charities in his native Bulgaria, supporting five care homes. He is also the founder of the Dimitar Berbatov Foundation, which helps young people to develop their talents. Berbatov's longtime girlfriend, Elena, gave birth to their first child, a girl named Dea, on 15 October 2009 at a hospital in Sofia
.
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
. He captain
Captain (sports)
In team sports, a captain is a title given to a member of the team. The title is frequently honorary, but in some cases the captain may have significant responsibility for strategy and teamwork while the game is in progress on the field...
ed the Bulgarian national team
Bulgaria 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...
from 2006 to 2010, and is its all-time leading goalscorer and has also won the Bulgarian Footballer of the Year
Bulgarian Footballer of the Year
Bulgarian Footballer of the Year is an annual title awarded to the best Bulgarian football player of the year. The award has been given since 1961, and the winner is elected by authorized journalists from the leading Bulgarian media....
a record seven times, surpassing the number of wins by Hristo Stoichkov
Hristo Stoichkov
Hristo Stoichkov Stoichkov , sometimes Stoitchkov; born 8 February 1966 in Plovdiv) is a retired Bulgarian footballer. He is regarded as one of the best footballers of his generation and the greatest Bulgarian footballer of all time. Nicknamed The Dagger , The Dog , The Modern Left...
.
Born in Blagoevgrad
Blagoevgrad
Blagoevgrad is а city in southwestern Bulgaria, the administrative centre of Blagoevgrad Province, with a population of about 74,302 . It lies on the banks of the Blagoevgradska Bistritsa River....
, Berbatov started out with home-town club Pirin
FC Pirin Blagoevgrad
FC Pirin Blagoevgrad is a Bulgarian football club from the town of Blagoevgrad, which currently competes in the Bulgarian fourth division.The club was founded in 2008, after the union of the two clubs from Blagoevgrad - Pirin and PFC Pirin Blagoevgrad...
before joining CSKA Sofia
PFC 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...
as a 17-year-old in 1998. He was signed by Bayer Leverkusen of Germany in January 2001 and played in his first Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
final 18 months later, coming on as a substitute in the 2002 UEFA Champions League Final
2002 UEFA Champions League Final
The 2002 UEFA Champions League Final was the final match of the 2001–02 UEFA Champions League, Europe's primary club football competition. The show-piece event was contested between Bayer Leverkusen of Germany and Real Madrid of Spain at the Hampden Park in Glasgow, on Wednesday, 15 May 2002, to...
, which Leverkusen lost 2–1 to Real Madrid
Real Madrid C.F.
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
. After five-and-a-half years with Leverkusen, he joined English club Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
in July 2006, where he spent two years before moving to Manchester United. He played in his second Champions League final in 2009
2009 UEFA Champions League Final
The 2009 UEFA Champions League Final was played on 27 May 2009 at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, Italy. The match determined the winners of the 2008–09 season of the UEFA Champions League, a tournament for the top football clubs in Europe. The match was won by Barcelona of Spain, who beat England's...
, during his side's 2–0 defeat against FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
. Berbatov is the first non-Englishman
Englishman
Englishman may refer to:*English people*Grey Partridge*Jason Englishman, Canadian rock music singer and guitarist*Jenny-Bea Englishman, real name of the Canadien singer Esthero*Erald Briscoe, reggae musician who records under the name Englishman...
in Premier League history to have scored five goals in a single match, having done so in Manchester United's 7–1 win over Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers F.C.
Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football....
in November 2010.
Early life
Berbatov was born to Ivan and Margarita Berbatov, both themselves professional athletes: Ivan was a footballer with PirinFC Pirin Blagoevgrad
FC Pirin Blagoevgrad is a Bulgarian football club from the town of Blagoevgrad, which currently competes in the Bulgarian fourth division.The club was founded in 2008, after the union of the two clubs from Blagoevgrad - Pirin and PFC Pirin Blagoevgrad...
and CSKA Sofia
PFC 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...
, while Margarita was a handball
Team handball
Handball is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each pass a ball to throw it into the goal of the other team...
player. His favoured team was the Italian club Milan
A.C. Milan
Associazione Calcio Milan, commonly referred to as A.C. Milan or simply Milan , is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Lombardy, that plays in the Serie A. Milan was founded in 1899 by English lace-maker Herbert Kilpin and businessman Alfred Edwards among others...
, and he consequently modelled himself on Marco van Basten, the Dutch forward for that team. However, the 1996 European Championship, held in England, gave Berbatov a new role model; the 15-year-old Berbatov began to look up to the English front man Alan Shearer
Alan Shearer
Alan Shearer OBE, DL is a retired English footballer. He played as a striker in the top level of English league football for Southampton, Blackburn Rovers, Newcastle United and for the England national team...
, who played for Newcastle United
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
. Berbatov's mother later spoke of her son's teenage dream of playing for Newcastle United, and said that his admiration for Shearer was such that, during these years, he slept in a Newcastle shirt.
Pirin Blagoevgrad
FC Pirin Blagoevgrad
FC Pirin Blagoevgrad is a Bulgarian football club from the town of Blagoevgrad, which currently competes in the Bulgarian fourth division.The club was founded in 2008, after the union of the two clubs from Blagoevgrad - Pirin and PFC Pirin Blagoevgrad...
, where his talent was spotted and he scored 77 goals for their reserve team
Reserve team
Large professional sports clubs often have far more players under contract than could possibly play in a match. As a result, many of these clubs create second teams composed of players who need playing time, but have little hope of playing on the first team. The players on this second team are...
in 92 appearances. He made nine appearances and scored two goals in their first team.
CSKA Sofia
Berbatov joined his father's former club, 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...
