Stanislav Manolev

Stanislav Manolev is a defender, born on 16 December 1985 in Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria.

Stanislav’s youth career took off in Pirin 1992, where he trained and performed for the youth team.

In 2003 the management of the club decided to pen a two-year contract with the young talent. During two seasons from 2003 till 2005, Manolev was a regular and found the net six times in 41 matches.

In 2005 the footballer ended his Pirin 1992 spell with Bulgarian A Professional Football Group club Litex Lovech. During his first season, Stanislav sat firmly on the substitutes’ bench and made occasional appearances. In the following season, the footballer was sent on loan to his boyhood club Pirin, where he managed to feature in 13 matches and net one goal.

In the 2007/2008 season, the back returned to his parent Litex, clinched a regular place in the starting eleven and became the pivot of the team. Besides, in the 2008/2009 season, Stanislav was voted the most promising footballer of the championship and lifted the Bulgarian Cup twice in a row. Manolev took part in 95 games and amassed 15 goals for the club during four years.

In 2009 the player completed a move to PSV Eindhoven on a three-year contract with the possibility of an automatic two-year extension. The Bulgarian back made 73 appearances and fired three goals for the new club during three seasons. In 2013 Stanislav joined his compatriot Dimitar Berbatov at Fulham on loan. In February 2014 Manolev was released from PSV and later joined a Russian side Kuban Krasbodar. Half a year later he switched for a capital side Dynamo.

From 2005 till 2007, Stanislav was capped four times for the Bulgaria national youth team. In 2008 he received an invitation to play for the senior national squad and featured in 27 games till September 2012.