Bozhidar Kraev
Kraev with Levski in 2016
Personal information
Full name Bozhidar Boykov Kraev[1]
Date of birth (1997-06-23) 23 June 1997
Place of birth Vratsa, Bulgaria
Height 1.89 m (6 ft 2 in)
Position(s) Midfielder / Second striker
Team information
Current team
 Wellington Phoenix
Number 11
Youth career
2003–2008 Botev Vratsa
2008–2010 Vilafranca
2010–2012 Chavdar Etropole
2012–2013 Botev Vratsa
2013–2014 Levski Sofia
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2014–2017 Levski Sofia 83 (22)
2017–2022 Midtjylland 38 (2)
2019–2020 → Gil Vicente (loan) 32 (8)
2021 → Famalicão (loan) 14 (1)
2022– Wellington Phoenix 34 (11)
International career‡
2012 Bulgaria U17 3 (0)
2014–2016 Bulgaria U19 9 (1)
2016–2019 Bulgaria U21 7 (1)
2017– Bulgaria 24 (3)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 19 December 2023
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 8 June 2021

Bozhidar Boykov Kraev (Bulgarian: Божидар Бойков Краев; born 23 June 1997) is a Bulgarian professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder and second striker for A-League Men club Wellington Phoenix and the Bulgarian national team.

Career

Early career

Born in Vratsa, at the age of six Kraev began playing football at the local club Botev Vratsa, for whom his father Boyko Kraev had also played. In 2008, he joined Hristo Stoichkov's academy in Vilafranca, Spain, as a part of a Gillette programme for young talented players, which was initiated by Stoichkov.[2] Two years later, Kraev returned to his home country to join Chavdar Etropole. Then he spent one year with his first club Botev Vratsa. He has a brother Andrian, who currently plays for Levski Sofia.[3]

Levski Sofia

In January 2013, at the age of 15, Kraev joined Levski Sofia's academy.[4] He made his first team debut in a 1–1 league draw against Lokomotiv Plovdiv on 19 July 2014, coming on as a second-half substitute.[5] On 23 September, he marked his first start by scoring a hat-trick in a 7–1 away win over Spartak Varna in the Bulgarian Cup. On 14 October, Kraev was named by The Guardian as one of the forty most promising young players in the world.[6]

On 12 December 2014, Kraev signed his first professional contract, on a three-year deal.[7] Two days later, he was invited for a trial at Juventus.[8] In January 2015, Kraev also spent a week on trial at English club Manchester City.[9]

Kraev scored his first league goal for Levski in an 8–0 home win over Haskovo on 27 February 2015. On 26 May 2015, he scored his first A Group hattrick in a 6–0 win against Marek Dupnitsa. Kraev's hattrick was the 100th in Levski's history in the Bulgarian league.[10]

On 9 April 2017, Kraev scored four goals in a 5–0 win over Lokomotiv Plovdiv, thereby becoming the youngest player in Levski history to score four goals in one game.[11]

Midtjylland

On 19 June 2017, Kraev signed with Danish Superliga side Midtjylland on a five-year deal for a reported fee of €500,000.[12] He made his debut for the team in a Europa League match against Derry City coming on as a substitute in the 73rd minute and scoring a goal 10 minutes later.[13] On 12 April 2018, Kraev scored twice in a 2-1 win against Hobro IK and qualified his team for the cup's semifinals after coming on as a substitute in the 77th minute and scoring both goals in the game's added time.[14][15] Three days later, he scored his first league goal in a 2-1 win against FC Nordsjælland.[16]

Kraev was part of the squad that won the Danish Cup and the Danish Superliga for Midtjylland during his stay at the Herning club.

On 22 June 2019, Kraev was sent on a season-long deal at the Portuguese Primeira Liga team Gil Vicente.[17] Kraev made his debut for the team in a Taça da Liga match against Aves, providing an assist for the first goal and later scored the winning goal in the 90th minute for a 3–2 win.[18] A week later, on 10 August, Kraev made his league debut, playing a full match against Porto, providing the winning goal in the 77th minute, for a 2–1 win over one of the league favorites.[19]

On 11 January 2021, Kraev was sent on a loan with option to buy to Portuguese Primeira Liga team Famalicão, until the end of the season.[20]

On 22 May 2022, Midtjylland confirmed that Kraev was one out of seven players, whose contracts had come to an end, and therefore would leave the club.[21]

Wellington Phoenix

On 22 July 2022 the Wellington Phoenix confirmed they had signed Kraev on a two-year deal.[22] Kraev made his Phoenix debut on 3 August, scoring in a 4–0 win over Devonport City Strikers in the Australia Cup.[23]

International career

In March 2016, Kraev was in the starting lineup of Bulgaria U19 for the 0-1 defeats from Belgium U19 and Croatia U19.[24][25] On 13 May 2016 he was included in the Bulgaria U21 squad for the 2016 Toulon Tournament.[26]

In November 2016, Kraev received his first call-up to the senior Bulgaria squad for a 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying match against Belarus.[27] He remained on the bench for the game.[28] On 25 March 2017, Kraev made his complete debut for the team coming on as a substitute during the 2–0 home win over Netherlands for the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification.[29] On 6 September 2018, he scored 2 goals against Slovenia in the UEFA Nations' League, helping his country to 3 points.[30]

Career statistics

Club Statistics

As of 27 February 2022

Club performance League Cup Continental Other Total
ClubSeasonDivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Levski Sofia 2014–15 A Group 19683––279
2015–16 27422––296
2016–17 First League 35111000–3611
Total 812111500–9226
Midtjylland 2017–18 Superliga 1712331–225
2018–19 1201010–140
2020–21 910070–161
2021–22 001000–10
Total 38243111–536
Gil Vicente (loan) 2019–20 Primeira Liga 30710–2[lower-alpha 1]1338
Famalicão (loan) 2020–21 Primeira Liga 14100––141
Career total 16331168612119241
  1. ↑ Includes Taça da Liga matches.