, after being spotted by scout and manager Dimitar Penev
Dimitar Penev
Dimitar Penev is a Bulgarian football coach and former player and central defender of CSKA Sofia. He played 90 games for Bulgaria national football team and scored 2 goals. He is regarded as one of his country's best ever defenders, winning Bulgarian footballer of the year in 1967 and 1971, he...
in 1998. He made his début during the 1998–99 season, at the age of 18, and 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....
with CSKA at the end of that season. Berbatov's first game in Europe came in September 1999, in a 2–0 defeat against his childhood team Newcastle United; it was during that season, 1999–2000, that he started to make his name, scoring 14 goals in 27 league
Bulgarian A Professional Football Group
The Bulgarian A Professional Football Group commonly known as A PFG is the top division of the Bulgarian football league system. The league is sponsored by Victoria FATA Insurance and therefore is officially known as Victoria A Football Group since 2011...
matches.
At the age of 18, Berbatov was kidnapped following a training session by Bulgarian gangster Georgi Iliev
Georgi Iliev
Georgi Andreev Iliev was a Bulgarian businessman, best known for his ownership of a top Bulgarian football team, Lokomotiv Plovdiv....
, who unsuccessfully attempted to convince the young forward to sign for his own club, Lokomotiv Plovdiv
PFC 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...
. Berbatov nearly signed for Italian Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
side Lecce
U.S. Lecce
Unione Sportiva Lecce or simply U.S. Lecce is an Italian football club based in Lecce, Apulia who play in the Italian Serie A. After being crowned Serie B champions in 2009–10, the team successfully managed to avoid relegation in 2010-11....
in June 2000, even passing a medical before the move collapsed at the last minute.
Bayer Leverkusen
A run of nine goals in eleven games during the first half of the 2000–01 season was enough to persuade German club Bayer Leverkusen to pay €Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
1.3 million to sign a four-year contract with Berbatov on 1 January 2001. Berbatov played for the club's reserve team in the Oberliga Nordrhein
Oberliga Nordrhein
The Oberliga Nordrhein was the highest Football League in the region of Nordrhein which is part of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia from 1978 to 2008. In its last season, it was one of nine Oberligas in German Football, the 4th tier of the German football league system...
at first, and scored six goals in seven appearances before being promoted to the first team. He made his team début in a 4–3 pre-season friendly win against D.C. United
D.C. United
D.C. United is an American professional soccer club based in Washington, D.C. which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having competed in the league since its inception, in 1996.Over the...
, scoring a hat-trick. His league début for the first team came on 10 February 2001, replacing Ulf Kirsten in a 4–1 victory against 1. FC Köln
1. FC Köln
1. FC Köln is a German association football club based in Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia. It was formed in 1948 as a merger of the clubs Kölner Ballspiel-Club 1901 and SpVgg Sülz 07....
. Berbatov found himself being used as a substitute by manager Berti Vogts
Berti Vogts
Hans-Hubert "Berti" Vogts is a German former footballer. He played for Borussia Mönchengladbach and won the World Cup with West Germany in 1974. He later managed Germany , Scotland and Nigeria...
, making six appearances and scoring no goals as Leverkusen finished fourth and qualified for the following season's UEFA Champions League.
During the next season, Berbatov scored 16 goals and made important contributions to the club's Champions League campaign, scoring in a 4–2 win over English club Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
in the quarter-finals as Leverkusen eventually reached the final. In the final
2002 UEFA Champions League Final
The 2002 UEFA Champions League Final was the final match of the 2001–02 UEFA Champions League, Europe's primary club football competition. The show-piece event was contested between Bayer Leverkusen of Germany and Real Madrid of Spain at the Hampden Park in Glasgow, on Wednesday, 15 May 2002, to...
itself, against Real Madrid
Real Madrid C.F.
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
, Berbatov came on as a substitute for Thomas Brdarić after 38 minutes before Leverkusen lost 2–1. Leverkusen also finished as runners-up in the Fußball-Bundesliga
Fußball-Bundesliga
The Fußball-Bundesliga is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of Germany's football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 18 teams and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the 2. Bundesliga...
behind Borussia Dortmund
Borussia Dortmund
Ballspielverein Borussia Dortmund, commonly BVB, are a German sports club based in Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia. Dortmund are one of the most successful clubs in German football history. Borussia Dortmund play in the Bundesliga, the top league of German football...
, and lost the DFB–Pokal final 4–2 to Schalke 04
FC Schalke 04
Fußball-Club Gelsenkirchen-Schalke 04, commonly known as simply FC Schalke 04 or Schalke , is a German, association-football club originally from the Schalke district of Gelsenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia. Schalke has long been one of the most popular football teams in Germany, even though major...
, thus completing an unusual treble of runners-up finishes. Berbatov established his place as the first-choice forward during the next season, 2002–03, and netted his team's goal against Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
on 24 September 2002, during a 2–1 defeat for Leverkusen. He scored 16 goals in 24 league appearances during the 2003–04 season, before the following two seasons saw the Bulgarian raise awareness of his talent by netting 46 goals in the league over the two seasons and five times in the 2004–05 Champions League. During this time, he was linked with numerous foreign clubs, including Celtic
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
, Atlético Madrid and Liverpool.
Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham HotspurTottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
reached an agreement with Bayer Leverkusen for Berbatov's transfer in May 2006; the fee of €16 million (£
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
10.9 million) made him the most expensive Bulgarian footballer ever. After he was granted a British work permit, the transfer was completed on 1 July 2006. After Tottenham lost 2–0 to Bolton Wanderers
Bolton Wanderers F.C.
Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....
in Berbatov's first league match in England on 19 August 2006, he scored his first goal for Spurs three days later in a 2–0 home victory against Sheffield United
Sheffield United F.C.
Sheffield United Football Club is a professional English football club based in the city of Sheffield, South Yorkshire.They were the first sporting team to use the name 'United' and are nicknamed 'The Blades', thanks to Sheffield's worldwide reputation for steel production...
.
Berbatov's seven goals in eight European games during his début season for Tottenham helped the club to secure top spot during the UEFA Cup's group stage, making his second European debut in October 2006, scoring a goal during a 2–0 victory against Beşiktaş
Besiktas J.K.
