Georgi Alexandrov Ivanov, nicknamed Gonzo, is a former Bulgarian football striker and currently manager. Ivanov is a former Bulgarian international and is perhaps best known for his goal-scoring prowess in The Eternal Derby of Bulgaria, netting 15 goals, having bettered Nasko Sirakov's record in 2008. He is presently a sports director at Lokomotiv Plovdiv.
Georgi Ivanov started his career in his home town Plovdiv playing for local club Lokomotiv Plovdiv. His talent soon became apparent, and he received several call ups for the Bulgarian national football team. For four seasons in Lokomotiv Plovdiv, Georgi earned 60 appearances playing in the Bulgarian top division, scored 15 goals.
"Gonzo", as he was known among the fans, signed for Levski Sofiain the summer of 1997. He is believed to have previously been twice on the radar of archrival CSKA Sofia, but then manager Georgi Vasilev deciding on both occasions against securing his services. On 24 October 1997, Gonzo played in his first Eternal Derby and scored the winning goal in the 84th minute after a Vladimir Ivanov assist to help the "bluemen" to a 1:0 victory. In total, Georgi Ivanov has participated in 22 editions of the rivalry, scoring a record-breaking 15 goals. Levski Sofia have only lost two derby matches against the "reds" with Gonzo on the pitch.
Ivanov joined French Ligue 1 side Stade Rennais FC for a club record transfer fee of €4,100,000 in the summer of 2002. After featuring regularly under the management of Philippe Bergeroo, he saw his opportunities reduced following the former's sacking in October 2002 and the appointment of Vahid Halilhodžić. After less than a full year abroad Ivanov rejoined Levski on loan.
In January 2007, Georgi Ivanov was transferred to Croatian club NK Rijeka. In Croatia, Gonzo was used as a striker and as a defensive midfielder.
PFC Levski Sofia 4th period
On 22 June 2008, he signed a contract with PFC Levski Sofia for the fourth time. Towards the end of the first half of the season he scored 6 goals in 4 matches, including his record 15th against Sofia rivals CSKA. During that season, Gonzo showed once again his strong leadership, playing even with an injury and protectors on his face because of a broken cheek-bone. He became a Champion of Bulgaria in 2009.
Coaching career
Executive Director
Because of injuries, Ivanov did not start the 09/10 season. On 23 July 2009, Ivanov became a manager and head of the sport technical issues in PFC Levski Sofia, but he said that when he is ready he could play again.
Head coach
After the fourth defeat in eight competitions, Levski Sofia have replaced the manager Ratko Dostanic, with the sports manager. He took over Levski in the 10th round, but collected only 9 points. After the end of the season, Ivanov finished with the team in third place and achieved qualification for the UEFA Europa League. On 20 May 2010, Ivanov hired Yasen Petrov as Levski's head coach, ending his coaching career. He also became caretaker manager of Levski following the resignation of Nikolay Kostov on 26 March 2012. On 10 October 2012, Ivanov was announced as the new manager of Lokomotiv Plovdiv, replacing Emil Velev. However, he left the team after just one day in charge of the training process. Between December 2012 and the summer of 2014, Ivanov served as manager of Cherno More Varna. After that he returned to Levski Sofia, where he alternated between the positions of head coach and director of football. On 21 June 2016, Ivanov returned as manager of Cherno More, replacing Nikola Spasov. On 21 September 2017, he resigned following a streak of poor results. In August 2019, he became the sports director of Lokomotiv Plovdiv.
Managerial statistics
International career
Georgi Ivanov was a part of Bulgaria national football team between 1996 and 2005. He earned his first cap with Bulgaria as a 20-year-old, in a 1–0 victory over Luxembourg on 8 October 1996. For Bulgaria, Gonzo was capped 34 times, scoring 4 goals. He was part of Bulgaria's roster for the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France.
