Marcho Dafchev
Encyclopedia
Marcho Dafchev (born 12 May 1978 in Plovdiv
) is a Bulgaria
n footballer
who plays as an attacking midfielder. He currently plays for Lokomotiv Sofia
.
He has been capped
by Bulgaria
once in 2005. Dafchev previously played for Sokol Komatevo, CSKA Sofia
, Patraikos in Greece
, Botev Plovdiv
and Neftchi Baku in Azerbaijan
.
, Dafchev was in the youth setups of Maritsa
before moving to Sokol Komatevo.
In June 1998, at the age of 20, he joined Lokomotiv Sofia
. Dafchev made his debut during the 1998–99 season on August 8, 1998 in a 1–3 away loss against Litex Lovech
, coming on as a substitute for Ivaylo Pargov
. He scored his first goal for Lokomotiv in a 1–0 home win against Levski Kyustendil
on 17 October 1998. Dafchev made 27 league appearances and a total of 34 matches scoring eight goals during his debut season with the Railwaymen.
He left Lokomotiv for CSKA Sofia
during the January 2002 transfer window, but earned only 6 appearances in the A PFG and was released just five months later, signing a contract with Greek side A.O. Patraikos.
In July 2003 Dafchev joined Botev Plovdiv
. He made his debut on the opening day of the 2003–04 season in a 1–0 win over Rodopa Smolyan
on 9 August. Twenty days later Dafchev scored his first Botev and Plovdiv derby goal, opening the scoring in a 2–3 defeat against Lokomotiv Plovdiv
. On 28 September he scored twice in a 3–1 home victory over CSKA Sofia
. Dafchev made 24 appearances for the Canaries, scoring nine goals, but Botev were relegated from the A PFG
at the end of the campaign.
In the summer of 2004 Dafchev signed for his previously team Lokomotiv Sofia
. Оn 10 August 2006, he scored his first ever European goal, netting a free-kick against Bnei Yehuda Tel Aviv in a 2–0 away win. On 14 September, Dafchev scored free-kick and in a 2–2 home draw against Feyenoord. The following 2007–08 season he netted his third European goal in a 3–1 home win over Oţelul Galaţi
of the UEFA Cup
on 16 August 2007. In a 3–1 league win over Pirin Blagoevgrad
on 11 November 2007, Dafchev scored his 49th and 50th goals in all competitions for Lokomotiv.
In May 2008 Dafchev was sold to Neftchi Baku. He passed his medical on 29 May and signed a three-year contract. He earned 12 appearances in the Azerbaijan Premier League
and scored two goals.
On 15 August 2009 Dafchev returned to Lokomotiv Sofia
after being released from his contract at Neftchi Baku. During the 2009–10 season he scored once in a 2–4 away loss against Cherno More
on 7 November 2009. At the end of the following 2010–11 season, Dafchev became the club's second topscorer with 7 goals in 19 appearances and provided 6 assists for his team-mates.
Plovdiv
Plovdiv is the second-largest city in Bulgaria after Sofia with a population of 338,153 inhabitants according to Census 2011. Plovdiv's history spans some 6,000 years, with traces of a Neolithic settlement dating to roughly 4000 BC; it is one of the oldest cities in Europe...
) is a Bulgaria
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
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
who plays as an attacking midfielder. He currently plays for Lokomotiv Sofia
PFC Lokomotiv Sofia
PFC Lokomotiv Sofia is a Bulgarian football club from the capital city of Sofia, which currently competes in Bulgaria's top football league, the A PFG. It was founded on September 2, 1929 by a group of railway workers under the name Railway Sports Club . The club's home ground is the Lokomotiv...
.
He has been capped
Cap (sport)
In sports, a cap is a metaphorical term for a player's appearance on a select team, such as a national team. The term dates from the practice in the United Kingdom of awarding a cap to every player in an international match of association football...
by 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...
once in 2005. Dafchev previously played for Sokol Komatevo, 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...
, Patraikos in Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
, Botev Plovdiv
PFC Botev Plovdiv
PFC Botev Plovdiv , is the oldest Bulgarian football club from the city of Plovdiv, which currently competes in Bulgaria's second football league, the B PFG....
and Neftchi Baku in Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan , officially the Republic of Azerbaijan is the largest country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia to the west, and Iran to...