Beşiktaş Jimnastik Kulübü , or simply Beşiktaş , is a Turkish sports club. The club's football team is one of the major teams in Turkey. The professional sports club, founded in 1903, is based in the Beşiktaş district in Istanbul, Turkey...
. He made a total of eight matches, scoring seven goals as Tottenham were eliminated 3–4 on aggregate against Sevilla
Sevilla FC
Sevilla Fútbol Club S.A.D. is a Spanish professional football club based in Seville, Spain that plays in the Spanish La Liga championship.They are one of the most successful clubs in Spanish football having won a 1 La Liga title, 5 Spanish "Copa del Rey" Cups, 1 Spanish Super Cup and 2 UEFA...
. However, he took a while to adapt to the Premier League, taking a few months to regain the league form he had shown at Leverkusen. He gave a strong performance against Wigan Athletic
Wigan Athletic F.C.
Wigan Athletic Football Club is an English Premier League Association football club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester, having been promoted from the Championship in 2005. Wigan's current spell in the Premier League is the only top flight run in the club's history.They have played at the DW...
in November 2006, scoring one and creating the other two in a 3–1 win for Spurs, and began to score regularly. He scored his first 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...
goals on 18 February 2007 when he came on as a second-half substitute in a 4–0 win over Fulham
Fulham F.C.
Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season...
and netted two of the four goals. Berbatov and Spurs team-mate Robbie Keane were named joint winners of the Premier League Player of the Month
Premier League Player of the Month
The Player of the Month is an association football award that recognises the best Premier League player each month of the season. The recipient is chosen by a panel assembled by the League's sponsor, and announced alongside the Manager of the Month on the first or second Friday of the following month...
award for April 2007, and in doing so became the first players to share the award since February 2004. He ended the 2006–07 season with 12 goals in 33 appearances in the Premier League, and won both the Tottenham Hotspur Player of the Season award and a place in the PFA Premier League Team of the Year.
Berbatov scored his first Premier League hat-trick
Hat-trick
A hat-trick or hat trick in sport is the achievement of a positive feat three times during a game, or other achievements based on threes. The term was first used in 1858 in cricket to describe HH Stephenson's feat of taking three wickets in three balls. A collection was held for Stephenson, and he...
on 29 December 2007, scoring four in a 6–4 win over Reading
Reading F.C.
Reading Football Club is an English association football club based in the town of Reading, Berkshire who currently play in the Championship...
. His first cup final for Tottenham came on 24 February 2008 in the Football League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
; Spurs faced Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
at Wembley Stadium
Wembley Stadium
The original Wembley Stadium, officially known as the Empire Stadium, was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007...
. Berbatov scored an equalising penalty as Tottenham went on to win the game 2–1 after extra time. He ended the season with 15 league goals. Before the next season, 2008–09, Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
manager Alex Ferguson
Alex Ferguson
Sir Alexander Chapman "Alex" Ferguson, CBE is a Scottish association football manager and former player, currently managing Manchester United, where he has been in charge since 1986...
was quoted by newspapers as saying he expected to sign Berbatov; Tottenham submitted a complaint to the Premier League alleging that Manchester United had broken league rules. Ongoing rumours of a substantial bid by Ferguson's club unsettled him, and Berbatov was dropped for the games against Sunderland
Sunderland A.F.C.
Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...
and Chelsea during August, the season's first month.
Manchester United
Berbatov moved to Manchester United on 1 September 2008, costing the club £30.75 million and signing a four-year contract. Tottenham had also accepted a bid from Manchester CityManchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
, but Berbatov claimed after signing for United that he "would not even have thought about Manchester City". Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger
Arsène Wenger
Arsène Wenger, OBE is a French association football manager and former player, who has managed English Premier League side Arsenal since 1996...
, meanwhile, accused Tottenham of having used the complaint to the Premier League to negotiate a higher price for Berbatov from Manchester United.
Berbatov marked his Manchester United début at the age of 26, with an assist to a Carlos Tévez
Carlos Tévez
Carlos Alberto Tévez is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a forward for English club Manchester City...
goal away at Liverpool, but United lost the game 2–1. His first two goals for the club came in the 3–0 win away to Aalborg BK
AaB Football
AaB Fodbold, also referred to as Aalborg BK or AaB, is a professional football team of Danish sports conglomerate Aalborg Boldspilklub, located in Aalborg. They play in the Danish Superliga and have won three Danish Superliga championships and two Danish Cup trophies.AaB became the first Danish...
in the Champions League group stage
UEFA Champions League 2008–09 group stage
The 2008–09 UEFA Champions League group stage matches took place between 16 September and 10 December 2008.-Seeding structure:Seeding was determined by the UEFA coefficients: Pot 1 held teams ranked 1–10 , Pot 2 held teams ranked 11–23, Pot 3 held teams ranked 25–45, while Pot 4 held teams ranked...
on 30 September 2008. He netted his first league goals in Manchester United colours during a 4–0 victory over West Bromwich Albion
West Bromwich Albion F.C.
West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands...
. Alex Ferguson defended Berbatov after he was criticised for missing a penalty during the 2008–09 FA Cup semi-final against Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
, which Manchester United eventually lost by a penalty shoot-out. Soon after, Berbatov scored the fifth of United's goals as they came back from 2–0 down at half-time to win 5–2 against his former team, Tottenham Hotspur. When Manchester United won the Premier League on 16 May 2009, Berbatov became the first Bulgarian to win an English league title. After Berbatov struggled to make an impact during the 2009–10 season, Berbatov was linked with away from Old Trafford
Old Trafford
Old Trafford commonly refers to two sporting arenas:* Old Trafford, home of Manchester United F.C.* Old Trafford Cricket Ground, home of Lancashire County Cricket ClubOld Trafford can also refer to:...
