Valentin Antov

Valentin Ivaylov Antov (Bulgarian: Валентин Ивайлов Антов; born 9 November 2000) is a Bulgarian professional footballer who plays as a centre-back or defensive midfielder for Serie B club Monza, on loan from Bulgarian club CSKA Sofia.[2]

Valentin Antov
Antov with CSKA Sofia in 2019
Personal information
Full name Valentin Ivaylov Antov
Date of birth (2000-11-09) 9 November 2000
Place of birth Sofia, Bulgaria
Height 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)[1]
Position(s) Centre-back, defensive midfielder
Club information
Current team
 Monza (on loan from CSKA Sofia)
Number 26
Youth career
2007–2017 CSKA Sofia
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2016–2017 CSKA Sofia II 5 (0)
2015– CSKA Sofia 60 (3)
2021 → Bologna (loan) 5 (0)
2021– → Monza (loan) 6 (0)
National team‡
2013–2015 Bulgaria U16 9 (0)
2015–2016 Bulgaria U17 12 (0)
2016–2017 Bulgaria U18 2 (0)
2016–2018 Bulgaria U19 5 (1)
2019– Bulgaria U21 12 (0)
2019– Bulgaria 11 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 20:27, 6 April 2022 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 21:30, 25 March 2022 (UTC)

A youth product of CSKA Sofia, Antov became the youngest player ever to represent the club when he made his debut in 2015 at the age of 14 years, 9 months and 10 days. He moved on loan to Serie A side Bologna in the second half of the 2020–21 season, and to Serie B side Monza in summer 2021.

Antov has represented Bulgaria internationally at every level, making his debut for the senior team in March 2019 at the age of 18.

Club career

CSKA Sofia
Antov playing for CSKA Sofia in 2018

Antov came up through CSKA's youth academy and impressed from an early age. He made his first-team debut on 19 August 2015, in a Bulgarian Cup match against Sofia 2010, becoming CSKA's youngest ever debutant at the age of 14 years, 9 months and 10 days, while also becoming the youngest ever captain for the club after taking the captain's armband for the last 25 minutes of the match.[3]

Antov made his First League debut on 14 April 2018, in a league match against Vereya.[4] Antov began to establish himself in the CSKA first team during the 2018–19 season, playing 26 matches in all competitions. On 12 July 2018, he made his debut in the Europa League playing 90 minutes in the first match of the first qualifying round against Latvian club Riga.[5] He scored his first competitive goal for the club, netting CSKA's second in a 5–0 league victory against Beroe Stara Zagora on 12 July 2020.

In August 2020, he was named as the new club captain.

Loan to Bologna

On 1 February 2021, Antov was loaned to Serie A club Bologna until the end of the season with an option for a permanent transfer.[6][7]

Loan to Monza

On 27 August 2021, Antov was sent on a one-year loan to Serie B side Monza, with a conditional obligation for purchase.[8] He made his debut on 21 September, as a starter in a 2–1 defeat to Pisa in the league.[9]

International career

Antov made his debut for Bulgaria national team on 25 March 2019, as an 80th-minute substitute for Georgi Kostadinov in a Euro 2020 qualifier against Kosovo.[10]

Personal life

Antov is a nephew of former footballer Anatoli Nankov.[11]

Career statistics

Club
As of match played 12 March 2022[2]
Club Season Division League National Cup[lower-alpha 1] Continental Other Total
AppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
CSKA Sofia II 2016–17 Second League 50———50
CSKA Sofia 2015–16 Third League 4010——50
2017–18 First League 4000——40
2018–19 First League 180305[lower-alpha 2]0—260
2019–20 First League 171602[lower-alpha 2]0—291
2020–21 First League 1620010[lower-alpha 2]0—262
2021–22 First League 10006[lower-alpha 2]01[lower-alpha 3]080
Total 60310024010953
Bologna (loan) 2020–21 Serie A 5000——50
Monza (loan) 2021–22 Serie B 5000——50
Career Total 753100240101103
  1. Includes Bulgarian Cup and Coppa Italia
  2. Appearance(s) in UEFA Europa League
  3. Appearance in Bulgarian Supercup

International
As of match played 9 October 2021
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National teamYearAppsGoals
Bulgaria 201910
202020
202180
Total110

Honours

CSKA Sofia

Individual

References
  1. "Профил на Валентин Ивайлов Антов" (in Bulgarian). fpleague.bg. Retrieved 14 April 2020.
  2. Valentin Antov at Soccerway. Retrieved 4 March 2021.
  3. Сега Антов, до 3-4 години Брилянтов!
  4. Валентин Антов: Щастлив съм, че дебютирах
  5. Валентин Антов: Изненадах се, когато видях, че ще играя срещу Рига
  6. Официално: Валентин Антов премина в Болоня
  7. Antov al Bologna
  8. "Valentin Antov è biancorosso - Associazione Calcio Monza S.p.A." www.acmonza.com (in Italian). Retrieved 27 August 2021.
  9. "Il Monza comincia male a Pisa: sotto di un gol alla fine del primo tempo". www.ilcittadinomb.it (in Italian). Retrieved 21 September 2021.
  10. "Kosovo v Bulgaria game report". UEFA. 25 March 2019.
  11. Детето чудо на ЦСКА - Вальо Антов
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