Profil Aleksandar Dimitrov, Pelatih Bulgaria yang pernah berseragam Persija Jakarta

<blockquote class=”summary-article mceNonEditable”><strong class=”summary-head”>News Summary:</strong>
<ul>
<li>Profile of Bulgarian coach, Aleksandar Dimitrov, who previously played in Indonesia’s Liga 1.</li>
<li>Aleksandar Dimitrov played for Persija Jakarta and Gresik United during his active playing career.</li>
<li>Aleksandar Dimitrov also served as an assistant coach for the Indonesian National Team under Ivan Kolev.</li>
</ul>
</blockquote>
<p><strong>Teknowarta –</strong> The figure of Aleksandar Dimitrov has garnered significant attention as he leads the Bulgarian National Team in the FIFA Series 2026 event in Indonesia.</p>

<p>Bulgaria is set to face the Indonesian National Team in the final of the FIFA Series 2026 at the Gelora Bung Karno Main Stadium (SUGBK) on Monday, March 30, 2026, at 8:00 PM WIB.</p>

<p>Ahead of this highly anticipated match, coach Aleksandar Dimitrov has gone viral for his surprising ability to speak Bahasa Indonesia during his interactions with journalists.</p>

<p>However, for those familiar with his career trajectory, particularly his substantial involvement in Indonesian football, this linguistic fluency is hardly a surprise.</p>

<p>Aleksandar Kirilov Dimitrov, born in Sofia, Bulgaria, on September 12, 1976, commenced his football journey at a tender age. He joined the prestigious CSKA Sofia academy at six and honed his skills there until he was 19.</p>

<p>Despite his long tenure in the academy, Dimitrov did not break into CSKA Sofia’s senior team. He subsequently launched his professional playing career with Yantra Gabrovo in 1995, staying with the club until 2000 before moving to Belasitsa Petrich, where he played until 2002.</p>

<p>Dimitrov’s Indonesian adventure began in 2002 when he signed with Liga 1 giants <b>Persija Jakarta</b>. Unfortunately, he was unable to guide the “Macan Kemayoran” (Kemayoran Tigers) to a title, with the team only reaching the quarterfinals. Interestingly, in the following season, he joined <b>Gresik United</b>, a club that had been champions in the season prior. His playing career in Indonesia, though impactful, was relatively brief. By 2005, Dimitrov returned to Bulgaria to play for Akademik Sofia before ultimately retiring as a professional player.</p>
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<p><b>Early Coaching Career in Indonesia</b></p>
<p>What makes Dimitrov’s narrative particularly compelling is that his coaching career remarkably commenced in Indonesia. In 2006, he took on an assistant coaching role at Persipura Jayapura, a position he held until 2007. Shortly thereafter, he joined his compatriot <b>Ivan Kolev</b> as an assistant coach for the Indonesian National Team.</p>

<p>This formative experience in Indonesia forged a deep emotional connection between Dimitrov and Indonesian football, perfectly elucidating his facility with the local language.</p>

<p>Upon his return to Bulgaria, Dimitrov embarked on his head coaching journey, leading PFC Septemvri Sofia, followed by a stint at Vitosha Bistritsa in 2009.</p>

<p>The door to international football opened when he was entrusted with the Bulgaria U17 National Team from 2010–2012. Despite not qualifying for the U17 European Championship finals during that period, Dimitrov continued to earn trust within the national setup. He later served as an assistant at Botev Plovdiv and coached the Bulgaria U19 team before returning to manage the U17 squad. In his second tenure, Dimitrov successfully guided the Bulgaria U17 team to the U17 European Championship in 2015, though they were eliminated in the group stage.</p>

<p><b>Leading the Senior Bulgaria National Team</b></p>
<p>Dimitrov’s coaching career steadily progressed, culminating in his appointment as coach of the Bulgaria U21 National Team from 2018–2025. During this extensive period, he oversaw 54 matches, recording 19 wins, 15 draws, and 20 losses.</p>

<p>The opportunity to coach the senior national team finally arose after the Bulgarian Football Union terminated Ilian Iliev’s contract. <b>Aleksandar Dimitrov</b> was officially named the <b>Bulgaria national team coach</b> on September 24, 2025, with a contract extending until June 30, 2027.</p>

<p>However, his initial foray with the senior team proved challenging. He suffered a heavy 1-6 defeat to Turkey in his debut match. Bulgaria also failed to qualify for the 2026 World Cup, despite concluding their qualification campaign with a victory over Georgia.</p>

<p>As he prepares for the <b>FIFA Series 2026</b> match against Indonesia on Monday, March 30, 2026, Dimitrov openly shared his profound connection to Indonesian football. “First, I want to say that it was a very good period for me. I have good memories here,” Dimitrov stated, as quoted by <i>BolaSport</i>. “I ended my playing career here and started my coaching career here.”</p>

<p>He also highlighted the significant transformations in Indonesian football today, particularly the increased number of naturalized players and the growth in coaching staff. “The biggest difference now is the number of naturalized players. Back then we only relied on local players.” He thoughtfully added, “However, even then, the Indonesian team was one of the strongest in its history,” remarked the former Persija player.</p>

<p>With such an extensive background in <b>Indonesia</b>, <b>Aleksandar Dimitrov</b> is far from an unknown figure to the national football community. His experiences as both a player and a coach in the country grant him a unique perspective as he now faces the Indonesian National Team.</p>

<p>Now, on the grand stage of the <b>FIFA Series 2026</b>, Dimitrov returns to Indonesia, not as a player or an assistant, but as the head coach of an opposing team, driven by the mission to lead Bulgaria to the best possible result.</p>

<p><b>Biodata Aleksandar Dimitrov</b></p>
<ul>
<li>Full name: Aleksandar Kirilov Dimitrov</li>
<li>Place, date of birth: Sofia, Bulgaria, September 12, 1976</li>
<li>Age: 49 years old (March 2026)</li>
<li>Nationality: Bulgarian</li>
<li>Preferred formation: 4-2-3-1</li>
</ul>

<p><strong>Club Career (Player)</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>1982-1995: CSKA Sofia Junior</li>
<li>1995-2000: Yantra Gabrovo</li>
<li>2000-2002: Belasitsa Petrich</li>
<li>2002: Persija Jakarta</li>
<li>2003-2004: Gresik United</li>
<li>2005: Akademik Sofia</li>
</ul>

<p><strong>Coaching Career</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>2006-2007: Persipura Jayapura (assistant)</li>
<li>2007: Indonesia National Team (assistant)</li>
<li>2008-2009: PFC Septemvri Sofia</li>
<li>2009: Vitosha Bistritsa</li>
<li>2010-2012: Bulgaria U17 National Team</li>
<li>2012: Botev Plovdiv (assistant)</li>
<li>2013-2014: Bulgaria U19 National Team</li>
<li>2014-2015: Bulgaria U17 National Team</li>
<li>2016: Beroe Stara Zagora</li>
<li>2017: Lokomotiv Gorna Oryahovitsa</li>
<li>2018-2025: Bulgaria U21 National Team</li>
<li>2025-present: Bulgaria National Team (senior)</li>
</ul>

<p><i><strong>(Tribunnews.com/Ali) (BolaSport/Wila Wildayanti)</strong></i></p>