Asen Peshev () (5 March 1908-28 June 1967) was а Bulgarian footballer who played as a striker or left wing.
Club career He started playing in the Sofia club Vladislav in 1923. In 1924 he moved to Levski Sofia where he stayed thirteen seasons. He also played in Jidenitse and Moravska Slava Burno. In Levski he played ninety-nine games scoring a total of eighty-six goals.
International career On the Bulgaria national team he played during 1927-1936 in forty games (eighteen of which he was captain), scoring eleven goals. Remarkably, he achieved this without ever scoring a brace. He was declared the number 1 footballer in Bulgaria in 1931 in a survey of the popular players in the magazine Sport. He was an inseparable part of the glorious pair with Asen Panchev. He is characterised by his inborn talent, high culture and gallantry, with his physical power and outstanding left foot. He has been referred to as the King of the Volleys.
He was part of the Bulgaria team that won two back-to-back Balkan Cups in 1931 and in 1932, contributing with 1 and 2 goals respectively. He also scored once in the 1934-35 edition and twice in 1936, to bring his Balkan Cup goal tally total up to 9 goals, which puts him among the all-time top goal scorer in the competition's history. With 9 goals in the Balkan Cup, he falls just one short of teammate Asen Panchev, who has 10.
Statistics International
+ Appearances and goals by national team and yearNational teamYearAppsGoalsBulgaria192710192940193062193162193294193330193451193553193620Total4121
International goals Bulgaria score listed first, score column indicates score after each Peshev goal.
+ List of international goals scored by Asen PeshevNo.DateVenueCapOpponentScoreResultCompetition112 October 1930Slavia Stadium, Sofia, Bulgaria94–2 5–31929–31 Balkan Cup27 December 1930Leoforos Alexandras Stadium, Athens, Greece111–5 1–6327 September 1931Yunak Stadium, Sofia, Bulgaria154–1 5–11931 Balkan Cup425 October 1931172–1 2–11929–31 Balkan Cup526 June 1932Beogradski SK Stadium, Belgrade, Yugoslavia231–0 2–01932 Balkan Cup62 July 1932252–0 2–074 November 1932Taksim Stadium, Istanbul, Turkey262–2 3–2Friendly825 December 1934Leoforos Alexandras Stadium, Athens, Greece331–0 3–41934–35 Balkan Cup916 June 1935Yunak Stadium, Sofia, Bulgaria361–1 5–21935 Balkan Cup1019 June 1935373–0 4–01119 June 1935VfB Stadium, Leipzig, Germany392–2 2–4Friendly
Honours Club Levski Sofia Bulgarian First League: 1933, 1937 Sofia Championship: 1924–25, 1928–29, 1932–33, 1936–37 Tsar's Cup: 1933, 1937 Ulpia Serdika Cup: 1926, 1930, 1931, 1932
International Bulgaria Balkan Cup: 1931, 1932
Individual Bulgarian First League Top-scorer: 1933 (27 goals) Bulgarian Footballer of the Year: 1931
References