Valentin Antov

Valentin Antov
	Antov with CSKA Sofia in 2019
Personal information
Full name	Valentin Ivaylov Antov
Date of birth	9 November 2000 (age 24)
Place of birth	Sofia, Bulgaria
Height	1.87 m (6 ft 2 in)
Position(s)	Centre-back, defensive midfielder
Team information
Current team	Cremonese; (on loan from Monza)
Number	26
Youth career
2007–2017	CSKA Sofia
Senior career*
Years	Team
2016–2017	CSKA Sofia II
2015–2022	CSKA Sofia
2021	→ Bologna (loan)
2021–2022	→ Monza (loan)
2022–	Monza
2023–	→ Cremonese (loan)
International career‡
2013–2015	Bulgaria U16
2015–2016	Bulgaria U17
2016–2017	Bulgaria U18
2016–2018	Bulgaria U19
2019–2022	Bulgaria U21
2019–	Bulgaria
	*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 19:55, 3 November (UTC); ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 23:01, 15 October 2024 (UTC)

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 Cremonese, on loan from Monza, and the Bulgaria national team.

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 the summer of 2021.

Antov has represented Bulgaria at every international level, debuting for the senior team in March 2019 at the age of 18.

Club career

CSKA Sofia

On 19 August 2015, Antov made his first team debut 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.^[2]

Antov made his First League debut on 14 April 2018, in a league match against Vereya.^[3] He began to establish himself in the CSKA first team during the 2018–19 season, playing 26 matches in all competitions.^{[citation needed]} On 12 July 2018, Antov made his debut in the Europa League playing 90 minutes in the first match of the first qualifying round against Latvian club Riga.^[4]

Italy

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.^[5]

Monza

On 27 August 2021, Antov was sent on a one-year loan to Serie B side Monza, with a conditional obligation for purchase.^[6] He made his league debut the same year on 21 September, starting in a 2–1 loss to Pisa.^[7] Following Monza's Serie A promotion on 29 May 2022, Antov's obligation for purchase clause was triggered.^[8]

Loan to Cremonese

On 31 August 2023, Antov joined Cremonese on loan.^[9] After having played 35 games in the 2023–24 Serie B season, Antov's loan was renewed for a further season on 13 July 2024.^[10]

International career

On 25 March 2019, Antov debuted for the Bulgarian senior squad as an 80th-minute substitute for Georgi Kostadinov in a Euro 2020 qualifier against Kosovo.^[11] On 23 September 2022, he scored his first international goal in a 5–1 victory against Gibraltar during the 2022–23 UEFA Nations League.^[12]

Personal life

Antov is a nephew of former footballer Anatoli Nankov.^[13]

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 3 November 2024^[14]

Club	Season	Division	League		National cup^[a]		Continental		Other		Total
Club	Season	Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
CSKA Sofia II	2016–17	Second League	5	0	—		—		—		5	0
CSKA Sofia	2015–16	Third League	4	0	1	0	—		—		5	0
	2017–18	First League	4	0	0	0	—		—		4	0
	2018–19	First League	18	0	3	0	5^[b]	0	—		26	0
	2019–20	First League	17	1	6	0	2^[b]	0	—		29	1
	2020–21	First League	16	2	0	0	10^[b]	0	—		26	2
	2021–22	First League	1	0	0	0	6^[b]	0	1^[c]	0	8	0
	Total		60	3	10	0	24	0	1	0	95	3
Bologna (loan)	2020–21	Serie A	5	0	0	0	—		—		5	0
Monza (loan)	2021–22	Serie B	6	0	0	0	—		1^[d]	0	7	0
Monza	2022–23	Serie A	9	0	3	0	—		—		12	0
Cremonese (loan)	2023–24	Serie B	31	1	1	0	—		2^[d]	0	34	1
	2024–25	Serie B	11	1	2	0	—		0	0	13	1
	Total		42	2	3	0	0	0	2	0	47	2
Career Total			127	5	16	0	24	0	4	0	171	5

^ Includes Bulgarian Cup, Coppa Italia
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Appearance(s) in UEFA Europa League
^ Appearance in Bulgarian Supercup
^ ^a ^b Appearance in play-offs

International

As of match played 15 October 2024^[15]

Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team	Year	Apps	Goals
Bulgaria	2019	1	0
	2020	2	0
	2021	8	0
	2022	4	1
	2023	9	0
	2024	6	0
Total		30	1

Scores and results list Bulgaria's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Antov goal.

