Legendary Bulgarian Defender Trifon Ivanov Dies Aged 50

One of the greatest defenders in the history of Bulgarian football, Trifon Ivanov, passed away at the age of fifty after suffering a massive heart attack on Saturday.

He had suffered another heart attack last year.

Ivanov was part of Bulgaria's golden football generation of the 1990s, which finished fourth at the 1994 World Cup and secured the country's first participation in a European championship in 1996.

He was born in the region of Veliko Tarnovo in 1965 and started his career at Etar before moving to CSKA Sofia.

Internationally, he played for Real Betis, Neuchatel Xamax, Rapid Wien, Austria Wien and Floridsdorfer.

In his club career, he played 353 matches and scored 45 goals. He also recorded 77 appearances for the Bulgarian men's national team and scored six goals.

He was awarded the Bulgarian footballer of the year title in 1996. With his teams, he claimed the championship titles of Bulgaria and Austria as well as the Bulgarian Cup.

In 2013, an amateur football tournament in Brazil was named after him.

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