, but this was denied by Ferguson.
Berbatov scored United's third goal in the 92nd minute of their 3–1 win over Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
in the 2010 Community Shield
2010 FA Community Shield
The 2010 FA Community Shield was the 88th FA Community Shield, an annual football match contested by the winners of the previous season's Premier League and FA Cup competitions. The match was played at Wembley Stadium, London, on 8 August 2010, and contested by league and cup double winners Chelsea...
on 8 August. Eight days later, Berbatov scored his and United's first league goal of the season, opening the scoring in their 3–0 home victory over Newcastle United
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
in the club's first match of the campaign. He scored his first hat-trick for United on 19 September, scoring all three of his team's goals in a 3–2 home win over rivals Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
; the second goal, an overhead kick, became a contender for the league's Goal of the Season
Goal of the Season
In English football, the Goal of the Season is an annual competition and award given on BBC's Match of the Day, in honour of the most spectacular goal scored that season...
. It was the first treble by a Manchester United player against Liverpool in 64 years. He made his 100th appearance for United on 10 November in a 0–0 away league draw in the Manchester derby
Manchester derby
The Manchester derby is the name given to football matches between Manchester City and Manchester United. The local derby centres on the City of Manchester and Greater Manchester with approximately four miles separating the clubs with City based in east Manchester at the City of Manchester Stadium...
on 11 November 2010. Sixteen days later, Berbatov tied a league record by scoring five goals in a game during a 7–1 home victory over Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers F.C.
Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football....
; he was the first non-Englishman to net five in a Premier League match, and joined Andrew Cole, Alan Shearer
Alan Shearer
Alan Shearer OBE, DL is a retired English footballer. He played as a striker in the top level of English league football for Southampton, Blackburn Rovers, Newcastle United and for the England national team...
and Jermain Defoe
Jermain Defoe
Jermain Colin Defoe is an English footballer who plays as a striker for English Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur, and the England national football team....
as the only players overall to do so. He was named Bulgarian Footballer of the Year
Bulgarian Footballer of the Year
Bulgarian Footballer of the Year is an annual title awarded to the best Bulgarian football player of the year. The award has been given since 1961, and the winner is elected by authorized journalists from the leading Bulgarian media....
for a record seventh time on 20 December.
Berbatov netted his first goals of the 2011 calendar year with his third hat-trick of the season in a 5–0 home win over Birmingham City on 22 January. This made him the first United player since Ruud van Nistelrooy
Ruud van Nistelrooy
Rutgerus Johannes Martinus "Ruud" van Nistelrooy, , is a Dutch footballer who plays as a striker for Málaga CF in Spain's La Liga. He is the second-highest goalscorer in Champions League history with 60 goals...
(in 2002–03) to score three hat-tricks in the same season. In January 2011, Berbatov was named by the International Federation of Football History & Statistics
International Federation of Football History & Statistics
The International Federation of Football History & Statistics is an organization that chronicles the history and records of Association football. It was founded on 27 March 1984 at Leipzig by Dr. Alfredo Pöge with the blessings of general secretary of the FIFA at the time, Dr. Helmut Käser...
as Europe's most popular footballer among active players for 2010. After being dropped to the bench for games against Arsenal and Marseille, Berbatov returned as a second half substitute for Javier Hernandez against Bolton Wanderers on 19 March and scored the winner in the 88th minute (his 20th goal of the season), giving United a 1–0 victory. He scored his 21st in a following Premier League start against Fulham where United won 2–0. As top scorer of Premier League, Berbatov was a member of the PFA Team of the Year for the 2010–11 season alongside Carlos Tévez
Carlos Tévez
Carlos Alberto Tévez is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a forward for English club Manchester City...
. Berbatov also shared the Premier League Golden Boot
Premier League Golden Boot
The Premier League Golden Boot, known for sponsorship reasons as the Barclays Golden Boot, is an annual English association football award given to the top goalscorer at the end of the Premier League season, the top domestic league competition in club football in England, since its creation in 1992...
award with his former Manchester United teammate. On 28 May 2011, he was left out of the Manchester United squad for the Champions League Final
2011 UEFA Champions League Final
The 2011 UEFA Champions League Final was a football match played on 28 May 2011 at Wembley Stadium in London that decided the winner of the 2010–11 season of the UEFA Champions League. The winners received the European Champion Clubs' Cup...
, in which United lost 3–1 to Barcelona
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
.
2011–12 season
Berbatov played his first game of the season in an away match against West Brom, as a substitute replacing Danny Welbeck, a game which United won 2–1. Berbatov appear from the substitutes bench against Chelsea replacing the injured Javier Hernandez. United won the game 3–1. Berbatov made his first start of the season in the following game, a Carling Cup third round clash with rivals Leeds United. He played the full game and was required to play at centre back for the last 10 minutes, when youngster Ezekiel Fryers
Ezekiel Fryers
Ezekiel David "Zeki" Fryers is an English footballer who plays for Manchester United as a left-back and centre-back.- Career :...
picked up an injury and United had already used all three permitted substitutes. Berbatov struggled for chances on the night, but United did win the game 3–0. On 25th October 2011, Berbatov scored the first goal, after a neat passing build up and also created a goal for Michael Owen in a 3-0 win against Aldershot Town in the 4th round of the Carling Cup. On 22nd November, Berbatov ended his long run without a goal in the UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
by scoring the equaliser in a home match against S.L. Benfica. The match ended in a 2-2 draw.
International career
Berbatov made his début 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...
on 17 November 1999, aged 18, when he came on as a substitute for Aleksandar Aleksandrov
Aleksandar Aleksandrov (footballer born 1975)
Aleksandar Aleksandrov known as Alex is a Bulgarian soccer player, playing as an attacking midfielder...
in a 1–0 friendly
Exhibition game
An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition...
loss against Greece
Greece national football team
The Greece national football team represents Greece in association football and is controlled by the Hellenic Football Federation, the governing body for football in Greece. Greece's home ground is Karaiskakis Stadium in Piraeus and their head coach is Fernando Santos...
