Ilko Emilov Pirgov (Bulgarian: Илко Емилов Пиргов; born 23 May 1986) is a Bulgarian former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper, who is currently the sporting director of Lokomotiv Plovdiv. He is the older brother of Dimitar Pirgov.

Ilko Pirgov
Personal information
Full name Ilko Emilov Pirgov
Date of birth (1986-05-23) 23 May 1986 (age 38)
Place of birth Gotse Delchev, Bulgaria
Height 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Position(s) Goalkeeper
Team information
Current team
Lokomotiv Plovdiv (Sporting Director)
Youth career
Pirin Gotse Delchev
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2002–2005 Pirin Blagoevgrad 37 (0)
2005–2008 CSKA Sofia 11 (0)
2008 Otopeni 6 (0)
2009–2011 Cherno More 76 (0)
2012–2014 Litex Lovech 60 (0)
2014 Cherno More 7 (0)
2015–2016 Beroe Stara Zagora 13 (0)
2016–2023 Lokomotiv Plovdiv 87 (0)
Total 297 (0)
International career
2006 Bulgaria U21 1 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Career

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Pirgov is an ex-Pirin Blagoevgrad player, where he played from 2002. He moved to CSKA Sofia in 2005. As a player of PFC CSKA Sofia he is a Bulgarian Cup winner in 2006. In 2008, he played for six months for Romanian club CS Otopeni. On 10 January 2009 he signed for Cherno More Varna.[1]

During the 2011–12 season Pirgov became the first player in Bulgaria who earned 31 league appearances in 30 rounds. In the first half of the campaign he played in all 15 matches for Cherno More. In December 2011, Pirgov joined Litex Lovech. During a second half of the season he played in all 15 matches of his new club and in the Litex's delayed game of the autumn against Kaliakra Kavarna.[2]

He has developed a reputation as a goalkeeper who is adept in saving penalty kicks, managing the feat on 11 occasions in the A PFG (in two other instances, the penalty takers who faced him did not hit the target) in the period from 2006 to 2020.[3] On 1 July 2020, during the Bulgarian Cup final Pirgov came on as a substitute for Martin Lukov just prior to the commencement of the penalty shootout and was able to save Ali Sowe's kick from the spot, making a decisive contribution towards Lokomotiv Plovdiv's victory.[4] He was subsequently one of a number of Lokomotiv Plovdiv players who developed symptoms and tested positive for COVID-19, though he recovered for the new season.[5] On 29 July 2021, Pirgov saved three out of five penalty kicks against Czech team 1. FC Slovácko in the second leg of a Europa Conference League qualifying phase match, enabling Lokomotiv Plovdiv to prevail in the penalty shootout.[6]

Career statistics

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As of 26 August 2019

Club Season League Cup Europe Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Pirin Blagoevgrad 2002–03 9 0 0 0 9 0
2003–04 18 0 2 0 20 0
2004–05 10 0 0 0 10 0
Total 37 0 2 0 0 0 39 0
CSKA Sofia 2005–06 9 0 2 0 0 0 11 0
2006–07 0 0 2 0 0 0 2 0
2007–08 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 0
Total 11 0 4 0 0 0 15 0
Otopeni 2008–09 6 0 0 0 6 0
Total 4 0 0 0 0 0 4 0
Cherno More 2008–09 7 0 0 0 0 0 7 0
2009–10 28 0 3 0 4 0 35 0
2010–11 26 0 3 0 29 0
2011–12 15 0 1 0 16 0
Total 76 0 7 0 4 0 87 0
Litex Lovech 2011–12 16 0 0 0 16 0
2012–13 29 0 6 0 35 0
2013–14 14 0 1 0 15 0
2014–15 0 0 0 0 2 0 2 0
Total 59 0 7 0 2 0 68 0
Cherno More 2014–15 7 0 3 0 10 0
Total 7 0 3 0 0 0 10 0
Beroe 2014–15 8 0 0 0 8 0
2015–16 5 0 5 0 0 0 10 0
Total 13 0 5 0 0 0 18 0
Lokomotiv Plovdiv 2016–17 16 0 0 0 16 0
2017–18 24 0 0 0 24 0
2018–19 7 0 1 0 8 0
2019–20 1 0 1 0 1 0
Total 48 0 1 0 0 0 49 0
Career total 257 0 29 0 6 0 292 0

Honours

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Club

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CSKA Sofia
Lokomotiv Plovdiv

References

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  1. ^ "Stats Centre: Ilko Pirgov Facts". Guardian.co.uk. Archived from the original on 30 September 2012. Retrieved 7 January 2010.
  2. ^ "Stats Centre: Ilko Pirgov Facts". gong.bg/. Retrieved 23 June 2012.
  3. ^ "Илко Пиргов вече е №1 по спасени дузпи у нас" (in Bulgarian). pirinsport.com. 26 May 2020. Retrieved 2 July 2020.
  4. ^ Dimitrov, Ivaylo (1 July 2020). "Локомотив (Пд) спечели Купата на България след победа с дузпи над ЦСКА" (in Bulgarian). topsport.bg. Retrieved 2 July 2020.
  5. ^ "Пиргов: Няма отбор в България, който да ни е превъзхождал физически в последните 3 години" (in Bulgarian). gong.bg. 21 August 2020. Retrieved 26 August 2020.
  6. ^ Petrov, Nikolay, ed. (29 July 2021). "Огромен Илко Пиргов хвана 3 дузпи и класира Локомотив напред" (in Bulgarian). corner.dir.bg. Retrieved 30 July 2021.