“A true legend”
German World Cup scare: Bulgarian coach Penev dies
Updated on January 4, 2026 – 9:41 amReading time: 1 min.
Bulgarian football has lost one of its greatest personalities. Dimitar Penev is dead. The former coach was no stranger to Germany either.
Bulgarian football mourns Dimitar Penev. On Saturday, the state’s own football association announced the death of the former national coach. He died after a long illness. Penev was 80 years old.
Association head Geogi Ivanov paid tribute to the deceased. “This is a black day, not only for Bulgarian football, but also for domestic sport and for our society as a whole – a true legend like Dimitar Penev has left us.” Ivanov also emphasized: “He was a person who was loved and respected by absolutely everyone in Bulgaria.”
As a player, Penev took part in three World Cups (1966, 1970 and 1974). However, he probably celebrated his greatest success as a coach. From 1991 to 1996 he looked after the Bulgarian national team and achieved fourth place with them at the 1994 World Cup in the USA. In the quarter-finals, his team defeated the German national team under national coach Berti Vogts 2-1.
Another short term as national coach followed in 2007. In addition, Penev, who won several titles as a coach at national level, was named the best Bulgarian coach of the 20th century.