. He scored his first goal for his country on 12 February 2000 in another friendly defeat, 3–2 against Chile
Chile national football team
The Chilean national football team represents Chile in all major international football competitions. The team is controlled by the Federación de Fútbol de Chile which was established in 1895. They have appeared in eight World Cup tournaments and were hosts of the 1962 FIFA World Cup finishing in...
, and represented Bulgaria at Euro 2004. This was the only major tournament he played at for his country, owing to the team's failure to qualify for other tournaments. He scored a hat-trick in the 6–2 home win in a 2010 World Cup qualification
2010 FIFA World Cup qualification
The qualification competition for the 2010 FIFA World Cup was a series of tournaments organised by the six FIFA confederations. Each confederation — the AFC , CAF , CONCACAF , CONMEBOL , OFC , and UEFA — was allocated a certain number of the 32 places at the tournament...
match against Georgia
Georgia national football team
The Georgia national football team is the national association football team of Georgia and is controlled by the Georgian Football Federation. The Georgian team's first match took place in 1990, while Georgia was still part of the Soviet Union. The team have attempted to qualify for each major...
in October 2009, enabling him to bring his goal tally for the national side to 46 goals, just one short of the then all-time top scorer for Bulgaria
Bulgaria 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...
, Hristo Bonev
Hristo Bonev
Hristo Atanasov Bonev-Zuma is a retired Bulgarian footballer, the second all-time leading scorer for the Bulgarian national team behind Dimitar Berbatov, who surpassed his record on November 18, 2009. Currently he manages PFC Lokomotiv Plovdiv in the Bulgarian A PFG.Between 1967 and 1979, Bonev...
; after scoring two goals against Malta
Malta national football team
The Malta national football team is the national football team of Malta and is controlled by the Malta Football Association. Malta played its first international game in February 1957, and began competing for qualification to major tournaments in 1962. The side's first competitive victory came in...
during a 4–1 friendly away win during the following month, he took the record. Berbatov captained the team from 2006 until May 2010, when he announced his retirement from international football, leaving his tally for Bulgaria standing at 48 goals from 77 matches.
Under–21
- Updated to games played 3 September 1999.
# Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition 1. 3 September 1999 Visby Visby-See also:* Battle of Visby* Gotland University College* List of governors of Gotland County-External links:* - Visby*...
, SwedenSwedenSweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
Sweden U21Sweden national under-21 football teamThe Swedish U-21 national football team is the football team representing Sweden in competitions for under-21 year old players. Sweden U21's current captain is Jiloan Hamad with Jakob Johansson as vice captain.-UEFA European U-21 Championship Record:...
1–0 Win 2000 European Under-21 Football Championship qualifying 2. 2–1
Senior team
- Updated to games played 18 November 2009.
# Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition 1. 12 February 2000 Valparaíso, Chile 2–3 Loss Friendly 2. 11 October 2000 Copenhagen, Denmark 1–1 Draw 2002 World Cup Qualification 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA)Listed below are the dates and results for the 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds for the European zone . For an overview of the qualification rounds, see the article 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification....3. 23 March 2001 Sofia, Bulgaria 2–1 Win 2002 World Cup Qualification 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA)Listed below are the dates and results for the 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds for the European zone . For an overview of the qualification rounds, see the article 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification....4. 6 June 2001 Reykjavik, Iceland 1–1 Draw 2002 World Cup Qualification 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA)Listed below are the dates and results for the 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds for the European zone . For an overview of the qualification rounds, see the article 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification....5. 1 September 2001 Valletta, Malta 2–0 Win 2002 World Cup Qualification 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA)Listed below are the dates and results for the 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds for the European zone . For an overview of the qualification rounds, see the article 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification....6. 7. 21 August 2002 Sofia, Bulgaria 2–2 Draw Friendly 8. 12 October 2002 Sofia, Bulgaria 2–0 Win Euro 2004 Qualification 9. 30 April 2003 Sofia, Bulgaria 2–0 Win Friendly 10. 11. 7 June 2003 Sofia, Bulgaria 2–2 Draw Euro 2004 Qualification 12. 20 August 2003 Sofia, Bulgaria 3–0 Win Friendly 13. 6 September 2003 Sofia, Bulgaria 2–0 Win Euro 2004 Qualification 14. 10 September 2003 Andorra la Vella Andorra la VellaAndorra la Vella is the capital of the Co-principality of Andorra, and is located high in the east Pyrenees between France and Spain. It is also the name of the parish that surrounds the capital....
, AndorraAndorraAndorra , officially the Principality of Andorra , also called the Principality of the Valleys of Andorra, , is a small landlocked country in southwestern Europe, located in the eastern Pyrenees mountains and bordered by Spain and France. It is the sixth smallest nation in Europe having an area of...
3–0 Win Euro 2004 Qualification 15. 16. 31 March 2004 Sofia, Bulgaria 2–2 Draw Friendly 17. 18. 28 April 2004 Sofia, Bulgaria 3–0 Win Friendly 19. 20. 4 September 2004 Reykjavik, Iceland 3–1 Win 2006 World Cup Qualification 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA)Listed below are the dates and results for the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds for UEFA teams. A total of 51 teams took part, divided in 8 Groups - five groups of 6 teams each and three groups of 7 teams each - competing for 13 places in the World Cup...21. 22. 9 October 2004 Zagreb ZagrebZagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...
, CroatiaCroatiaCroatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
2–2 Draw 2006 World Cup Qualification 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA)Listed below are the dates and results for the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds for UEFA teams. A total of 51 teams took part, divided in 8 Groups - five groups of 6 teams each and three groups of 7 teams each - competing for 13 places in the World Cup...23. 13 October 2004 Valletta, Malta 4–1 Win 2006 World Cup Qualification 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA)Listed below are the dates and results for the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds for UEFA teams. A total of 51 teams took part, divided in 8 Groups - five groups of 6 teams each and three groups of 7 teams each - competing for 13 places in the World Cup...24. – 28 December 2004 Valencia, Spain SpainSpain , 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...
2–1 Win Friendly (unrecognized by FIFA FIFAThe Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
)25. 17 August 2005 Sofia, Bulgaria 3–1 Win Friendly 26. 27. 7 September 2005 Sofia, Bulgaria 3–2 Win 2006 World Cup Qualification 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA)Listed below are the dates and results for the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds for UEFA teams. A total of 51 teams took part, divided in 8 Groups - five groups of 6 teams each and three groups of 7 teams each - competing for 13 places in the World Cup...28. 8 October 2005 Sofia, Bulgaria 2–0 Win 2006 World Cup Qualification 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA)Listed below are the dates and results for the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds for UEFA teams. A total of 51 teams took part, divided in 8 Groups - five groups of 6 teams each and three groups of 7 teams each - competing for 13 places in the World Cup...29. 12 November 2005 Sofia, Bulgaria 6–2 Win Friendly 30. 31. 16 November 2005 Houston, TX 3–0 Win Friendly 32. 7 February 2007 Nicosia, Cyprus 3–0 Win Friendly 33. 34. 2 June 2007 Minsk, Belarus 2–0 Win Euro 2008 Qualification 35. 36. 12 September 2007 Sofia, Bulgaria 3–0 Win Euro 2008 Qualification 37. 38. 17 October 2007 Tirana, Albania 1–1 Draw Euro 2008 Qualification 39. 21 November 2007 Celje CeljeCelje is a typical Central European town and the third largest town in Slovenia. It is a regional center of Lower Styria and the administrative seat of the Urban Municipality of Celje . The town of Celje is located under Upper Celje Castle at the confluence of the Savinja, Ložnica, and Voglajna...
, SloveniaSloveniaSlovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
2–0 Win Euro 2008 Qualification 40. 20 August 2008 Zenica ZenicaZenica is an industrial city in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is the capital of the Zenica-Doboj Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina entity...
, Bosnia-Herzegovina2–1 Win Friendly 41. 42. 5 September 2009 Sofia, Bulgaria 4–1 Win 2010 World Cup Qualification 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA)The European zone of qualification for the 2010 FIFA World Cup saw 53 teams competing for 13 places at the finals. The qualification process started on 20 August 2008, after UEFA Euro 2008, and ended on 18 November 2009. The qualification process saw the first competitive matches of...43. 10 October 2009 Larnaca, Cyprus 1–4 Loss 2010 World Cup Qualification 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA)The European zone of qualification for the 2010 FIFA World Cup saw 53 teams competing for 13 places at the finals. The qualification process started on 20 August 2008, after UEFA Euro 2008, and ended on 18 November 2009. The qualification process saw the first competitive matches of...44. 14 October 2009 Sofia, Bulgaria 6–2 Win 2010 World Cup Qualification 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA)The European zone of qualification for the 2010 FIFA World Cup saw 53 teams competing for 13 places at the finals. The qualification process started on 20 August 2008, after UEFA Euro 2008, and ended on 18 November 2009. The qualification process saw the first competitive matches of...45. 46. 47. 18 November 2009 Valletta VallettaValletta is the capital of Malta, colloquially known as Il-Belt in Maltese. It is located in the central-eastern portion of the island of Malta, and the historical city has a population of 6,098. The name "Valletta" is traditionally reserved for the historic walled citadel that serves as Malta's...
, MaltaMaltaMalta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
4–1 Win Friendly 48.
Style of play
Berbatov is known for his footballing intelligence, technical ability and composure; in particular, his unhurried stance in front of goal has been described by The ScotsmanThe Scotsman
The Scotsman is a British newspaper, published in Edinburgh.As of August 2011 it had an audited circulation of 38,423, down from about 100,000 in the 1980s....
s Tom Lappin as "elegant and calm". He also possesses exceptional precision when passing and shooting, and takes his time when on attack in order to ensure the best move possible. As such, he is often used as a deep-lying centre forward, receiving passes from the midfield, holding the ball up and then using his tactical acumen and well-honed skill to bring his team-mates into the game. His impressive physical stature combines with these attributes to form a strong all-round attacking player.
It is because of these characteristics that was signed by Manchester United, who intended for Berbatov to complement the combative and busy style of their English striker Wayne Rooney
Wayne Rooney
Wayne Mark Rooney is an English footballer who plays as a striker for Premier League club Manchester United and the England national team...
. Whereas Rooney is known for exerting himself vigorously for the entirety of a match, Berbatov employs a more laid-back and composed style, and because of this is sometimes criticised by observers who interpret this as laziness. On signing for Manchester United, Berbatov attracted comparisons with former United forward Eric Cantona
Eric Cantona
Eric Daniel Pierre Cantona is a French actor and former French international footballer. He played for Auxerre, Martigues, Marseille, Bordeaux, Montpellier, Nîmes and Leeds United before ending his professional footballing career at Manchester United, where he won four Premier League titles in...
, not only because of his languid and impeccable touch, but also because of his bravado and perceived arrogance. Berbatov is, however, capable of adapting his style to play more directly when required; in April 2010, for example, with Rooney absent, Berbatov gave a performance against his former side Tottenham which, in James Ducker's words, was as if he had "decided to take it upon himself to impersonate the England striker". Combining uncharacteristic determination and effort with his regular technical skill, he contributed to the first Manchester United goal and helped United to a 3–1 victory.