.
Career
Born in PlovdivPlovdiv
Plovdiv is the second-largest city in Bulgaria after Sofia with a population of 338,153 inhabitants according to Census 2011. Plovdiv's history spans some 6,000 years, with traces of a Neolithic settlement dating to roughly 4000 BC; it is one of the oldest cities in Europe...
, Dafchev was in the youth setups of Maritsa
FC Maritsa Plovdiv
Maritsa FC is a Bulgarian football club from the city of Plovdiv. Established in 1921 after the merger of Karshiaka's teams Vampir and Trite Konski Sili....
before moving to Sokol Komatevo.
In June 1998, at the age of 20, he joined Lokomotiv Sofia
PFC Lokomotiv Sofia
PFC Lokomotiv Sofia is a Bulgarian football club from the capital city of Sofia, which currently competes in Bulgaria's top football league, the A PFG. It was founded on September 2, 1929 by a group of railway workers under the name Railway Sports Club . The club's home ground is the Lokomotiv...
. Dafchev made his debut during the 1998–99 season on August 8, 1998 in a 1–3 away loss against Litex Lovech
PFC Litex Lovech
PFC Litex Lovech or simply Litex is a Bulgarian football club from the town of Lovech, which currently competes in the Bulgarian A Professional Football Group, the top division of Bulgarian football...
, coming on as a substitute for Ivaylo Pargov
Ivaylo Pargov
Ivaylo Pargov is a football forward from Bulgaria currently playing for Beroe Stara Zagora. He is a central striker.-Career:...
. He scored his first goal for Lokomotiv in a 1–0 home win against Levski Kyustendil
PFC Velbazhd Kyustendil
F.C. Velbazhd is a Bulgarian association football club based in Kyustendil. The club currently competes in the South-West V AFG, the third tier of the Bulgarian league....
on 17 October 1998. Dafchev made 27 league appearances and a total of 34 matches scoring eight goals during his debut season with the Railwaymen.
He left Lokomotiv for 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...
during the January 2002 transfer window, but earned only 6 appearances in the A PFG and was released just five months later, signing a contract with Greek side A.O. Patraikos.
In July 2003 Dafchev joined Botev Plovdiv
PFC Botev Plovdiv
PFC Botev Plovdiv , is the oldest Bulgarian football club from the city of Plovdiv, which currently competes in Bulgaria's second football league, the B PFG....
. He made his debut on the opening day of the 2003–04 season in a 1–0 win over Rodopa Smolyan
PFC Rodopa Smolyan
PFC Rodopa Smolyan was a Bulgarian football club from the town of Smolyan, which used to play in the Bulgarian B Professional Football Group, the top division of football in Bulgaria...
on 9 August. Twenty days later Dafchev scored his first Botev and Plovdiv derby goal, opening the scoring in a 2–3 defeat against 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...
. On 28 September he scored twice in a 3–1 home victory over 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...
. Dafchev made 24 appearances for the Canaries, scoring nine goals, but Botev were relegated from the A PFG
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...
at the end of the campaign.
In the summer of 2004 Dafchev signed for his previously team Lokomotiv Sofia
PFC Lokomotiv Sofia
PFC Lokomotiv Sofia is a Bulgarian football club from the capital city of Sofia, which currently competes in Bulgaria's top football league, the A PFG. It was founded on September 2, 1929 by a group of railway workers under the name Railway Sports Club . The club's home ground is the Lokomotiv...
. Оn 10 August 2006, he scored his first ever European goal, netting a free-kick against Bnei Yehuda Tel Aviv in a 2–0 away win. On 14 September, Dafchev scored free-kick and in a 2–2 home draw against Feyenoord. The following 2007–08 season he netted his third European goal in a 3–1 home win over Oţelul Galaţi
FC Otelul Galati
Fotbal Club Oțelul Galați is a Romanian football club based in Galați . They have spent the majority of the last few decades in the top division, securing several seasons of European football and enjoying success in the Romanian Cup. They won their first league title in the 2010–2011 season and...
of the UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
on 16 August 2007. In a 3–1 league win over 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...
on 11 November 2007, Dafchev scored his 49th and 50th goals in all competitions for Lokomotiv.
