Bulgaria_women's_national_football_team
Bulgaria women's national football team
Women's national association football team representing Bulgaria
This article is about the women's team. For the men's team, see Bulgaria national football team.
The Bulgaria women's national football team (Bulgarian: Български женски национален отбор по футбол) represents Bulgaria in international women's football, and is controlled by the Bulgarian Football Union. The team's major success came in 2008 when they won the Balkan Championship and the Albena Cup in the same year. These major tournament victories brought them up to their all-time highest FIFA world ranking of 33rd.
Quick Facts Nickname(s), Association ...
| Nickname(s) | Лъвиците (The Lionesses) | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Association | Bulgarian Football Union | ||
| Confederation | UEFA (Europe) | ||
| Head coach | Silvia Radoyska | ||
| Captain | Nikoleta Boycheva | ||
| Home stadium | Various | ||
| FIFA code | BUL | ||
| |||
| FIFA ranking | |||
| Current | 95  5 (15 March 2024)[1] | ||
| Highest | 42 (December 2008) | ||
| Lowest | 95 (March 2024) | ||
| First international | |||
 Bulgaria 1–1 Spain  (Sofia, Bulgaria; 11 October 1987) | |||
| Biggest win | |||
 Estonia 0–5 Bulgaria  (Otopeni, Romania; 18 November 2006) Bulgaria 5–0 Luxembourg  (Ta' Qali, Malta; 5 June 2009) Bulgaria 5–0 Georgia  (Lovech, Bulgaria; 21 November 2009) | |||
| Biggest defeat | |||
 France 14–0 Bulgaria (Le Mans, France; 28 November 2013) | |||
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![[icon]](./File:Wiki_letter_w_cropped.svg){kind=small} | This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (May 2021) |
Nicknames
The Bulgaria women's national football team have been nicknamed as "Лъвиците (The Lionesses)".
Home stadium
Bulgaria plays their home matches on the Lovech Stadium.
Main article: Bulgaria women's national football team results
The following is a list of match results in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.
- Legend
Win Draw Lose Fixture
2023
North Macedonia 
v 
Bulgaria
v Bulgaria
| 22 September 2023 (2023-09-22) Nations League C | North Macedonia | 0–1 | Bulgaria | Skopje |
| 15:00 | Report | Stankova  4' |
Stadium: Petar Miloševski Training Centre Attendance: 200 Referee: Miriama Bočková (Slovakia) |
Bulgaria v 
Kosovo
v 
Kosovo
| 27 September Nations League C | Bulgaria | 0–0 | Kosovo | Plovdiv |
| 17:00 (18:00 EEST) | Report | Stadium: Stadion Lokomotiv Referee: Lovisa Johansson (Sweden) |
Kosovo v Bulgaria
v Bulgaria
| 1 December 2023 (2023-12-01) Nations League C | Kosovo | 5–1 | Bulgaria | Podujevo |
| 13:00 | Report |
|
Stadium: Zahir Pajaziti Stadium Attendance: 120 Referee: Meliz Özçiğdem (Turkey) |
Bulgaria v North Macedonia
v North Macedonia
| 5 December 2023 (2023-12-05) Nations League C | Bulgaria | 2–2 | North Macedonia | Plovdiv |
| 16:00 (17:00 EET) | Report | Stadium: Stadion Lokomotiv Referee: Alexandra Collin (France) |
2024
Bulgaria v 
Ukraine
v 
Ukraine
| 23 February 2023–24 UEFA Women's Nations League promotion/relegation matches | Bulgaria | 0–4 | Ukraine | Kardzhali |
| 15:00 (16:00 EET) | Report |
|
Stadium: Arena Arda |
Ukraine v Bulgaria
v Bulgaria
| 27 February 2023–24 UEFA Women's Nations League promotion/relegation matches | Ukraine | 3–0 (7–0 agg.) | Bulgaria | Antalya, Turkey[lower-alpha 1] |
| 14:00 (16:00 TRT) | Report | Stadium: Mardan Sports Complex | ||
| Note: Ukraine won 7–0 on aggregate, and therefore both teams remained in their respective leagues. | ||||
Kazakhstan 
v Bulgaria
v Bulgaria
| 5 April 2024 (2024-04-05) Euro 2025 qualifying League C | Kazakhstan | 0–1 | Bulgaria | Almaty |
| 13:00 (16:00 UTC+5) | Report |
|
Stadium: Almaty Central Stadium Referee: Meliz Özçiğdem (Turkey) |
Bulgaria v 
Armenia
v 
Armenia
| 9 April UEFA Women's Euro 2025 qualifying League C GS | Bulgaria | 2–3 | Armenia | Sofia |
| 18:00 UTC+3) | Report | Stadium: Stadion Aleksandar Shalamanov Referee: Emilie Torkelsen (Norway) |
Current coaching staff
- As of 28 November 2022
More information Role, Name ...
| Role | Name |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Silvia Radoyska |
| Assistant coaches | Velizar Hristov |
| Trifon Panev | |
| Goalkeeping coach | Emil Varadinov |
| Team manager | Doychin Bahov |
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Manager history
| This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (November 2022) |
More information Name, Period ...