Club
| Club | Season | League | Cup | League Cup | Continental | OtherIncludes other competitive competitions, including the FA Community Shield FA Community Shield The Football Association Community Shield is English football's annual match contested between the champions of the previous Premier League season and the holders of the FA Cup at Wembley Stadium. If the Premier League champions also won the FA Cup then the league runners-up provide the opposition... , UEFA Super Cup, Intercontinental Cup Intercontinental Cup (football) The European/South American Cup, commonly referred to as the World Club Championship, Intercontinental Cup or Toyota Cup, was a football competition endorsed by UEFA and CONMEBOL, contested between the winners of the European Cup and the South American Copa Libertadores... , FIFA Club World Cup FIFA Club World Cup The FIFA Club World Cup is a football competition between the champion clubs from all six continental confederations.The first FIFA Club World Championship took place in Brazil in January 2000... |
Total | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||||||
| Pirin FC Pirin Blagoevgrad FC Pirin Blagoevgrad is a Bulgarian football club from the town of Blagoevgrad, which currently competes in the Bulgarian fourth division.The club was founded in 2008, after the union of the two clubs from Blagoevgrad - Pirin and PFC Pirin Blagoevgrad... |
1998–99 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 0 | – | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 2 | ||||||
| CSKA Sofia PFC 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... |
1998–99 | 11 | 3 | 5 | 3 | – | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 6 | ||||||
| 1999–2000 | 27 | 14 | 4 | 2 | – | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 34 | 16 | |||||||
| 2000–01 | 11 | 9 | 0 | 0 | – | 4 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 16 | |||||||
| Total | 49 | 26 | 9 | 5 | Bayer Leverkusen II | 2000–01 2000–01 Bayer 04 Leverkusen season Bayer Leverkusen had a solid season, where it managed to qualify for another Champions League campaign, following a 4th place finish. Unlike the previous season, it failed to actively challenge for the Bundesliga title for the second year running, also going out of the Champions League already in... |
7 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 6 |
| Bayer Leverkusen | 2000–01 2000–01 Bayer 04 Leverkusen season Bayer Leverkusen had a solid season, where it managed to qualify for another Champions League campaign, following a 4th place finish. Unlike the previous season, it failed to actively challenge for the Bundesliga title for the second year running, also going out of the Champions League already in... |
6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | |||||
| 2001–02 2001–02 Bayer 04 Leverkusen season Bayer Leverkusen became the first club ever to finish runner-up in both the Champions League and domestic league and cup competitions in the same season, with a potential treble unravelling in the final couple of weeks of the season, resulting in no trophies won at all, plus the defections of stars... |
24 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 41 | 16 | ||||||
| 2002–03 2002–03 Bayer 04 Leverkusen season Bayer 04 Leverkusen had a shocking season, in which it went from being in the final of the UEFA Champions League the previous season, to finish 15th in Bundesliga, only just escaping relegation to the second tier... |
24 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 6 | ||||||
| 2003–04 2003–04 Bayer 04 Leverkusen season Bayer 04 Leverkusen bounced back from the nearly disastrous season it came from, finishing in the top three and qualifying for the UEFA Champions League in the process. The season marked the breakthrough for Bulgarian striker Dimitar Berbatov, who scored 16 goals, whereas Brazilian signing França... |
33 | 16 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 34 | 19 | ||||||
| 2004–05 | 33 | 20 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 46 | 26 | ||||||
| 2005–06 | 34 | 21 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 37 | 24 | ||||||
| Total | 154 | 69 | 14 | 13 | 3 | 0 | 30 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 201 | 91 | ||||||
| Tottenham Hotspur Tottenham Hotspur F.C. Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane.... |
2006–07 | 33 | 12 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 8 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 49 | 23 | |||||
| 2007–08 | 36 | 15 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 8 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 52 | 23 | ||||||
| 2008–09 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||||||
| Total | 70 | 27 | 7 | 5 | 9 | 2 | 16 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 102 | 46 | ||||||
| Manchester United Manchester United F.C. Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958... |
2008–09 | 31 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 43 | 14 | |||||
| 2009–10 | 33 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 43 | 12 | ||||||
| 2010–11 2010–11 Manchester United F.C. season The 2010–11 season was Manchester United's 19th season in the Premier League, and their 36th consecutive season in the top-flight of English football... |
32 | 20 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 42 | 21 | ||||||
| 2011–12 2011–12 Manchester United F.C. season The 2011–12 season is Manchester United's 20th season in the Premier League, and their 37th consecutive season in the top-flight of English football. United are defending Premier League champions, and will be aiming for an unprecedented 20th league title this season. Furthermore, they are competing... |
5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 2 | ||||||
| Total | 101 | 41 | 6 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 25 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 140 | 49 | ||||||
| Career total | 390 | 172 | 36 | 25 | 17 | 2 | 78 | 33 | 3 | 1 | 524 | 224 | ||||||
International
|-|1999||1||0
|-
|2000||3||2
|-
|2001||8||4
|-
|2002||5||2
|-
|2003||8||7
|-
|2004||13||10
|-
|2005||10||7
|-
|2006||6||0
|-
|2007||9||8
|-
|2008||7||2
|-
|2009||8||7
|-
|2010||1||0
|-
!Total||77||49
|}
Club
CSKA Sofia- 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....
(1): 1998–991999 Bulgarian Cup FinalThe 1999 Bulgarian Cup Final was played at the Bulgarian Army Stadium in Sofia on May 26, 1999 and was contested between the sides of Litex Lovech and CSKA Sofia. The match was won by CSKA Sofia. Valentin Stanchev scored the winning goal in 82nd minute....
Tottenham Hotspur
- Football League CupFootball League CupThe Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
(1): 2007–082008 Football League Cup FinalThe 2008 Carling Cup Final was a football match played on 24 February 2008. It was the first League Cup Final to be played at the new Wembley Stadium, and the first to be played in England since the old Wembley was demolished in 2000. The defending champions were Chelsea, who beat Arsenal in the...