In May 2008 Dafchev was sold to Neftchi Baku. He passed his medical on 29 May and signed a three-year contract. He earned 12 appearances in the Azerbaijan Premier League
Azerbaijan Premier League
-Attendance:- Records :Players in the Premier League compete for the Azerbaijan Premier League Golden Boot, awarded to the top scorer at the end of each season. Nazim Aliyev is the league's all-time top scorer with 183 goals, including 39 in the 1992 season.During the 1995–96 season he became the...
and scored two goals.
On 15 August 2009 Dafchev returned to Lokomotiv Sofia
PFC Lokomotiv Sofia
PFC Lokomotiv Sofia is a Bulgarian football club from the capital city of Sofia, which currently competes in Bulgaria's top football league, the A PFG. It was founded on September 2, 1929 by a group of railway workers under the name Railway Sports Club . The club's home ground is the Lokomotiv...
after being released from his contract at Neftchi Baku. During the 2009–10 season he scored once in a 2–4 away loss against Cherno More
PFC Cherno More Varna
PFC Cherno More Varna , or simply Cherno More is a Bulgarian professional football club from the city of Varna, which currently competes in Bulgaria's top football league, the A PFG....
on 7 November 2009. At the end of the following 2010–11 season, Dafchev became the club's second topscorer with 7 goals in 19 appearances and provided 6 assists for his team-mates.
Career statistics
As of 12 June 2011| Club | Season | League | Cup | Europe | Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Lokomotiv Sofia PFC Lokomotiv Sofia PFC Lokomotiv Sofia is a Bulgarian football club from the capital city of Sofia, which currently competes in Bulgaria's top football league, the A PFG. It was founded on September 2, 1929 by a group of railway workers under the name Railway Sports Club . The club's home ground is the Lokomotiv... |
1998–99 | 27 | 5 | 7 | 3 | – | – | 34 | 8 |
| 1999–00 | 25 | 3 | 3 | 0 | – | – | 28 | 3 | |
| 2000–01 | 20 | 6 | 4 | 2 | – | – | 24 | 8 | |
| 2001–02 | 12 | 2 | 1 | 0 | – | – | 13 | 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... |
2001–02 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| A.O. Patraikos | 2002–03 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 6 | 0 |
| Botev Plovdiv PFC Botev Plovdiv PFC Botev Plovdiv , is the oldest Bulgarian football club from the city of Plovdiv, which currently competes in Bulgaria's second football league, the B PFG.... |
2003–04 | 24 | 9 | 3 | 1 | – | – | 27 | 10 |
| Lokomotiv Sofia PFC Lokomotiv Sofia PFC Lokomotiv Sofia is a Bulgarian football club from the capital city of Sofia, which currently competes in Bulgaria's top football league, the A PFG. It was founded on September 2, 1929 by a group of railway workers under the name Railway Sports Club . The club's home ground is the Lokomotiv... |
2004–05 | 26 | 5 | 1 | 0 | – | – | 27 | 5 |
| 2005–06 | 25 | 5 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 25 | 5 | |
| 2006–07 | 20 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 25 | 7 | |
| 2007–08 | 26 | 13 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 33 | 17 | |
| Neftchi Baku | 2008–09 | 12 | 2 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 12 | 2 |
| Lokomotiv Sofia PFC Lokomotiv Sofia PFC Lokomotiv Sofia is a Bulgarian football club from the capital city of Sofia, which currently competes in Bulgaria's top football league, the A PFG. It was founded on September 2, 1929 by a group of railway workers under the name Railway Sports Club . The club's home ground is the Lokomotiv... |
2009–10 | 14 | 1 | 1 | 0 | – | – | 15 | 1 |
| 2010–11 | 19 | 7 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 19 | 7 | |
| 2011–12 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 1 | |
| Career totals | 268 | 64 | 26 | 8 | 11 | 4 | 305 | 76 | |