Former Bulgarian national team captain and long-time Bulgarian Football Union (BFU) president Borislav Mihaylov has died at the age of 63 in Sofia. His family confirmed the news, stating that he passed away after a prolonged and critical medical condition following a stroke that left him in an induced coma since late November.
Medical complications from the stroke led to a severe deterioration in his health in recent weeks. Despite sustained treatment and the efforts of doctors and his family, he did not recover.
Born on February 12, 1963 in Sofia, Mihaylov is widely regarded as one of the most important figures in Bulgarian football history, best known for his role as goalkeeper and captain of the national team. He was part of Bulgaria's ?golden generation? that achieved fourth place at the 1994 FIFA World Cup in the United States. Across his international career, he earned 102 caps for Bulgaria, wearing the captain's armband in 60 of those matches, a national record.
At club level, Mihaylov began at Levski Sofia, where he progressed through the youth system and established himself in the first team. With Levski, he won three Bulgarian league titles in 1984, 1985 and 1988, as well as three Bulgarian Cups in 1982, 1984 and 1986. In 1986, he was named Bulgaria's Footballer of the Year.
His professional career also included spells abroad with Belenenses in Portugal, Mulhouse in France, Reading in England and Zurich in Switzerland, as well as time with Bulgarian clubs Botev Plovdiv and Slavia.
After retiring as a player, Mihaylov moved into football administration, becoming part of the leadership of the BFU. He served as vice-president between 2001 and 2005 before being elected president on November 21, 2005. He remained in the role until October 15, 2019, when he resigned following a racist incident during Bulgaria's 0-6 defeat to England in a European qualifier in Sofia.
He later returned to the position, withdrawing his resignation and resuming the presidency on April 28, 2021, serving until November 27, 2023. In total, he was the longest-serving president in BFU history, holding the post for 16 years. Between 2011 and 2019, he was also a member of the UEFA Executive Committee.
Mihaylov was awarded the Order of Stara Planina, first class, on July 20, 1994, and was also an honorary citizen of Sofia.