List of international goals scored by Valentin Antov
No.	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition	Ref.
1	23 September 2022	Huvepharma Arena, Razgrad, Bulgaria	Gibraltar	1–0	5–1	2022–23 UEFA Nations League C

Honours

CSKA Sofia

Bulgarian Cup: 2020–21

Individual

Bulgarian Youth Footballer of the Year: 2018
Bulgarian First League Best Defender of the Year: 2020

References

^ "Valentin Antov". AC Monza (in Italian). Archived from the original on 31 August 2022. Retrieved 31 August 2022.
^ "Сега Антов, до 3-4 години Брилянтов!". Top Sport (in Bulgarian). Retrieved 21 April 2018.
^ "Валентин Антов: Щастлив съм, че дебютирах". Novsport (in Bulgarian). 14 April 2018.
^ "Валентин Антов: Изненадах се, когато видях, че ще играя срещу Рига" (in Bulgarian). Retrieved 19 July 2018.
^ "Официално: Валентин Антов премина в Болоня". CSKA Sofia (in Bulgarian). Retrieved 1 February 2021.
^ "Valentin Antov è biancorosso". AC Monza (in Italian). Retrieved 27 August 2021.
^ "Il Monza comincia male a Pisa: sotto di un gol alla fine del primo tempo". Il Citta di Nomb (in Italian). 21 September 2021. Retrieved 21 September 2021.
^ Losapio, Andrea (17 June 2022). "Monza, riscattato Antov dal CSKA per due milioni". Tutto Mercato Web (in Italian). Retrieved 24 June 2022.
^ "Valentin Antov è un nuovo giocatore della Cremonese" [Valentin Antov is a new player of Cremonese]. Cremonese (in Italian). 31 August 2023. Retrieved 31 August 2023.
^ "Valentin Antov in prestito alla Cremonese - Associazione Calcio Monza S.p.A." www.acmonza.com (in Italian). Retrieved 14 July 2024.
^ "След много битка България се измъкна в Косово (видео + снимки)". Sportal (in Bulgarian). 25 March 2019. Петър Занев замени Делев, след което младият Мартин Минчев влезе вместо Малинов, а контузеният Костадинов напусна за сметка на Валентин Антов, който дебютира за България [Petar Zanev replaced Delev, then the young Martin Minchev came in for Malinov, and the injured Kostadinov left for Valentin Antov, who debuted for Bulgaria.]
^ "Валентин Антов: С цялото ми уважение към Гибралтар, но този мач трябваше да го вземем". BNT 1 (in Bulgarian). Bulgarian National Television. 24 September 2022.
^ "Детето чудо на ЦСКА - Вальо Антов". Gol Bulgaria (in Bulgarian). 22 August 2015.
^ Valentin Antov at Soccerway. Retrieved 6 November 2022.
^ "Valentin Antov". National Football Teams. Benjamin Strack-Zimmermann. Retrieved 23 September 2022.

External links

Valentin Antov at Soccerway
Valentin Antov – UEFA competition record (archive)

[15] Includes Bulgarian Cup, Coppa Italia

[UEL-16] Appearance(s) in UEFA Europa League

[bulsuper-17] Appearance in Bulgarian Supercup

[PO-18] Appearance in play-offs

[1] "Valentin Antov". AC Monza (in Italian). Archived from the original on 31 August 2022. Retrieved 31 August 2022.

[2] "Сега Антов, до 3-4 години Брилянтов!". Top Sport (in Bulgarian). Retrieved 21 April 2018.

[3] "Валентин Антов: Щастлив съм, че дебютирах". Novsport (in Bulgarian). 14 April 2018.

[4] "Валентин Антов: Изненадах се, когато видях, че ще играя срещу Рига" (in Bulgarian). Retrieved 19 July 2018.

[5] "Официално: Валентин Антов премина в Болоня". CSKA Sofia (in Bulgarian). Retrieved 1 February 2021.

[6] "Valentin Antov è biancorosso". AC Monza (in Italian). Retrieved 27 August 2021.

[7] "Il Monza comincia male a Pisa: sotto di un gol alla fine del primo tempo". Il Citta di Nomb (in Italian). 21 September 2021. Retrieved 21 September 2021.

[8] Losapio, Andrea (17 June 2022). "Monza, riscattato Antov dal CSKA per due milioni". Tutto Mercato Web (in Italian). Retrieved 24 June 2022.

[9] "Valentin Antov è un nuovo giocatore della Cremonese" [Valentin Antov is a new player of Cremonese]. Cremonese (in Italian). 31 August 2023. Retrieved 31 August 2023.

[10] "Valentin Antov in prestito alla Cremonese - Associazione Calcio Monza S.p.A." www.acmonza.com (in Italian). Retrieved 14 July 2024.

[11] "След много битка България се измъкна в Косово (видео + снимки)". Sportal (in Bulgarian). 25 March 2019. Петър Занев замени Делев, след което младият Мартин Минчев влезе вместо Малинов, а контузеният Костадинов напусна за сметка на Валентин Антов, който дебютира за България [Petar Zanev replaced Delev, then the young Martin Minchev came in for Malinov, and the injured Kostadinov left for Valentin Antov, who debuted for Bulgaria.]

[12] "Валентин Антов: С цялото ми уважение към Гибралтар, но този мач трябваше да го вземем". BNT 1 (in Bulgarian). Bulgarian National Television. 24 September 2022.

[13] "Детето чудо на ЦСКА - Вальо Антов". Gol Bulgaria (in Bulgarian). 22 August 2015.

[soccerway-14] Valentin Antov at Soccerway. Retrieved 6 November 2022.

[NFT-19] "Valentin Antov". National Football Teams. Benjamin Strack-Zimmermann. Retrieved 23 September 2022.

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[a]

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[15]

Valentin Antov

Club career

CSKA Sofia

Italy

Monza

Loan to Cremonese

International career

Personal life

Career statistics

Club

International

Honours

References

External links

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