Stanimir Stoilov
The tactical architect who masterminded Levski Sofia's historic rise, breaking Bulgarian football into the modern European elite.
Born 1967 (age 59)·Bulgarian footballer and manager·Birthday: February 13·Generation X
Biography
Stanimir Stoilov is the cerebral force behind one of Bulgarian football's most celebrated eras. After a solid playing career, he transitioned to management and found his destiny with Levski Sofia. There, he built a disciplined, attacking side that dominated domestically and made unprecedented noise in Europe. His crowning achievement was steering Levski to the UEFA Champions League group stage in 2006, a first for any Bulgarian club, where they famously defeated Italian giants Roma. Stoilov's teams were known for their organization and fluid play, a reflection of his meticulous preparation. While his subsequent managerial ventures have seen mixed results, his legacy is cemented as the man who, for a brilliant period, made a Bulgarian club a respected and feared opponent on the continent's biggest stages.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Stanimir was born in 1967, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Stanimir Was Born
The biggest hits of 1967
#1 Movie
The Jungle Book
Best Picture
In the Heat of the Night
#1 TV Show
The Andy Griffith Show
Stanimir's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1967Born
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1972Started school
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1980Became a teenager
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1983Could drive
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1985Could vote
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1988Turned 21
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1997Turned 30
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2007Turned 40
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2017Turned 50
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2026Age 59 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Led PFC Levski Sofia to the UEFA Champions League group stage for the first time in Bulgarian history in 2006.
- Guided Levski Sofia to the quarter-finals of the UEFA Cup in the 2005-06 season.
- Won back-to-back Bulgarian league titles with Levski Sofia in 2006 and 2007, completing a domestic double in 2007.
- Secured the Bulgarian Cup twice with Levski Sofia, in 2005 and 2007.
- Managed the Bulgarian national team on two separate occasions, in 2007 and 2013-2014.
Did You Know?
As a player, he was part of the Levski Sofia squad that won the Bulgarian Cup in 1991.
He briefly served as the Minister of Sport in Bulgaria's caretaker government in 2017.
Stoilov holds a degree in law from Sofia University.
He has managed clubs in Kazakhstan (Aktobe) and Turkey (Göztepe) later in his career.
“The ball is the most honest thing on the pitch; it shows you the truth of your work.”