International goals

Score and result list Bulgaria's goal tally first.

#DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
1.6 September 2018Stožice Stadium, Ljubljana, Slovenia Slovenia1–02–12018–19 UEFA Nations League C
2.2–1
3.3 September 2020Vasil Levski National Stadium, Sofia, Bulgaria Republic of Ireland1–01–12020–21 UEFA Nations League B

Personal life

Bozhidar is the son of Boyko Kraev, a former professional footballer who played for Botev Vratsa, and brother of Andrian Kraev, footballer for Levski Sofia.[31]

Honours

FC Midtjylland

Individual

  • Best progressing young player in Bulgarian football: 2014, 2015[32]

References

  1. ↑ "UEFA Nations League 2021: Booking List before League phase Matchday 6" (PDF). UEFA. 16 November 2020. p. 8. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 November 2020. Retrieved 23 November 2020.
  2. ↑ "Чичарито от Враца" (in Bulgarian). webcafe.bg. 13 July 2011.
  3. ↑ "Краев II – копие или нова версия на Божидар в Левски". temasport.com (in Bulgarian). 18 September 2020.
  4. ↑ "Левски привлече и по-големият брат Краев" (in Bulgarian). viasport.bg. 8 February 2013.
  5. ↑ "Левски - Локомотив (Пловдив) 1–1" (in Bulgarian). sportal.bg. 19 July 2014.
  6. ↑ "Next Generation 2014: 40 of the best young talents in world football". The Guardian. 14 October 2014.
  7. ↑ "Левски върза Краев с нов договор" (in Bulgarian). topsport.bg. 12 December 2014.
  8. ↑ "Краев замина на проби в Ювентус" (in Bulgarian). gong.bg. 15 December 2014.
  9. ↑ "Levski Sofia's Bozhidar Kraev arrives for Manchester City trial". theguardian.com. 4 January 2015.
  10. ↑ "Краев с хеттрик № 100 в историята на Левски". sportal.bg. 26 May 2015.
  11. ↑ "Краев влезе в историята на Левски, остави и Гунди зад себе си" (in Bulgarian). blitz.bg. 11 April 2017.
  12. ↑ "Bulgarsk stortalent til FC Midtjylland" (in Danish). fcm.dk. 19 June 2017. Archived from the original on 6 August 2017. Retrieved 20 June 2017.
  13. ↑ Божидар Краев с дебютен гол за Мидтиланд
  14. ↑ Отличен Краев класира отбора си на ½ финала в Дания
  15. ↑ Indskiftede Bozhidar Kraev blev dobbelt målscorer og matchvinder, da ulvene besejrede Hobro 2-1 i pokalkvartfinalen
  16. ↑ Краев отново герой, надпреварата за титлата ще е до последно
  17. ↑ Мидтиланд изпрати Божидар Краев под наем в Португалия
  18. ↑ Божидар Краев с победен гол в Португалия
  19. ↑ Gil Vicente entra com pé-direito na I Liga ao vencer FC Porto
  20. ↑ "Bozhidar Kraev Assina Pelo FC Famalicão" [Bozhidar Kraev Signs For FC Famalicão]. FC Famalicão Official Website (in Portuguese). January 11, 2021. Archived from the original on 2021-01-11. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  21. ↑ SYV FCM’ERE TAKKER AF EFTER SÆSONEN, fcm.dk, 22 May 2022
  22. ↑ Rollo, Phillip (22 July 2022). "Wellington Phoenix sign Bulgarian international Bozhidar Kraev". Stuff. Retrieved 22 July 2022.
  23. ↑ "Australia Cup Review: Wellington Phoenix vs. Devonport City Strikers". 3 August 2022.
  24. ↑ Юношите на България аут от Евро 2016
  25. ↑ Юношите започнаха с минимална загуба от Хърватия
  26. ↑ Съставът на България U21 за международния турнир "Тулон"
  27. ↑ "Petar Hubchev named an expanded group for Belarus". bfunion.bg. 4 November 2016. Archived from the original on 8 November 2016. Retrieved 7 November 2016.
  28. ↑ "Bulgaria NT vs. Belarus NT 1:0". flashscore.com. 13 November 2016. Retrieved 20 November 2016.
  29. ↑ Браво, "лъвове"! България с голям успех над Холандия
  30. ↑ "БожиДар изстреля "лъвовете" в Словения". Archived from the original on 2018-09-07. Retrieved 2018-09-07.
  31. ↑ "Краев II – копие или нова версия на Божидар в Левски". temasport.com (in Bulgarian). 18 September 2020.
  32. ↑ Dimitrov, Ivaylo (17 February 2015). "Владислав Стоянов е най-добрият български футболист за 2014 година! Лудогорци обраха почти всички индивидуални награди". topsport.bg. Retrieved 18 February 2015.
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