Manchester United
- Premier League (2): 2008–09, 2010–112010–11 Premier LeagueThe 2010–11 Premier League was the 19th season of the Premier League since its establishment in 1992. The 2010–11 fixtures were released on 17 June 2010 at 09:00 BST. The season began on 14 August 2010, and ended on 22 May 2011...
- Football League CupFootball League CupThe Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
(1): 2009–102010 Football League Cup FinalThe 2010 Football League Cup Final was the final match of the 2009–10 Football League Cup, the 50th season of the Football League Cup, a football competition for the 92 teams in the Premier League and The Football League. The match, played at Wembley Stadium on 28 February 2010, was won by... - FA Community ShieldFA Community ShieldThe Football Association Community Shield is English football's annual match contested between the champions of the previous Premier League season and the holders of the FA Cup at Wembley Stadium. If the Premier League champions also won the FA Cup then the league runners-up provide the opposition...
(2): 20102010 FA Community ShieldThe 2010 FA Community Shield was the 88th FA Community Shield, an annual football match contested by the winners of the previous season's Premier League and FA Cup competitions. The match was played at Wembley Stadium, London, on 8 August 2010, and contested by league and cup double winners Chelsea...
, 20112011 FA Community ShieldThe 2011 FA Community Shield was the 89th FA Community Shield, an annual football match contested by the winners of the previous season's Premier League and FA Cup competitions. The match was the 160th Manchester derby between Manchester United and Manchester City and played at Wembley Stadium,... - FIFA Club World CupFIFA Club World CupThe FIFA Club World Cup is a football competition between the champion clubs from all six continental confederations.The first FIFA Club World Championship took place in Brazil in January 2000...
(1): 20082008 FIFA Club World Cup FinalThe 2008 FIFA Club World Cup Final was the final match of the 2008 FIFA Club World Cup, a football tournament for the champion clubs from each of FIFA's six continental confederations. The match took place at the International Stadium of Yokohama, Japan, on 21 December 2008, and pitted South...
Individual
- Bulgarian Man of the Year (1): 2009
- Bulgarian Footballer of the YearBulgarian Footballer of the YearBulgarian Footballer of the Year is an annual title awarded to the best Bulgarian football player of the year. The award has been given since 1961, and the winner is elected by authorized journalists from the leading Bulgarian media....
(7): 2002, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 - Tottenham Hotspur Club Player of the Year (1): 2006–07
- Premier League Player of the MonthPremier League Player of the MonthThe Player of the Month is an association football award that recognises the best Premier League player each month of the season. The recipient is chosen by a panel assembled by the League's sponsor, and announced alongside the Manager of the Month on the first or second Friday of the following month...
(2): April 2007*, January 2011 - PFA Premier League Team of the YearPFA Team of the YearThe Professional Footballers' Association Team of the Year is an annual award given to a set of 44 footballers in the top four tiers of English football; the Premier League, the Championship, League One and League Two, whom are seen to be deserving of being named in a "Team of the Year".The award...
(2): 2006–07, 2010–11 - Premier League Golden Boot Landmark Award (2): 2010–11 (10 Goals)2010–11 Premier LeagueThe 2010–11 Premier League was the 19th season of the Premier League since its establishment in 1992. The 2010–11 fixtures were released on 17 June 2010 at 09:00 BST. The season began on 14 August 2010, and ended on 22 May 2011...
, 2010–11 (20 Goals)2010–11 Premier LeagueThe 2010–11 Premier League was the 19th season of the Premier League since its establishment in 1992. The 2010–11 fixtures were released on 17 June 2010 at 09:00 BST. The season began on 14 August 2010, and ended on 22 May 2011... - Premier League Golden BootPremier League Golden BootThe Premier League Golden Boot, known for sponsorship reasons as the Barclays Golden Boot, is an annual English association football award given to the top goalscorer at the end of the Premier League season, the top domestic league competition in club football in England, since its creation in 1992...
(1): 2010–112010–11 Premier LeagueThe 2010–11 Premier League was the 19th season of the Premier League since its establishment in 1992. The 2010–11 fixtures were released on 17 June 2010 at 09:00 BST. The season began on 14 August 2010, and ended on 22 May 2011...
** - IFFHSInternational Federation of Football History & StatisticsThe International Federation of Football History & Statistics is an organization that chronicles the history and records of Association football. It was founded on 27 March 1984 at Leipzig by Dr. Alfredo Pöge with the blessings of general secretary of the FIFA at the time, Dr. Helmut Käser...
(1): Europe's World's Most Popular Footballer Amongst Currently Active Players in 2010
(*Jointly shared with Robbie Keane
Robbie Keane
Robert David "Robbie" Keane is an Irish association football player who plays as a striker for Los Angeles Galaxy in Major League Soccer and captains the Irish national football team....
)
(**Jointly shared with Carlos Tévez
Carlos Tévez
Carlos Alberto Tévez is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a forward for English club Manchester City...
)
Personal life
Berbatov learned to speak EnglishEnglish language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
by watching the American Godfather series of films; outside of football, he lists his hobbies as drawing
Drawing
Drawing is a form of visual art that makes use of any number of drawing instruments to mark a two-dimensional medium. Common instruments include graphite pencils, pen and ink, inked brushes, wax color pencils, crayons, charcoal, chalk, pastels, markers, styluses, and various metals .An artist who...
and basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
. Berbatov is a sponsor of children's charities in his native Bulgaria, supporting five care homes. He is also the founder of the Dimitar Berbatov Foundation, which helps young people to develop their talents. Berbatov's longtime girlfriend, Elena, gave birth to their first child, a girl named Dea, on 15 October 2009 at a hospital in Sofia
Sofia
Sofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria and the 12th largest city in the European Union with a population of 1.27 million people. It is located in western Bulgaria, at the foot of Mount Vitosha and approximately at the centre of the Balkan Peninsula.Prehistoric settlements were excavated...
.
External links
- Official personal website
- Profile at ManUtd.com
- Premier League profile