| Name | Period | Matches | Wins | Draws | Losses | Winning % | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emil Atanasov |
18 November 2006 – 25 August 2010 | 21 | 11 | 4 | 6 | 52.38% | ||
| Valentin Chakarov |
24 November 2010 – 19 September 2012 | 13 | 0 | 1 | 12 | 0% | ||
| Emil Kartselski |
20 August 2013 – 21 August 2014 | 11 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 18.18% | ||
| Silviya Radoyska |
17 September 2014–present | 29 | 5 | 2 | 22 | 22.73% |
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Main article: List of Bulgaria women's international footballers
Current squad
- The following players were part of the squad ahead of the UEFA Women's Euro 2025 qualifying match against Kazakhstan and Armenia on the 6th and 9 April 2024 , respectively .[3]
More information No., Pos. ...
| No. | Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 | 1GK | Roksana Shahanska | (1992-04-23) 23 April 1992 (age 32) | 29 | 0 | Lokomotiv |
| 23 | 1GK | Milena Karakoleva | (2004-04-03) 3 April 2004 (age 20) | 1 | 0 | Sportika |
| 5 | 2DF | Nora Dimitrova (captain) | (1996-07-26) 26 July 1996 (age 27) | 14 | 1 | Lokomotiv |
| 6 | 2DF | Silviya Kefalova | (2001-06-06) 6 June 2001 (age 22) | 2 | 0 | NSA |
| 11 | 2DF | Kristiana Karaivanova | (2004-07-11) 11 July 2004 (age 19) | 6 | 0 |  Spezia |
| 3 | 2DF | Yanitsa Ivanova | (2001-01-05) 5 January 2001 (age 23) | 15 | 0 | Lokomotiv |
| 18 | 2DF | Zhasmina Atanasova | (1996-06-25) 25 June 1996 (age 27) | 6 | 0 | Lokomotiv |
| 2DF | Ivet Vasileva | (1998-07-12) 12 July 1998 (age 25) | 0 | 0 | LP Super Sport | |
| 2 | 3MF | Anita Churusinova | | |||
| 2 | 3MF | Nikoleta Boycheva | (1994-08-20) 20 August 1994 (age 29) | 19 | 0 | Lokomotiv |
| 19 | 3MF | Yoana Stankova | (2005-08-20) 20 August 2005 (age 18) | 12 | 1 | Sassuolo U19 |
| 9 | 3MF | Lora Petrova | (1998-10-12) 12 October 1998 (age 25) | 25 | 1 | Res Roma |
| 22 | 3MF | Ivana Naydenova | (2001-12-21) 21 December 2001 (age 22) | 14 | 3 | Res Roma |
| 3MF | Ivelina Pavlova | (2003-07-18) 18 July 2003 (age 20) | 1 | 0 | NSA | |
| 16 | 3MF | Zdravka Parapunova | (2003-08-06) 6 August 2003 (age 20) | 0 | 0 |  SPG Lustenau/Dornbirn |
| 8 | 3MF | Leonora Zheleva | (1999-05-13) 13 May 1999 (age 24) | 8 | 1 |  AEL |
| 17 | 4FW | Simona Petkova | (1993-09-03) 3 September 1993 (age 30) | 13 | 0 |  Aarau |
| 7 | 4FW | Evdokiya Popadinova | (1996-10-26) 26 October 1996 (age 27) | 8 | 3 | Lazio |
| 8 | 4FW | Polina Rusina | NSA | |||
| 8 | 3MF | Victoria Yavorova | | |||
| 14 | 4FW | Dimitra Ivanova | (2004-01-26) 26 January 2004 (age 20) | 9 | 0 |  Politehnica Timișoara |
| 15 | 4FW | Nadezhda Ivanova | (2004-12-17) 17 December 2004 (age 19) | 0 | 0 |  SC Sand |
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Recent call-ups
- The following players have been called up to a Bulgaria squad in the past 12 months.
More information Pos., Player ...
| Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club | Latest call-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GK | Viktoria Dimova | (2002-01-08) 8 January 2002 (age 22) | 0 | 0 | NSA |
2023 Turkish Women's Cup |
| GK | Victoria Ivanova | (2001-01-25) 25 January 2001 (age 23) | 0 | 0 | Sevlievo Ladies |
2023 Turkish Women's Cup |
| GK | Martina Ilieva | (2007-02-08) 8 February 2007 (age 17) | 0 | 0 | Ludogorets |
v. Ukraine, 27 February 2024 |
| DF | Gergana Iliycheva | (2002-02-24) 24 February 2002 (age 22) | 2 | 0 | Chita di Matera |
2023 Turkish Women's Cup |
| DF | Mariela Nedeva | (2000-07-12) 12 July 2000 (age 23) | 4 | 0 | Lokomotiv |
v. Ukraine, 27 February 2024 |
| DF | Yana Dineva | (2002-11-08) 8 November 2002 (age 21) | 9 | 0 | Lokomotiv |
v. Ukraine, 27 February 2024 |
| MF | Dessi Dupuy | (1993-06-10) 10 June 1993 (age 30) | 3 | 0 |  Växjö DFF |
2023 Turkish Women's Cup |
| MF | Eva Atanasova | (2005-06-05) 5 June 2005 (age 18) | 1 | 0 | Ludogorets |
v. Kosovo, 23 September 2023 |
| MF | Eva Atanasova | (2005-06-05) 5 June 2005 (age 18) | 1 | 0 | Ludogorets |
v. Kosovo , 23 September 2023 |
| MF | Preslava Yordanova | NSA |
v. North Macedonia , 5 December 2023 | |||
| MF | Veni Donna Srpbinska | Sportika |
v. North Macedonia , 5 December 2023 | |||
| FW | Polina Rasina | (1999-03-12) 12 March 1999 (age 25) | 9 | 0 | NSA |
2023 Turkish Women's Cup |
| FW | Bilyana Pencheva | (1997-05-23) 23 May 1997 (age 26) | 3 | 0 | Lokomotiv |
2023 Turkish Women's Cup |
| FW | Mirela Moeva | (2000-09-29) 29 September 2000 (age 23) | 0 | 0 | Etar VT |
2023 Turkish Women's Cup |
| FW | Leonora Zheleva | (1999-05-13) 13 May 1999 (age 24) | 6 | 0 | AEL |
v. Kosovo, 23 September 2023 |
| FW | Viky Adrianova | (2003-05-12) 12 May 2003 (age 20) | 2 | 0 |  Jacksonville State University |
v. North Macedonia , 5 December 2023 |
| FW | Aleksandra Sergeeva | (2005-11-03) 3 November 2005 (age 18) | 2 | 0 | VfL Wolfsburg II |
v. Ukraine, 27 February 2024 |
| FW | Aleksandra Yaneva | (2001-02-24) 24 February 2001 (age 23) | 2 | 2 | AEL |
v. Ukraine, 27 February 2024 |
| FW | Catherine Karadjov | (1998-06-19) 19 June 1998 (age 25) | 1 | 0 | Orvault |
v. Ukraine, 27 February 2024 |
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Captains
| This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (May 2021) |
- Radoslava Slavcheva (????–)
- As of 23 May 2021
- Active players in bold, statistics correct as of 2021.
More information #, Player ...
Most capped players
|
Top goalscorers
|
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FIFA Women's World Cup
More information FIFA Women's World Cup record, Qualification record ...
| FIFA Women's World Cup record | Qualification record | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Result | GP | W | D* | L | GF | GA | GP | W | D* | L | GF | GA | |
 1991 | did not qualify | UEFA Euro 1991 | ||||||||||||
| 1995 |
UEFA Euro 1995 | |||||||||||||
| 1999 |
6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 11 | 12 | ||||||||
| 2003 | did not enter | did not enter | ||||||||||||
| 2007 | ||||||||||||||
| 2011 | did not qualify | 8 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 9 | 25 | |||||||
 2015 |
10 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 3 | 62 | ||||||||
| 2019 | did not enter | did not enter | ||||||||||||
  2023 | did not qualify | 10 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 1 | 37 | |||||||
| 2027 | to be determined | to be determined | ||||||||||||
| Total | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 34 | 4 | 4 | 26 | 24 | 136 | |
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- *Draws include knockout matches decided on penalty kicks.
UEFA Women's Championship
More information UEFA Women's Championship record, Qualifying record ...
| UEFA Women's Championship record | Qualifying record | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Result | GP | W | D* | L | GF | GA | GP | W | D* | L | GF | GA | |
  1984 | did not enter | did not enter | ||||||||||||
| 1987 | ||||||||||||||
| 1989 | did not qualify | 8 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 18 | |||||||
 1991 |
6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 18 | ||||||||
| 1993 |
4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 9 | ||||||||
| 1995 |
4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 11 | ||||||||
| 1997 |
6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 13 | 6 | ||||||||
| 2001 | did not enter | did not enter | ||||||||||||
| 2005 | ||||||||||||||
 2009 | did not qualify | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 1 | |||||||
| 2013 |
10 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 1 | 54 | ||||||||
 2017 | did not enter | did not enter | ||||||||||||
| 2022 | ||||||||||||||
| 2025 | to be determined | to be determined | ||||||||||||
| Total | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 41 | 7 | 3 | 31 | 30 | 117 | |
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- *Draws include knockout matches decided on penalty kicks.
- Champions : 2008
- Champions : 2008
- Sport in Bulgaria
- Football in Bulgaria
- Women's football in Bulgaria
- Football in Bulgaria
- Bulgaria men's national football team
- Due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Ukraine are required to play their home matches at neutral venues until further notice.[2]
- "The FIFA/Coca-Cola Women's World Ranking". FIFA. 15 March 2024. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
- "Decisions from today's extraordinary UEFA Executive Committee meeting". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 25 February 2022. Retrieved 25 February 2022.
- Official website (in Bulgarian)
- FIFA profile