Ex Midfielder Ilian Iliev Takes over Levski Sofia in Summer

Beroe coach Ilian Iliev (L) is pictured here with his Litex Lovech counterpart Hristo Stoichkov (R). Photo by BGNES

Ilian Iliev, former international football midfielder and current manager of Beroe Stara Zagora, will become the new coach of Bulgarian major football club Levski Sofia at the end of the season in the summer.

Levski Sofia previous coach Nikolay Kostov resigned at the end of March after his side suffered a surprising and humiliating 1-0 home loss by lowly Minyor Pernik, the club's first league defeat.

During his career Iliev has played for the Portuguese club S.L. Benfica and Bulgarian sides Cherno More and Levski Sofia.

Iliev will conclude a three-year contract with Levski Sofia.

Levski Sofia's selection manager Georgi Ivanov was recently appointed interim coach of the major football club until the end of April, but the stint, his third in this position, proved short-lived.

Ivanov, who has previously briefly led the team in 2010 and 2011, resigned at the beginning of April following two defeats by Litex Lovech and Ludogorets Razgrad.

Levski Sofia head coach Nikolay Kostov surprisingly resigned at the end of March, saying the team is not living up to his expectations and targets.

Kostov's stint at the helm of the team started in the autumn, following a 0:1 defeat by CSKA. Under his leadership the team scored a series of wins, but suffered a shock 1-0 home loss against mid-table Mineur Pernik.

Stanimir Stoilov, who guided the team to the UEFA Cup quarter-finals in 2006, was tipped as the favorite to replace Kostov.

Other candidates for the post included Kostov's predecessor Georgi Ivanov, who resigned in the autumn following the 1-0 defeat by arch rivals CSKA Sofia, and Dimitar Dimitrov - Hero, former coach of Bulgaria's football national team, who was diagnosed with stomach cancer in October, but remained at the helm of Burgas-based Chernomorets.

Levski Sofia currently rank fifth in the Bulgarian league, trailing by nine points behind leader and arch enemy CSKA Sofia.

With 45 points from 22 matches Levski Sofia is no longer among the favorites to win the club's first league title since 2009, but unlike others is financially stable.

Ilian Iliev will face his first big challenge on May 11, when the club that he is currently coaching - Beroe Stara Zagora - will face off Levski Sofia.

"The clash between Levski and Beroe will be the toughest in my career," Iliev told journalists.

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