Filip Krastev

Bulgarian footballer

Filip Krastev
Personal information
Krastev in 2024 with PEC Zwolle
Full name	Filip Yavorov Krastev
Date of birth	(2001-10-15) 15 October 2001 (age 22)
Place of birth	Sofia, Bulgaria
Height	1.79 m (5 ft 10 in)^[1]
Position(s)	Midfielder
Team information
Current team	PEC Zwolle (on loan from Lommel)
Number	50
Youth career
2010–2020	Slavia Sofia
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2018–2020	Slavia Sofia	34	(3)
2020–	Lommel	0	(0)
2020	→ Slavia Sofia (loan)	14	(1)
2021	→ Troyes (loan)	2	(0)
2021	→ Cambuur (loan)	3	(0)
2022–2023	→ Levski Sofia (loan)	46	(11)
2023–2024	→ Los Angeles FC (loan)	9	(1)
2024–	→ PEC Zwolle (loan)	5	(0)
International career^‡
2017–2018	Bulgaria U17	2	(0)
2019–2021	Bulgaria U19	3	(2)
2021–2022	Bulgaria U21	11	(1)
2020–	Bulgaria	15	(1)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 10:19, 26 January 2024 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 18:56, 25 March 2024 (UTC)

Filip Yavorov Krastev (Bulgarian: Филип Яворов Кръстев; born 15 October 2001) is a Bulgarian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Eredivisie club PEC Zwolle, on loan from Belgian side Lommel, and the Bulgaria national team.

Career

Slavia Sofia

Krastev joined Slavia Sofia's youth academy in 2010.^[2] He made his first team debut at the age of 16 years and 210 days in a 3–0 home loss against Lokomotiv Plovdiv on 13 May 2018, coming on as a substitute for Galin Ivanov.^[3] Krastev scored his first senior goal on 24 February 2020, netting the second for Slavia during their 3–1 victory against Dunav Ruse. A week later, he provided an assist to Ivaylo Dimitrov in a 2–1 away win over Levski Sofia.^[4]

Lommel

On 18 June 2020, Slavia announced that Krastev would sign for Premier League club Manchester City in the following week;^[5] however, on 28 June 2020, Krastev signed with Belgian First Division B team Lommel, part of the City Football Group, which immediately loaned him back to Slavia until the end of 2020.^[6]

Loans

On 28 January 2021, Krastev joined another City Football Group side, Troyes, on an 18-month loan deal.^[7] On 27 August 2021, his loan deal with Troyes was cut short to allow him to join Eredivisie side Cambuur on a season-long loan deal.^[8]

On 27 January 2022, Krastev returned to Bulgaria to sign for Levski Sofia on a six-month loan.^[9] On 28 June 2022, his loan was extended for a further year.^[10]

On 26 July 2023, Krastev joined Major League Soccer club Los Angeles FC on loan until 30 June 2024, with a permanent transfer option.^[11] He made his debut on 8 August in Leagues Cup match against Real Salt Lake, coming as a substitute in the 76th minute and scoring his debut goal in the 84th minute for the 4–0 win.

In January 2024, his loan deal with LAFC was terminated early. He returned to Europe to sign a loan deal with PEC Zwolle on 26 January.^[12]

International career

In August 2020, he received his first call up to the senior side for the UEFA Nations League in September, earning his first cap on 6 September, in a 1–0 away loss against Wales after coming on as a late second-half substitute for Todor Nedelev.^[13]

Career statistics

Club

As of 5 October 2023

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club	Season	League			Cup		Continental		Other		Total
Club	Season	Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Slavia Sofia	First League	2017–18	1	0	0	0	–		–		1	0
		2018–19	13	0	1	0	2	0	1	0	17	0
		2019–20	16	3	0	0	–		–		16	3
Slavia Sofia (loan)		2020–21	14	1	0	0	1	0	–		15	1
Slavia Sofia (loan)	Total		44	4	1	0	3	0	1	0	49	4
Troyes (loan)	Ligue 2	2020–21	2	0	0	0	–		–		2	0
	Ligue 1	2021–22	0	0	0	0	–		–		0	0
	Total		2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	0
Cambuur (loan)	Eredivisie	2021–22	3	0	2	1	–		–		5	1
Levski Sofia (loan)	First League	2021–22	12	3	4	0	–		–		16	3
	First League	2022–23	34	8	1	0	4	1	1	0	40	9
	Total		46	11	5	0	4	1	1	0	56	12
Los Angeles FC (loan)	MLS	2023	7	1	0	0	0	0	2^[a]	1	9	2
Career total			101	16	5	1	7	1	4	1	117	19

^ Appearance(s) in Leagues Cup

International

As of match played 25 March 2024

Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team	Year	Apps	Goals
Bulgaria	2020	1	0
	2021	0	0
	2022	7	0
	2023	5	0
	2024	2	1
Total		15	1

International goals

Scores and results list Bulgaria's goal tally first.^{[citation needed]}

No.	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1.	25 March 2024	Tofiq Bahramov Republican Stadium, Baku, Azerbaijan	Azerbaijan	1–0	1–1	2024 FIFA Series

Honours

Levski Sofia

Bulgarian Cup: 2021–22

References

^ "Профил на Филип Чуквезе Кръстев" (in Bulgarian). fpleague.bg. Retrieved 19 July 2020.
^ "Юноша на Славия: В началото не говорих с никой" (in Bulgarian). gong.bg. 22 November 2018.
^ "Slavia Sofia 0–3 Lokomotiv Plovdiv". soccerway.com. 13 May 2018.
^ "Талант на Славия: Не знаех, че бях най-добрият срещу Левски" (in Bulgarian). dsport.bg. 5 March 2020.
^ "Съобщение от Славия (София)" (in Bulgarian). pfcslavia.com. 18 June 2020. Archived from the original on 24 September 2020. Retrieved 19 June 2020.
^ "Bulgaars toptalent belandt via Manchester City bij Lommel" [Bulgarian top talent ends up at Lommel through Manchester City] (in Dutch). sporza.be. 28 June 2020.
^ "FILIP KRASTEV JOINS ESTAC!" (in French). Troyes AC. 28 January 2021. Archived from the original on 5 September 2022. Retrieved 28 January 2021.
^ "DUBBELKLAPPER: GULLIT EN KRASTEV PER DIRECT NAAR SC CAMBUUR" (in Dutch). SC Cambuur. 27 August 2021. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
^ "ПФК Левски подписа с Филип Кръстев" (in Bulgarian). levski.bg. 27 January 2022. Retrieved 27 January 2022.
^ "Договорът за наем на Филип Кръстев бе удължен" (in Bulgarian). levski.bg. 28 June 2022. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
^ LAFC Acquire Midfielder Filip Krastev On Loan | Los Angeles Football Club
^ Официално: Националът Филип Кръстев се завърна в Европа след приключението в Ел Ей
^ "Wales NT vs. Bulgaria NT 1:0". soccerway.com. 6 September 2020. Retrieved 4 February 2021.